FS-BIO-010

TECHNOLOGY FACT SHEETS

FOR EFFLUENT TREATMENT
PLANTS ON TEXTILE INDUSTRY

MEMBRANE BIOREACTORS (MBR)

SERIES: SECONDARY TREATMENTS

TITLE
MEMBRANE BIOREACTORS (FS-BIO-010)
Date September 2015
Current version
 MEMBRANE BIOREACTORS (MBR)
FS-BIO-010

MEMBRANE BIOREACTORS (MBR) (FS-BIO-010)

Date September 2015
Authors Pablo Ures Rodríguez
Alfredo Jácome Burgos
Joaquín Suárez López
Review by

Modifications Date Modified by: Modifications objective:

 MEMBRANE BIOREACTORS FS-BIO-010
Page 1 of 23

INDEX

1. – Introduction
1.1.- Membrane modules configuration
2.- MBR description
2.1.- Submerged MBR modules
2.2.- Cross-flow external MBR systems.
2.3.- Comparison betwwen submerged and cross-flow membrane configurations
2.4.- System operation
3.- DESIGN
3.1. Biological reactor design
3.2.- Membrane design
3.3.- Performance
4.- SPECIFIC TECHNICAL CONDITIONS
5.- SPECIFICATIONS IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY EFFLUENT TREATMENT
6.- PARAMETERS AND CONTROL STRATEGIES
6.1.- Transmembrane pressure monitoring
6.2.- Level monitoring on the liquid tank
7.- MBR OPERATION & MAINTENANCE

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 2 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

1. -
INTRODUCTION
Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology is a combination of the activated sludge process (FS-BIO-001) with a
micro- or ultrafiltration (FS-TER-005). It is considered as a useful technology for industrial wastewater treatment
and reuse of water due to the quality of the effluent, with a reduced presence of chemicals, bacteria and viruses
and a limited use of surface (Hoinkis et al, 2012; De Jager, D., ).

All filtration processes operate on the same basic principle: Pressure application to force the liquid transfer through
a semipermeable barrier, retaining all particles larger than a certain size cutoff or pore (Haandel and Lubbe, 2012).

Figure 1.Main elements considered in a MBR system (modified from Judd, S., 2006)

1.1.- Membrane modules configuration

Although in recent years new MBR systems (diffusion and extraction) are appearing, there are two major process
configurations: submerged membrane and crossflow bioreactor systems.

The filtrate flow can be directed through the membrane in either inside-out (cross-flow) or outside-in (submerged
membranes) directions. These two concepts are shown schematically in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Flow inside a submerged membrane (left) and crossflow systems (right)
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 3 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

In the cross-flow membrane configuration, the mixed liquor is pumped through a bundle of tubular membranes
mounted inside a closed pipe: the membrane module. The differential pressure on the membrane forces the
production of a clean effluent (permeate) through the membrane wall outside the tube. In the configuration of
submerged membranes, the mixed liquor is normally introduced into a specific membrane tank. It provides a
gentle vacuum applied to the membrane by an extraction pump inducing the fluid through the membrane wall
(outside- in principle).

2.- MBR description

In submerged membrane reactors, the membrane modules are immersed in the mixed liquor: 1) in the biological
reactor (integrated system) or 2) in a separate tank which is usually called membrane tank (not integrated
system). Experience shows that non-integrated systems are more suitable in order to perform membranes O&M
(Iglesias,
2014; Haandel and Lubbe, 2012). Another typical configuration is the crossflow membrane configuration.

Figure 2: Membrane bioreactors configuration (modified from de Cortacans, 2012)

2.1.- Submerged MBR modules

In membrane module configurations, some characteristics like the unit geometry (flat or cylindrical), the material
physical (pore size, tortuosity, porosity and surface hydrophobicity) and chemical properties (polymeric or ceramic)
can influence clogging. Although there are currently a number of different technologies on the market, most of
them are based on flat-sheet (FS), hollow fiber (HF) and multitube membrane configurations (Judd, S., 2011).
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 4 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

The three types of membrane have been used in full-scale facilities with good results at similar flows, and have
several manufacturers.

