Norrvatten produces and delivers drinking water to approximately 700 000 people in the northern part of the Stockholm region in Sweden. In their water treatment plant Görvälnverket, water from Lake Mälaren is purified. During the purification, sludge is produced. To be able to use the sludge as landfilling material, it must be dewatered. Polyacrylamide is used as a flocculant for this purpose. However, in the reject water leaving the sludge and discharged into Lake Mälaren, acrylamide monomers are often left as a rest product from the manufacturing of polyacrylamide. The problem is that acrylamide is toxic to living organisms.  The aim of this master thesis was to evaluate proposed water treatment techniques to reduce acrylamide in the reject water leaving Görvälnverket and reach Norrvatten´s goal of an acrylamide concentration below 0.10 µg/l. The water treatment techniques evaluated were ozonation, moving bed biofilm reactor and trickling filter. Along with that, oxidative stress and genotoxicity from the ozone were analysed. Also, the ability of Lake Mälaren to degrade acrylamide was evaluated. The ozone tests were performed in a pilot plant in a laboratory at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet), the moving bed biofilm reactor- and the trickling filter test were performed in pilot plants at Görvälnverket and the degradation tests in water from Lake Mälaren were performed at Görvälnverket as well.  The results showed that ozonation of the reject water could reduce acrylamide in the reject water and fulfil Norrvatten´s goal of below 0.10 µg/l acrylamide. When an ozone dose of 0.70 mg/l was applied to the reject water with an acrylamide concentration of 2.5 µg/l, more than 98 % of the acrylamide was reduced. Furthermore, no oxidative stress or genotoxicity seemed to be generated from the ozonation. The moving bed biofilm reactor and the trickling filter did reduce the acrylamide by 80.77 % and 94.7 % respectively and the results suggested that they could be used to reach Norrvatten´s goal. Finally, the results indicated that water from Lake Mälaren could degrade acrylamide at a temperature of 15 °C in 4 days and in 8 °C in 13 days and reach the goal. / Norrvatten producerar och levererar dricksvatten till cirka 700 000 människor i norra delen av Region Stockholm i Sverige. I deras vattenverk Görvälnverket renas vatten från Mälaren. När sjövattnet renas produceras slam. För att slammet ska kunna användas som landfyllnadsmaterial måste det avvattnas. Polyakrylamid används som flockningsmedel i det syftet. I rejektvattnet som lämnar slammet och släpps ut i Mälaren finns ofta akrylamid monomerer kvar som en restprodukt från framställning av polyakrylamid. Problemet med detta är att akrylamid är toxiskt för levande organismer.  Syftet med detta masterexamensarbete var att evaluera föreslagna vattenreningstekniker för att reducera akrylamid i rejektvattnet som lämnar Görvälnverket och inte överstiga en akrylamidkoncentration på 0,10 µg/l som är Norrvattens mål. Vattenreningsteknikerna som evaluerades var ozonering, biofilmreaktor med rörlig bädd och biobädd. Utöver det var oxidativ stress samt genotoxicitet från ozoneringen analyserad. Dessutom var nedbrytningsförmågan av akrylamid i Mälaren testad. Ozonerings försöken utfördes i en pilotanläggning i ett laboratorium hos IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet, testerna med biofilmreaktor med rörlig bädd och biofilter utfördes i pilotanläggningar på Görvälnverket och nedbrytningstesterna i Mälarvatten utfördes också på Görvälnverket.  Resultaten visade på att ozonering av rejektvattnet kan reducera akrylamid och uppfylla Norrvattens mål om en akrylamidkoncentration på mindre än 0,10  µg/l. När en ozondos på 0,70 mg/l applicerades i rejektvattnet med en akrylamidkoncentration på 2,5 µg/l reducerades mer än 98 % av akrylamiden. Vidare tycktes inte ozoneringen bidra till oxidativ stress eller genotoxicitet. Biofilmreaktorn med rörlig bädd och biofiltret reducerade akrylamid med 80,77 % respektive 94,7 %.  Resultaten visade att dessa tekniker skulle kunna användas för att nå Norrvattens mål. Utöver detta visade studien att vatten från Mälaren kan bryta ner akrylamid i 15 °C på 4 dagar och i 8 °C på 13 dagar och nå målet.

