Water Environment Research Foundation

Application of Membrane
Bioreactor (MBR) Technology
for Wastewater Treatment
WEFTEC
November 2, 2000
Advantages of an MBR
System
• Eliminates the Need for a Secondary Clarifier/
Tertiary Filter/ Microfilter
• Can reduce Hydraulic Retention Time
• Smaller Footprint
• High Quality Effluent Water
• Settleability is Not an Issue
• Expands Limits of Activated Sludge Operation
• Capable of Treating High Strength Industrial Wastes
• Pretreatment to RO for Water Recycling
Flow Schemes for the MBR Process
and Conventional Wastewater
Treatment Conventional Microfiltration

Reverse
Aeration Basin
Secondary Osmosis
Clarifier Feedwater

Backwash
Water
WASTE

Aeration Basin

Primary Treated
Wastewater
Submerged Reverse

(Equivalent to
MBR Osmosis

a 3 mm screen) Feedwater
WASTE
 Experimental Objectives
• Explore the Potential Operational Regions of
the MBR Process
–Varying the HRT
–Varying the SRT
• Observe Membrane Performance
–Membrane fouling
• Observe Permeate Quality
–Organic content (BOD5, COD, TOC)
–Particulate content (Turbidity, SDI, TSS)
–Inorganic nitrogen (NO3, NO2, NH3)
 Experimental Phases
• High Solids Phase
– High SRT values (35 days and greater)
– Low HRT Values (1.5 w/ O2 to 4 h w/ Air)
– Upper MLSS Limit Explored
– Maintain Complete Nitrification

• Low Solids Phase

– Low SRT values (1.5 to 10 days)
– Low HRT values (3 to 4 h all air)
– Lower MLSS Limit Explored
– Explore Non-nitrifying conditions
MBR Pilot Units
ZW-10 Membrane Module
MBR Pilot Unit
Zenon MBR Membrane
Specifications
• Membrane Pore Size 0.035 Micron
• Target Flux 20 gfd
• Backpulse Frequency 15 minutes
• Backpulse Duration 15 seconds
• Maximum Vacuum Pressure 9 psi
• Maintenance Clean 1/week (NaOCl)
North City Water Reclamation
Plant - Primary Effluent
BOD5 115 mg/L
TSS 74 mg/L
VSS 64 mg/L
pH 7.7
TKN 38 mg/L
Ammonia 29 mg-N/L
High Solids Phase
Experimental Objectives of
High Solids Phase
• 2 MBR Pilot Units Operated in Parallel
• Both started at manufacturer’s recommended
conditions (HRT = 4 h and SRT = 35 d) and then
• Wasting was stopped on MBR #1 and the effects
of high MLSS was investigated (HRT = 4 h)
• The HRT of MBR #2 was reduced to determine a
lower limit of nitrification and/or membrane
fouling (SRT = 35 d)
MBR #1 - Membrane Performance
Reactor Temperature Flux @ 20C Maintenance Cleans Vacuum Pressure
40 10.0

No 9.0
35
Longer
SRT = 35 days Wasting
8.0
MLSS
30
C, gfd
C

7.0
o

Vacuum Pressure, psi

25
o

Reactor Temperature,

6.0
Membrane Flux @ 20

20 5.0

4.0
15

3.0
10
2.0

5
1.0

0 0.0
1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500
Hours of Operation

Reactor Temperature Flux @ 20C Maintenance Clean Vacuum Pressure

40 10.0
 MBR #1 - MLSS Concentrations
MLVSS MLSS
30,000

SRT = 35 d No Longer
Wasting
25,000
Solids Concentration, mg/L

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000 Start-up
Period
Foaming Event

0
1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500
Hours of Operation

Volatile Suspended Solids Total Suspended Solids

MBR #2 - Membrane Performance
Reactor Temperature Flux @ 20C Maintenance Clean Vacuum Pressure

40 10.0
HRT = 1.5 h
HRT = 4 h 9.0
35
HRT
=3h 8.0
HRT = 2 h
30
C, gfd
C

7.0
o

Vacuum Pressure, psi

o

Reactor Temperature,

25
6.0
Membrane Flux @ 20

20 5.0

4.0
15
Repaired Fittings
- Blower left off and
significant fouling occured 3.0
10
2.0

5
1.0

0 0.0
1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500

Hours of Operation
MBR #2 - MLSS Concentrations
Volatile Suspended Solids Total Suspended Solids
30,000