The submerged membrane tank is provided with one or more membrane modules, consisting of several
membrane elements. All modules in a membrane tank are connected to a permeate collector which is
connected to the permeate pump.

There are some permeate collector headers configurations: modules with a top header, a top and a bottom header
or a bottom header only. In modules with two headers the pressure drop in the fibre is reduced by fifty percent
and as a consequence the permeate withdrawal is much more balanced over the length of the fibre. Top
header modules are more susceptible to clogging.

In single bottom header modules, an aeration equipment can be positioned in between the fibres instead of
under the module bottom header. This results in improved turbulence at reduced aeration intensity.
Simultaneously dead zones directly above the bottom header are avoided where sludge and debris may settle
(sludging), which causes problems similar to those resulting from clogging (Haandel and Lubbe, 2012).

Figure 4. Bottom header hollow fibre membrane system (Koch, Puron MBR brochure).

Table 1. Comparison of advantages and disadvantages of flat-sheet ant hollow fibre membranes (Haandel and
Lubbe, 2012)
Type Advantages Disadvantages
Plates ‐ Robust ‐ Less specific Surface area per m3 module volume
‐ Less susceptible to clogging compared to ‐ Back flushing not possible
the fibre membrane with top header or ‐ Higher aeration requirements
two header configuration ‐ More susceptible to channeling: the air speed
‐ Simpler system & process control between the two plates is high but at the plate
configuration surface itself it is low. This leads to solids build-up
‐ Manual cleaning possible on the membrane surface
‐ Low frequency of cleaning ‐ Automated cleaning is expensive
Fibres ‐ Back flushing possible ‐ Susceptible to clogging, depending on module
‐ High specific surface area configuration
‐ Lower aeration requirements ‐ Manual cleaning non-practical
‐ Completely automated cleaning possible ‐ More complex system

2.2.- Cross-flow external MBR systems.

Membrane modules: As the membrane flux is comparable or even lower than that of submerged membranes, the
main advantage is that the tubular membranes experience lower fouling rates and are more robust thant their
submerged counterparts, which makes cleaning easier. Furthermore there is the possibility to change operation of
the membranes to cross-flow mode during peak flow situations, provided the crossflow pump has been sized for
this. This significantly reduces the required cross-flow membrane surface area for peak flow demand. (Haandel and
Lubbe, 2012).
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 5 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

External MBR systems do not require a membrane tank. Each module contains a crossflow bundle of tubular or
hollow fibre membranes: For mixed liquor filtration are typical diameters of 8 mm or 5.2 mm.

Figure 5. Cross-flow MBR scheme (mod. from Haandel and Lubbe, 2012)

The mixed liquor is recirculated at high speed (3-5 m/ s) through the membrane tubes at an average pressure of
3.7 bar). The required pressure depends on: the nature of the wastewater to be treated, the concentration
of suspended solids and the number, type and configuration of the membrane modules. The applied pressure
forces part of the liquid through the membrane wall, where the produced effluent (permeate) is collected.

The permeate flow is perpendicular to the main flow direction in the membrane tubes, hence the name cross-
flow filtration. The liquid velocity on the membrane tubes is high, in order to ensure sufficient is induced to
refresh the sludge cake layer and to remove fouling from the membrane surface.

a) BRM conventional crossflow operated as a single system where the feed flow (less the permeate produced) is
returned to the activated sludge system.

In conventional cross-flow MBR, the membrane section consists of one or more parallel skids, each fitted with 3 to
7 horizontal membrane modules placed in series. The skids are grouped together in membrane units that are fed
by a dedicated feed pump, forcing the mixed liquor (Qp +Qr) through the membrane modules.
The pressure applied to the membrane tubes induces a flow of permeate (Qp) through the membranes into the
module, from where it is collected in a header and discharged as effluent. The return sludge flow Qr is discharged
back into the bioreactor.
Not only is this very costly (and not really sustainable), but it will also result in an increase in mixed liquor
temperature. Not surprisingly this configuration is only used for small installations or for effluent polishing, where
due to the much lower suspended solids concentration the required ΔPTM is significantly reduced.

b) Feed & bleed cross-flow configuration: in which a large part of the flow leaving the last module is recirculated
(Qrec) using a cross-flow recirculation pump. The return sludge flow Qr is much smaller in this case.