With the rise in global energy prices, as well as energy consumption being the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, biofilm-based systems utilized for wastewater treatment, such as moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs), have grown in popularity for their lower energy consumption compared to conventional activated sludge processes. However, this technology requires large amounts of energy to constantly distribute and suspend its biofilm carrier within the reactor by either aerators or mechanical mixers. Many studies have been done on optimizing the aeration systems, but limited research has been focused on the mechanical mixing systems. This master’s thesis project aims to narrow the research and data gaps in MBBR mechanical mixing by conducting scaled-down experiments to study the influence of different mixer configurations on carrier’s flow fields in a reactor tank. The main objective is to determine the conditions for good carrier mixing and their energy use efficiency. Other objectives include determining the effects of scaling on carrier flow fields and whether the experimental results can be used to help develop and validate MBBR computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. The results showed that good carrier mixing occurred in conditions where (1) mixer height was 3 cm from the bottom of the tank, had no inclinations and positioned along a long wall; (2) mixer flows could maintain their momentum; (3) sufficient length was given for mixer jet streams to develop and widen; (4) there was a dual presence of vertical flow loops and horizontal bulk flow loops; (5) 2 mixers did not result in counter- rotating flows; and (6) 2 mixers were not positioned in one corner of the tank. The effects of scaling did not impact the carrier flow fields and was determine by comparing the experimental results from this study with the results from a previous experiment that utilized a smaller tank. The results from this study could qualitatively match with the results of the CFD model. Limitations that occurred during the study when trying to define “good mixing” were also discussed. Lastly, the thesis ends with stating future work and recommendations. / Med stigande globala energipriser och en energiförbrukning som är den största källan till utsläpp av växthusgaser, har biofilmbaserade system för avloppsvattenrening, t.ex. biofilmsreaktorer med rörlig bädd (MBBR), ökat i popularitet tack vare sin lägre energiförbrukning jämfört med konventionella processer med aktivt slam. Denna teknik kräver dock stora mängder energi för att ständigt distribuera och suspendera biofilmbäraren i reaktorn med hjälp av antingen luftare eller mekaniska blandare. Många studier har gjorts för att optimera luftningssystemen, men begränsad forskning har fokuserats på de mekaniska blandningssystemen. Detta examensarbete syftar till att minska forsknings- och dataluckorna inom mekanisk blandning i MBBR genom att genomföra nedskalade experiment för att studera hur olika blandarkonfigurationer påverkar bärarens flödesfält i en reaktortank.Huvudsyftet är att fastställa villkoren för god blandning av bärare och deras energianvändningseffektivitet. Andra mål är att fastställa effekterna av skalning på bärarnas flödesfält och om de experimentella resultaten kan användas för att utveckla och validera CFD-modeller (Computational Fluid Dynamics) för MBBR. Resultaten visade att god bärarblandning inträffade under förhållanden där (1) blandarhöjden var 3 cm från tankens botten, utan lutningar och placerad längs en lång vägg; (2) blandarflöden kunde behålla sitt momentum; (3) tillräcklig längd gavs för blandarjetströmmar att utvecklas och breddas; (4) det fanns en dubbel närvaro av vertikala flödesslingor och horisontella bulkflödesslingor; (5) 2 blandare inte resulterade i motroterande flöden; och (6) 2 blandare inte placerades i ett hörn av tanken. Effekterna av skalning påverkade inte bärarens flödesfält och fastställdes genom att jämföra de experimentella resultaten från denna studie med resultaten från ett tidigare experiment som använde en mindre tank. Resultaten från denna studie kunde kvalitativt matchas med resultaten från CFD-modellen. Begränsningar som uppstod under studien när man försökte definiera "bra blandning" diskuterades också. Slutligen avslutas avhandlingen med att ange framtida arbete och rekommendationer.