HRT = 4 h

25,000 HRT
=3 h
Solids Concentration, mg/L

20,000

Wasting Stopped #1 Flow Change on #2

4037.7 0 0 3089.2 0 0
15,000
4037.7 35 30000 3089.2 35 30000 HRT = 1.5 h
SRT Changes 3417.9 0 0
11-Jan 0 0 3417.9 35 30000
11-Jan 35 30000 4058.6 0 0
10-Feb
10,000 0 0 4058.6 35 30000
10-Feb 35 30000 SRT Change
29-Feb 0 0 27-Dec 0 0
29-Feb 35 30000 27-Dec 35 30000 HRT = 2 h
3-Mar 0 0
5,000
3-Mar 35 30000

0
1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500

Hours of Operation
Low Solids Phase
Experimental Objectives of
Low Solids Phase
• 2 MBR Pilot Units Operated in Parallel
• MBR #1 was initially operated at an SRT =
5 d with an HRT = 4 h
• The SRT of MBR #1 was reduced until the
failure of nitrification occurred
• MBR #2 was operated as a control at an
SRT = 10 d with an HRT = 4 h
MBR #1 - Membrane Performance
6/7/99 0 0 6/2/99 0
Reactor Temperature Flux @ 20C Maintenance Cleans Full Clean 14000Vacuum Pressure
6/7/99 6/2/99 14000
6/11/99 0 6/15/99 0
40 10.0
6/11/99 14000 6/15/99 14000
SRT = 1.5 d
SRT = 5 d 6/15/99 0
SRT = 6/15/99 14000
SRT = 4 d 3d 9.0
35 6/4/99 0
6/4/99 25
SRT = 8.0
2d
30
C, gfd
C

7.0
o

Vacuum Pressure, psi

o

Reactor Temperature,

25
6.0
Membrane Flux @ 20

20 5.0

4.0
15

3.0
10
2.0

5
1.0

0 0.0
5000 5500 6000 6500 7000 7500 8000
Hours of Operation New Sludge
Here
MBR #1 - MLSS Concentrations
Volatile Suspended Solids Total Suspended Solids
30,000
SRT = 5 d
SRT = 4 d
SRT = 1.5 d
SRT =
25,000 3d
Solids Concentration, mg/L

20,000
SRT =
2d Re-Seeded
Reactor
after a
15,000
Full
Clean

SRT Changes
10,000
6180.6 0 0
6180.6 35 30000
6631.1 0 0
6631.1 35 30000
6700.5 0 0
5,000
6700.5 35 30000
6987.0 0 0
6987.0 35 30000
HRT Change
7108.4 0 0
0 35 7108.4 30000
Re-Seeded Reactor
5000 #1 5500 6000 6500 7000 7500 8000
0 7277.2 0
7277.2 35 30000 Hours of Operation
Re-Seeded Reactor #2
Effluent Water Quality
BOD5 Concentrations Percentage Removal
Primary Effluent Composite Sample Secondary Effluent Composite Sample
Tert. Per. #1 Per. #2
Reactor #1 (Non-Detect) 92.6 Reactor #2 (Non-Detect)
Reactor #1 94.3
94.3
1000
95.1
92.9
93.9
93.1
94.5
95.1
95.5
95.6
95.3
BOD5 Concentration, mg/L

100 95.4
95.6
95.7
95.0
95.6
95.6
95.0
92.8
94.9
10 96.7
95.4
95.4
96.8
96.2
95.9 98.6 98.6
95.4
95.3 97.6 97.6
96.0
96.6
1
97.2
0 1000 2000 3000 400097.1 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000
97.0 97.5 97.5
Hours of Operation
97.0
Turbidity Concentrations
Primary Effluent Composite Sample Secondary Effluent Composite Sample
Tertiary Filtered Composite Sample Reactor #1
Reactor #2
1000

100
Turbidity (NTU)

10

0.1

0.01
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000
Hours of Operation
Operational Observations
Activated Sludge Dispersion
Foaming Events
Sprayer System
Conclusions
 Conclusions
• The MBR process was capable of operating at a flux of 20
gfd for as long as 5 months before a cleaning was
required
• The MBR process was capable of producing a
completely nitrified effluent while operating at HRT values
as low as 1.5 hours with pure O2 addition
• Upsets in effluent quality did not occur through a wide
range of operating conditions
• At the pilot-scale, foaming was easily controlled via a
sprayer system
• MLSS concentrations above 20 g/L caused membrane
fouling (above 25 g/L rapid membrane fouling occurred)
• Non-nitrifying/low SRT conditions led to rapid membrane
fouling