This configuration set up is similar to the conventional cross-flow MBR. However, a large part of the cross-flow out
of the last module is recirculated to the first module by means of the cross-flow recirculation pump. A smaller part,
typically 2 to 6 times the permeate flow, is returned as so called "bleed" to the bioreactor, in order to prevent the
build-up of suspended solids in the cross-flow membrane system to unacceptable levels. Thus only the make-up
or "feed" flow from the bioreactor needs full pressurization to the required pressure of 4 to 7 bar, while the
recirculation flow only needs repressurization to compensate for the pressure loss over the series of membrane
modules: this supposes approximately 0.6-0.8 bar per module, including the losses in the connecting bends.
Therefore this configuration has a lower energy consumption than the conventional cross-flow MBR.

c) Low pressure cross-flow: A more recently developed configuration is the socalled "low pressure cross-flow"
(LPCF) MBR. In this configuration cross-flow membranes are used, but features of cross-flow and submerged
membrane systems are combined. Energy consumption is reduced by limiting the liquid velocity in the tubular
membranes to approximately 0.5-1 m/s. To induce sufficient shear stress to keep the membrane surface clean, air
is injected in the feed line to the modules. Therefore the membrane modules require a vertical orientation.
Furthermore, contrary to the cross-flow systems, the modules are installed parallel instead of in series. Similar to
submerged membranes, the membranes are periodically back flushed with permeate and/or allowed to "relax".
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 6 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

The applied membrane differential pressure is comparable to that of submerged membranes, i.e. between 0.1 to
0.4 bar (Haandel and Lubbe, 2012).

Figure 6. Low pressure cross-flow configuration scheme (mod. from Haandel and Lubbe, 2012)

2.3.- Comparison between submerged and cross-flow membrane configurations

In Table 2 some main aspects concerning MBR configurations which have to be taken into account when installing
a treatment system:

Table 2. Advantages and disadvantages in cross-flow and submerged membranes use.

Advantages Disadvantages
The low pressure vacuum system protects
membranes.
Lower energy consumption
Submerged Higher installation investment, each module
The membranes can be designed to the
membranes treats less flow
average flow rate (if Qp/Qm ratio<3) and
operate at peak flow during certain periods
when necessary.
Greater prevention against clogging
Less dependent on the characteristics of the
sludge, allowing higher concentrations of solid
support. Higher energy consumption
More robust to high temperatures and to System should be designed to treat the peak
Cross-flow
chemical cleaning flow. Less flexibility to deal with fluctuating
Easily accessible for maintenance and flows.
replacement
It controls the flow through modules
activation/inactivation

With all this in mind, it can be concluded that submerged membrane systems are generally preferable to cross-
flow MBR systems. Howver, cross-flow MBRs can be considered as an interesting alternative in small scale
applications (with an influent flow up to 20-30 m3/h) or dealing with difficult treatment influents.

2.4.- System operation

Pretreatment
In order to reduce membranes damage possibilities, most part of the solids should be previously extracted from
wastewater. In raw wastewater, a recommended pretreatment configuration consists of a coarse screen of 6.7 mm
mesh (e.g., sliding screen) followed by a fine sieve with pore size 0.6-1.0 mm (rotary screen, static sieves, filters
drum, etc.). If a primary clarifier is used, it is possible to omit the fine sieve, but should include a sieve 2-3 mm
downstream of the primary settler.
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 7 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

Screening requirements for both types of membranes differ: the hollow fiber membranes usually require a 1-2
mm sieve, while flat membranes require 2-3 mm sieving.

Other unwanted constituents from the wastewater are oil and grease because of their slow biodegradation which
tend to clog the pores of the membrane, greatly reducing permeability. In industrial applications, it is gravity
induced grease skimmers followed by a dissolved air flotation unit to remove free and emulsified oil.

In large facilities, a primary treatment prior to MBR unit is conventionally employed, although it is rather often in
most part of the small and medium facilities.

Biological process
The main features of the operation of biological process in a membrane reactor are the same as in the activated
sludge process, being possible to combine anaerobic and anoxic/aerobic degradation processes of organic matter
and nutrients from wastewater. The degradation in the process is studied by Monod kinetics equations, where the
limiting substrate is BOD5 (Iglesias, 2014).