La séparation des C8 aromatiques par Lit Mobile Simulé (LMS) permet d'obtenir du paraxylène (PX) pur. Les autres composés du mélange sont recyclés dans un réacteur afin d'être isomérisés puis séparés à nouveau. La charge du LMS est composée à environ 75% par ce flux de recyclage. L'intégration de la réaction dans le LMS, réalisée en intercalant des réacteurs d'isomérisation entre les lits d'adsorbant de la zone 3 (procédé LMS Réactif, LMSR), doit permettre une réduction de ce flux de recyclage.L'objectif de cette thèse est de développer une méthodologie d'étude des procédés de type Lit Mobile Simulé (LMS) et Lit Mobile Simulé Réactif (LMSR) basée sur :-un outil expérimental simplifié : le pilote One-column réactif (OCR)-des simulateurs One-column réactif ou non qui seront validés par les résultats expérimentaux du pilote-des simulateurs LMS et LMSR permettant d'accéder aux résultats des procédés industriels.Les simulations de One-column (OC) montrent une bonne sensibilité aux paramètres clés de la séparation des C8 aromatiques (sélectivité PX/EB et diffusion intracristalline). Les résultats expérimentaux font ressortir des difficultés importantes à mettre en œuvre le OC expérimentalement. Plusieurs hypothèses sont exposées pour expliquer les résultats obtenus mais les difficultés rencontrées limitent, en l'état, l'utilisation du pilote pour l'étude de la séparation (réactive ou non) des C8 aromatiques.L'étude du LMSR effectuée par simulation montre l'importance du nombre et de l'emplacement des réacteurs ainsi que de l'intégration du LMSR dans la boucle de production de PX. L'usage du LMSR pour la production de PX permet une réduction importante du débit de recyclage / Today, pure paraxylene (PX) is mainly obtained from a mix of C8 aromatics by a separation process based on adsorption: the Simulated Moving Bed (SMB). The other components of the blend are sent to an isomerisation reactor and are recycled to the SMB. 75% of the SMB feed flow rate come from this recycle flow. Coupling reaction and separation by inserting isomerisation reactors between the adsorption beds of the third zone (Simulated Moving Bed Reactor, SMBR) should allow a reduction of this recycling flow rate.The main objective of this thesis is to develop a new methodology for studying SMB and SMBR processes based on:- a simplify experimental tool : the One-column reactive (OCR) pilot unit- simulators of the OCR which will be validated by the experimental results obtain on the pilot unit- simulators of SMB and SMBR processes which give access to industrial processes results.Simulation results show that OC system seem to be sensitive to key parameters of C8 aromatics separation (PX/EB selectivity and micropore diffusivity). Results on the pilot unit highlight the difficulties to implement an experimental OC. Hypothesis are given to explain those results but, without modification, OCR pilot unit cannot be used to study xylene separation (with or without reaction).SMBR study done by simulation shows the impact of the placement and the number of reactors. Integration of SMBR in the global PX production scheme is also essential. SMBR allows an important reduction of recycling flow rate (up to 50%).

