The Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) process is the most applied method for the biological treatment of industrial effluents. Paques has been applying the BIOPAQ® UASB technology for more than twenty years and has standardized the reactor into a modular system. Nearly four thousand BIOPAQ® modules are operating world-wide, treating 1,760,000 m3 of effluent per day. One module has a capacity equivalent to about 1 ton COD/d e.g. 15-20 m3/hr and can be used to configure any UASB reactor size to meet specific layout and capacity requirements.



BIOPAQ® UASB technology is used to treat a large variety of industrial and municipal effluents, from food, beer and beverage to pulp & paper, chemical and municipal sewage.

Advantages of the BIOPAQ® UASB
• modular system
• worldwide availability
• corrosion-free design
• ten-year guarantee
• fully accessible for inspection and cleaning
• closed system
• no odor emissions
• limited reactor height
 
Working principle
The success of the BIOPAQ® UASB reactor is based on the so-called three-phase separator, which enables the reactor to separate gas, water and sludge mixtures under high turbulence conditions. This allows for compact, cheaper designs. 



The patented BIOPAQ® UASB design has multiple gas hoods for the separation of biogas. As a result the extremely large gas/water interfaces greatly reduce turbulence, making relatively high loading rates of 10 – 15 kg/m3.d possible. Separation in the BIOPAQ® UASB requires only 1.0 meter of height, which prevents flotation effects and, consequently, floating layers.