Figure 8.- Not integrated submerged membranes MBR system flow diagram in a WWTP with nutrient removal
system (Iglesias, 2014)

Submerged membranes operation

Submerged membranes are typically operated according to a standard process cycle containing the following
phases:
Production mode: the permeate pump is running in forward direction and permeate is produced. The membranes
are aerated intermittently to refresh the sludge cake layer on the membrane surface, while the membrane feed
pump is continuously recirculating mixed liquor over the membrane tank.

When permeate is extracted, a sludge cake is formed in the exterior side of the membranes. This increases the
effectivity of the filtration due to fine particles retention, at the same time that is arises the filtration resistance that
results in higher transmembrane pressure.

Back flush mode: the permeate pump reverses direction (or this is done by opening/closing the appropriate
automatic valves). During back flush, the pump flow rate is typically increased to 110 to 120% of the flow rate in
production mode. Aeration and recirculation of mixed liquor over the membrane tank continue as normal. This
process mode only applies to fibre membranes, plate membranes cannot be back flushed;

Relaxation mode: the permeate pump is stopped. This process mode is used for plate membranes as an
alternative to the backflush mode for fibre membranes: aeration and recirculation of mixed liquor over the
membrane tank continue as normal. The process cycle of fibre membranes usually does not contain a relaxation
step;

Standby mode: this is actually not part of the process cycle. At low influent flow, one or more membrane tanks are
temporarily taken out of operation and switched over to standby mode. The recirculation of mixed liquor over the
membrane tank may be stopped and aeration frequency and intensity are reduced considerably. At regular
intervals the active and stand-by membrane tanks switch duty;

Operation of cross-flow membranes

Cross-flow membranes are continuously operated and therefore do not have different steps in their process cycle.
At low influent flow, one or more membrane units are taken out of operation, so depending on the influent flow,
a
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 8 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

membrane skid is either in production- or in stand-by mode. In general, cross-flow membranes are allowed to run
without cleaning until the flux decreases below a certain preset limit.

2.4.1.- Module aeration

Submerged membranes systems require aeration in order to create enough turbulence around the membrane
Surface and renew the formed sludge cake periodically.
Cross-flow membranes do not require aeration, with the exception of low-pressure cross-flow systems

3.-
DESIGN
Taking into account that it is a technique involving two processes, design should include reference parameters of
both techniques. Parameters related with biological process are summarized below, focusing on the solids
retention time and the sludge purge, as they are the ones with bigger changes with respect to conventional
activated sludge process.

3.1. Biological reactor design

3.1.1- Flow
The main interesting flows considered for design are the daily average wastewater flow, Fav, and maximum hourly
flow, Fhmax

In case there were an homogenization tank in the ETP, it will not be necessary to consider maximum concentration
and flow in biological reactor sizing.

3.1.2.- Basic parameters on biological reactor

The main activated sludge sizing parameters are the following:

 Food to microorganism (F/M) ratio: is the organic matter mass (as kg of BOD5) fed for 1 day in the
reactor per kg of biomass present:

‫ܨ‬௔௩ ൉ ‫ܮ‬଴
‫ܯ‬/ ‫ ܨ‬ൌ 1 .‫ܧ‬
ܿ
ܸ൉ܺ

Where:
Fav = average daily inflow (m3/d)
L0 = average daily concentration BOD5 influent to reactor (kg/m3)
X = concentration of suspended solids in the mixed liquor (kg MLSS/m3)
F/M = food to microorganism ratio (kg BOD5/kg MLSS/d) or (d-1)

 Organic load: kg of organic matter (as BOD5) fed for 1 day per reactor per cubic meter of reactor:

‫ܨ‬௔௩ ൉
ܸ ൌ
‫ܥ‬ 2 .‫ܧ‬
ܿ
‫ܮ‬଴
ܸ

Where:
CV = organic load (kg BOD5/m3 reactor/d)

 Cellular retention time (or sludge age): corresponds to the residence time of the biomass in the reactor.
It is expressed in days, being the parameter that selects the type of bacterial culture to develop:

௏ ௑
ܴܶ ‫ ܥ‬ൌ ௉ೞ೗ 3 .‫ܧ‬
ܿ

Where:
CRT = cellular retention time (days)
Psl = excess sludge production (kg/d)

Introducing a semipermeable barrier permits MBR to increase CRT without need of an HRT elevation. MBRs usually
work with cellular retention times allowing complete nitrification since commercial brands state that it simplifies
sludge filtration on membranes surface (Iglesias, 2014).
  Hydraulic retention time:

௏
ܴܶ ‫ ܪ‬ൌ ிೌೡ
4 .‫ܧ‬
ܿ

Where:
HRT = hydraulic retention time (hours)

The main benefit of working at high sludge concentration is the reduction in the unit volume. However, a side
effect implies that peak inlet flows can have a higher impact in the effluent quality due to the lower hydraulic
retention time in the MBR

3.1.3.- Other basic variables involving a biological reactor operation.

 Oxygen requirements: oxygen depends on organic matter consumption, endogenous respiration

demand and total nitrification of TKN oxidation.

 Sludge production: due to cell growth (positive term in the balance sheet), the decay of a fraction of
biomass (negative term in the balance sheet) and non-biological solids accumulation by factors such as
adsorption, entrapment, etc.

In any case, the specific sludge production,f P a, will not be less than 0.8 kg SS / kg BOD5 eliminated.
System sludge production is similar or slightly higher than a conventional activated sludge process,
due to a higher solids retention produced by the membrane (Iglesias, 2014).

 TRC de funcionamiento: Combinando las ecs. se obtiene para el TRC de funcionamiento:

1
ܴܶ‫ ܥ‬ൌ 14 .‫ܧ‬
ܿ
ܲ௔௙ ‫ܥܯ‬ ‫ܧ‬
100

Sludge recirculation rate: in order to control the increase of suspended solids concentration in the membrane
tank, mixed liquor flow entering the tank has to be equal to the sum of permeate and sludge recirculation flow
(Fp+Fr), several times higher than the permeate flow.

The sludge recirculation rate is the ratio between the sludge recirculation volumetric flow, QR, and treatment
volumetric inflow. The minimum recirculation rate can be easily calculated through a mass balance in the
membrane tank, specifying the maximum sludge concentration XR in the membrane tank (Haandel and Lubbe,
2012).

ிೃ ௑
ൌ ܴൌ 5 .‫ܧ‬
ܿ
ி ௑ೃ ି ௑

In practice, the recirculation rate depends fundamentally of the membrane type, with a common range between 3
to 5 times the average treatment flow (Iglesias, 2014). I.e., with X=12 g TSS/L and XR=15 g TSS/L, R value is
calculated as 12/(15-12) = 4.

3.1.4.- General bioreactor design criteria

A number of reference design criteria values for the bioreactor in submerged membranes MBR systems are
introduced in the table below (Iglesias, 2014):

Table 3.- Design parameters of the bioreactor in a MBR system

Parameter Common Max-min
values Flat-sheet Hollow fibre
MLSS concentration SSLM (g/L) 6-8 5 – 10 <7.5
Α Coefficient 0.35-0.5 - -
CRT (days) >9 21 - 31 8-20
Recirculation rate - R (%) 300-500 300 - 400 150 – 250
3.1.5.- Reactor volume
The reactor volume, V, is obtained from the F/M ratio design. Solving Eq. 1:
‫ܨ‬௔௩ ∙
‫ܮ‬଴
ܸ
ൌ
‫ܯ‬/ ‫ܺ ∙ ܨ‬

Whenever there is no space restrictions, greater energy efficiency related to aeration leads to concentrations of
MLSS/L 6-10 g/L (Iglesias, 2014)

3.1.6.- Reactor required oxygen supply capacity

The oxygenation required capacity (OC) represents the real oxygen needs of the system. The OC will be based on
peak oxygen demand (ODpeak):

‫ܥ‬ଵ଴ 1
ܱ‫ ܥ‬ൌ ܱ ‫ܦ‬௣௘௔௞ ߙ 17 .‫ܧ‬
ܿ
ߚ ଶ଴ െ
‫ܥ‬௑

Where:
OC = oxygenation capacity required (kg/h)
C10 = Dissolved oxygen saturation level at 10 ° C (≈ 11 mg/L)
C20 = DO saturation level at 20 °C in clean water (≈ 9 mg/L)
CX = DO concentration reference (= 0.5 mg/L)
 =ratio of efficiency in the transfer of oxygen from mixed liquor and pure water.
 = DO saturation correction in mixed liquor (= 0.95).