Orientador: Cesar Costapinto Santana / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-05T13:20:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Veredas_ViniciusDe_D.pdf: 13205142 bytes, checksum: 97c5009c255088bef6fcdc1fd92294c3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Doutorado / Desenvolvimento de Processos Biotecnologicos / Mestre em Engenharia Química

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The modelling of heat and mass transfer between the air and soybean seeds in moving bed dryers is based on the application of mass and energy balances equations for both solid and fluid phases (two phases model). In the development of these equations, some classic hypotheses are assumed, such as flat air velocity profiles and constant physico-chemical parameter along the bed, among others. The main goal of this thesis was to discuss the validity of these assumptions in concurrent moving bed dryer modelling. For so much, several equations of bed porosity and air velocity distribution were considered and compared with experimental data. This study verified that non-flat fluid velocity profiles are significant in beds with reason dT /dp = 13, 3. The equation that best represented the experimental data was the Fahien e Stankovich (1979) equation. This equations was incorporated to the two phases model. Through comparisons between the experimental data and the simulated responses it was possible to verify the significant influence of the air velocity distribution in the drying process. The influences of some physico-chemical parameters of the model were also analyzed through sensitivity studies using experiment design and derivative methods using the code DASPK 3.0. The model presented large absolute sensitivity to the perturbations of the parameter specific heat of the dry air (Cpf ). This means then that small variations in the value of this parameter have strong influence in the results obtained by the model. / A modelagem da transferência de calor e massa entre o ar e sementes de soja em secadores de leito deslizante é baseada na aplicação das equações de balanço de massa e energia para as fases sólida e fluida (modelo a duas fases). No desenvolvimento destas equações, algumas hipóteses clássicas são assumidas, tais como perfil plano de velocidade do ar e parâmetros físico-químicos constantes ao longo do leito, dentre outras. O principal objetivo desta dissertação foi discutir a validade destas considerações no modelo do secador de leito deslizante com escoamentos concorrentes. Para tanto, diversas equações de distribuição de porosidade do leito e de velocidade do fluido foram consideradas e comparadas com dados experimentais. Este estudo verificou que perfis não planos de velocidade do ar são significativos em leitos com razão dT /dp = 13, 3. A equação que melhor representou os dados experimentais foi a equação de Fahien e Stankovich (1979), sendo a mesma incorporada ao modelo a duas fases. Através de comparações entre dados experimentais e respostas simuladas foi possível verificar a influência significativa da distribuição da velocidade do ar no modelo de secagem. As influências de alguns parâmetros físico-químicos do modelo também foram analisadas através de estudos de sensibilidade por planejamento de experimento e pelo método das derivadas usando o código DASPK 3.0. O modelo apresentou maior sensibilidade absoluta à perturbação do parâmetro calor específico do ar seco (Cpf ). Isto significa então que pequenas variações no valor deste parâmetro têm forte influência nos resultados obtidos pelo modelo. / Mestre em Engenharia Química

Orientador: Cesar Costapinto Santana / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-30T12:54:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Veredas, Vinicius de_D.pdf: 13205142 bytes, checksum: 97c5009c255088bef6fcdc1fd92294c3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Doutorado / Desenvolvimento de Processos Biotecnologicos / Mestre em Engenharia Química

In conventional wastewater treatment plants, methanol, ethanol, and acetate are used as carbon source for the denitrification process in the biological nutrient removal. However, growing concern regarding economical costs and carbon footprints from the fossil-based production of these chemicals have forced the companies to look for other alternatives. VFAs have shown a great potential in replacing the conventionally used carbon sources. If implemented this will result in lower chemical cost and a drastic decrease in carbon footprint as well as striving WWTPs towards sustainable development. In this work denitrification has been analysed using different variations of VFAs such as fermented potato protein liquor, food waste and chicken manure VFA. This was done using a basic laboratory setup of a denitrification reactor which used basic stirring agitation and nitrogen purging to ensure anoxic conditions. Nutrients and excess sCOD were added to ensure the highest denitrification rates. The denitrifying biomass was collected at Gryaab AB in the form of k1-carriers making this process a MBBR. The most influential characteristic of the VFAs is the distribution of the acids in the VFA effluent. Butyric acid along with caproic acid showed the best potential for efficient denitrification. The possibility of concentration of VFA effluent showed a high potential when using a nanofiltration system. A C/N ratio of 4.5 conventionally used when methanol is added showed to be the most optimal condition for VFA addition. The combination of VFAs together with conventional used carbon sources showed the best potential in denitrification efficiency proving to be as good or even better than pure synthetic ones. VFAs effluents showed the best potential in removing the intermediate nitrite from the wastewater at high rates. Overall, VFAs shown a great potential for replacing conventionally used carbon sources, demonstrating the potential of substitution, which if implemented will result in lower carbon footprint and a strive towards sustainable development.

PhD. (Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / South Africa utilises more antiretroviral (ARV) compounds per capita than any other nation in the fight against Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Considering the main entrance pathways of antiviral drugs into the urban water cycle, excretions via urine or faeces from treated individuals play a dominant role. Due to the limited efficiency of conventional biological treatment (activated sludge), ARVs were detected in South African wastewater treatment plant effluents and surface waters. This poses a threat to aquatic environments due to the toxicity of ARVs and can be a potential contributor to ARV resistance due to persistent low level ARV exposure in the general population. This study investigated the efficacy of a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) for ctybtri8nthe elimination of five ARV compounds i.e., tenofovir, emtricitabine, nevirapine, ritonavir and efavirenz from synthetic wastewater. Furthermore, the study also looked at the shift in microbial community compositions of biofilms in the MBBR due to exposure to the ARV compounds. Lastly, the ecotoxicity of the MBBR’s influent and effluent along with the actual ARV compounds were examined. The capacity of ARV degradation by the MBBR was investigated by spiking synthetic wastewater influent with 10 μg/L of five ARV compounds. Actual removal during treatment was assessed by sampling the inlets and outlets of the reactor. A targeted solid phase extraction method with Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography coupled to quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to quantify the five ARV compounds. Microbial diversity (alpha-diversity) of seeded sludge from a full-scale municipal WWTP and biofilm samples from a laboratory scale MBBR system during pre- and post-introduction of ARV compounds was investigated by Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Ecological toxicity of the MBBR’s influent and effluent along with the five ARV compounds was determined using the Vibrio fischeri, Daphnia magna and Selenastrum capricornutum toxicity test kits and measured as EC50. After MBBR treatment; Nevirapine, Tenofovir, Efavirenz, Ritonavir and Emtricitabine all showed marked reduction in concentration between the influent and effluent of the MBBR. On average, the percentage removed for Nevirapine, Tenofovir, Efavirenz, Ritonavir and Emtricitabine was 62.31%, 74.18%, 93.62%, 94.18% and 94.87% respectively. Microbial diversity results demonstrated that the introduction of antiretroviral drugs affects the bacterial community composition and diversity considerably. For instance, Nitrosomonas, Nitrospira and Alicycliphilus were found to be higher in post introduction of ARV compounds biofilm samples than in biofilm samples before the introduction of ARV compounds. The EC50 for Tenofovir, Emtricitabine, Nevirapine, Ritonavir and Efavirenz were 82.5, 41.7, 39.3, 60.3 and 0.21 mg/L respectively for S. capricornutum; 81.3, 50.7, 49, 87.1 and 0.43 mg/L respectively for D. magna; and 73.5, 55.1, 41.3, 83.6 and 0.55 mg/L respectively for V. fischeri. The EC50 of the influent and effluent were found to be above 100% concentration, therefore they could not be specifically determined. The ecotoxicity results show that ARV compounds are potentially toxic to the environment, with efavirenz being more toxic than the other four ARV compounds tested. Since there were no toxic effects observed from the effluent, it can be assumed that mineralisation has occurred, or the transformation products are of less or equal toxicity to the influent (because the influent did not show any toxic effects to the model organisms tested).

Diversas aplicações industriais relevantes envolvem os processos de adsorção, citando como exemplos a purificação de produtos, separação de substâncias, controle de poluição e umidade entre outros. O interesse crescente pelos processos de purificação de biomoléculas deve-se principalmente ao desenvolvimento da biotecnologia e à demanda das indústrias farmacêutica e química por produtos com alto grau de pureza. O leito móvel simulado (LMS) é um processo cromatográfico contínuo que tem sido aplicado para simular o movimento do leito de adsorvente, de forma contracorrente ao movimento do líquido, através da troca periódica das posições das correntes de entrada e saída, sendo operado de forma contínua, sem prejuízo da pureza das correntes de saída. Esta consiste no extrato, rico no componente mais fortemente adsorvido, e no rafinado, rico no componente mais fracamente adsorvido, sendo o processo particularmente adequado a separações binárias. O objetivo desta tese é estudar e avaliar diferentes abordagens utilizando métodos estocásticos de otimização para o problema inverso dos fenômenos envolvidos no processo de separação em LMS. Foram utilizados modelos discretos com diferentes abordagens de transferência de massa, com a vantagem da utilização de um grande número de pratos teóricos em uma coluna de comprimento moderado, neste processo a separação cresce à medida que os solutos fluem através do leito, isto é, ao maior número de vezes que as moléculas interagem entre a fase móvel e a fase estacionária alcançando assim o equilíbrio. A modelagem e a simulação verificadas nestas abordagens permitiram a avaliação e a identificação das principais características de uma unidade de separação do LMS. A aplicação em estudo refere-se à simulação de processos de separação do Baclofen e da Cetamina. Estes compostos foram escolhidos por estarem bem caracterizados na literatura, estando disponíveis em estudos de cinética e de equilíbrio de adsorção nos resultados experimentais. De posse de resultados experimentais avaliou-se o comportamento do problema direto e inverso de uma unidade de separação LMS visando comparar os resultados obtidos com os experimentais, sempre se baseando em critérios de eficiência de separação entre as fases móvel e estacionária. Os métodos estudados foram o GA (Genetic Algorithm) e o PCA (Particle Collision Algorithm) e também foi feita uma hibridização entre o GA e o PCA. Como resultado desta tese analisouse e comparou-se os métodos de otimização em diferentes aspectos relacionados com o mecanismo cinético de transferência de massa por adsorção e dessorção entre as fases sólidas do adsorvente. / Several important industrial applications involving adsorption processes, citing as an example the product purification, separation of substances, pollution control and moisture among others. The growing interest in processes of purification of biomolecules is mainly due to the development of biotechnology and the demand of pharmaceutical and chemical products with high purity. The simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography is a continuous process that has been applied to simulate the movement of the adsorbent bed, in a countercurrent to the movement of liquid through the periodic exchange of the positions of input and output currents, being operated so continuous, notwithstanding the purity of the outlet streams. This is the extract, rich in the more strongly adsorbed component, and the raffinate, rich in the more weakly adsorbed component, the method being particularly suited to binary separations. The aim of this thesis is to study and evaluate different approaches using stochastic optimization methods for the inverse problem of the phenomena involved in the separation process in LMS. We used discrete models with different approaches to mass transfer. With the benefit of using a large number of theoretical plates in a column of moderate length, in this process the separation increases as the solute flowing through the bed, i.e. as many times as molecules interact between the mobile phase and stationary phase thus achieving the equilibrium. The modeling and simulation verified in these approaches allowed the assessment and identification of the main characteristics of a separation unit LMS. The application under consideration refers to the simulation of the separation of Ketamine and Baclofen. These compounds were chosen because they are well characterized in the literature and are available in kinetic studies and equilibrium adsorption on experimental results. With the results of experiments evaluated the behavior of the direct and inverse problem of a separation unit LMS in order to compare these results, always based on the criteria of separation efficiency between the mobile and stationary phases. The methods studied were the GA (Genetic Algorithm) and PCA (Particle Collision Algorithm) and we also made a hybridization between the GA and PCA. This thesis, we analyzed and compared the optimization methods in different aspects of the kinetic mechanism for mass transfer between the adsorption and desorption of the adsorbent solid phases.

Diversas aplicações industriais relevantes envolvem os processos de adsorção, citando como exemplos a purificação de produtos, separação de substâncias, controle de poluição e umidade entre outros. O interesse crescente pelos processos de purificação de biomoléculas deve-se principalmente ao desenvolvimento da biotecnologia e à demanda das indústrias farmacêutica e química por produtos com alto grau de pureza. O leito móvel simulado (LMS) é um processo cromatográfico contínuo que tem sido aplicado para simular o movimento do leito de adsorvente, de forma contracorrente ao movimento do líquido, através da troca periódica das posições das correntes de entrada e saída, sendo operado de forma contínua, sem prejuízo da pureza das correntes de saída. Esta consiste no extrato, rico no componente mais fortemente adsorvido, e no rafinado, rico no componente mais fracamente adsorvido, sendo o processo particularmente adequado a separações binárias. O objetivo desta tese é estudar e avaliar diferentes abordagens utilizando métodos estocásticos de otimização para o problema inverso dos fenômenos envolvidos no processo de separação em LMS. Foram utilizados modelos discretos com diferentes abordagens de transferência de massa, com a vantagem da utilização de um grande número de pratos teóricos em uma coluna de comprimento moderado, neste processo a separação cresce à medida que os solutos fluem através do leito, isto é, ao maior número de vezes que as moléculas interagem entre a fase móvel e a fase estacionária alcançando assim o equilíbrio. A modelagem e a simulação verificadas nestas abordagens permitiram a avaliação e a identificação das principais características de uma unidade de separação do LMS. A aplicação em estudo refere-se à simulação de processos de separação do Baclofen e da Cetamina. Estes compostos foram escolhidos por estarem bem caracterizados na literatura, estando disponíveis em estudos de cinética e de equilíbrio de adsorção nos resultados experimentais. De posse de resultados experimentais avaliou-se o comportamento do problema direto e inverso de uma unidade de separação LMS visando comparar os resultados obtidos com os experimentais, sempre se baseando em critérios de eficiência de separação entre as fases móvel e estacionária. Os métodos estudados foram o GA (Genetic Algorithm) e o PCA (Particle Collision Algorithm) e também foi feita uma hibridização entre o GA e o PCA. Como resultado desta tese analisouse e comparou-se os métodos de otimização em diferentes aspectos relacionados com o mecanismo cinético de transferência de massa por adsorção e dessorção entre as fases sólidas do adsorvente. / Several important industrial applications involving adsorption processes, citing as an example the product purification, separation of substances, pollution control and moisture among others. The growing interest in processes of purification of biomolecules is mainly due to the development of biotechnology and the demand of pharmaceutical and chemical products with high purity. The simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography is a continuous process that has been applied to simulate the movement of the adsorbent bed, in a countercurrent to the movement of liquid through the periodic exchange of the positions of input and output currents, being operated so continuous, notwithstanding the purity of the outlet streams. This is the extract, rich in the more strongly adsorbed component, and the raffinate, rich in the more weakly adsorbed component, the method being particularly suited to binary separations. The aim of this thesis is to study and evaluate different approaches using stochastic optimization methods for the inverse problem of the phenomena involved in the separation process in LMS. We used discrete models with different approaches to mass transfer. With the benefit of using a large number of theoretical plates in a column of moderate length, in this process the separation increases as the solute flowing through the bed, i.e. as many times as molecules interact between the mobile phase and stationary phase thus achieving the equilibrium. The modeling and simulation verified in these approaches allowed the assessment and identification of the main characteristics of a separation unit LMS. The application under consideration refers to the simulation of the separation of Ketamine and Baclofen. These compounds were chosen because they are well characterized in the literature and are available in kinetic studies and equilibrium adsorption on experimental results. With the results of experiments evaluated the behavior of the direct and inverse problem of a separation unit LMS in order to compare these results, always based on the criteria of separation efficiency between the mobile and stationary phases. The methods studied were the GA (Genetic Algorithm) and PCA (Particle Collision Algorithm) and we also made a hybridization between the GA and PCA. This thesis, we analyzed and compared the optimization methods in different aspects of the kinetic mechanism for mass transfer between the adsorption and desorption of the adsorbent solid phases.