Oxygen transfer in the BRM reactors is complex because it depends on the concentration of MLSS parameter, the
size of the flocs, the intensity of aeration and bubble size. For this reason it is a parameter that is normally
obtained empirically, usually being found a significant decrease with increasing solids concentration.

In domestic wastewater the following oxygen transfer coefficients (α) are suggested:

Mixed liquor concentration (kg/m*) oxygen transfer coefficients (α)

3-6 0.6-0.8
10-12 0.5-0.6
15-20 0.4

3.2.- Membrane design

3.2.1.- Membrane flux (Fm)and transmembrane pressure (TMP)

The permeate flux (L/m2/ h) through a membrane is directly proportional function to the applied forme, the so-
called transmembrane pressure (bar), and inversely proportional to membrane resistance. The membrane
resistance is mainly influenced by flow rate, the fouling degree and the liquid temperature.

In order to become competitive in wastewater treatment, it is important to maintain the MBR unit at high flow
rate, along with reducing the energy costs. This means that membranes should work at the lowest pressure
possible. A TMP increase will suppose an increase in the membrane flux if the permeability stays contsnt.
However, apart from the energy consumption, the TMP increase would lead to higher membrane resistance and
faster fouling. MBR systems normally work at permeate flows in the range between 10 and 150 L/m2/h

3.2.2.- Raw flow and net flow

The required flow rate (Qp + Qr) through the membrane module is determined by the flow rate through the
tubes, the diameter of the modules and the diameter of the membrane tubes.

Adressing MBR sizing, It is important to consider different applied flow definitions.

Gross flow is the flow that can be sustained over a long period at certain operating conditions. When applied
transmembrane flows are much higher than the gross flow, the result is a rapid increase of the membrane
clogging, requiring frequent cleaning.

The net flow is calculated as the membrane gross flow with a correction factor (ηm) to compensate the permeate
reduction by periodic backwashing operations (fiber membranes) or relaxation periods (plate membranes).
Normally the value of ηm is between 0.8 and 0.95. The cross-flow membrane do not require backwashing or
relaxation times, so ηm = 1 and gross and net flows are equal.

The equipment manufacturer normally sets a membrane flux and a ηm coefficient value, considering the nature of
the wastewater. Membrane sizing should be always established to the smallest expected liquid temperature,
because the membrane permeability decreases rapidly at lower temperatures.

3.2.3.- Membrane surface

The required membrane surface area is evaluated for average and peak flows, using the following formula.
‫ܣ‬௠ ൌ ܳ௘ ∙ 1000⁄ሺ ‫ܨ‬௠ ∙
ߟ௠ ሻ
The larger of the two calculated membrane areas will be selected in the design.

3.2.4.- Membrane aeration

Aeration needs to fouling control are determined by the membrane specific aeration demand (SAD), which can be
referred to the membrane surface (air m3/m2/time) or the permeate volume (air m3/permeate m3), suggesting in
turn continuous or intermittent aeration cycles (Iglesias, 2014).

3.2.5.- Membrane tanks number

Once the calculation of needed membrane units for treatment is done. It is recommended to include a unit/tank
in the facility (depending on whether the system is cross-flow or submerged membranes) additional to
design quantity. The concept "n+1" is a trade-off between the traditional design of activated sludge and
membranes and facilitates maintenance and replacement without treatment capacity loss (EPA, 2007)

3.2.6.- Membrane bioreactors design criteria

Table 4.- Design criteria for different membrane typologies.

Parameter Unit Submerged Cross-flow LPCF
Hollow fibre Plates
Flow rate at 15ºC (normal – peak)
Municipal L/(m2.h) 15 - 50 15 - 45 50 - 150 15 – 30
Industrial L/(m2.h) 5 - 15 5 – 15 50 - 100 5 – 15
ηm (net/gross) 0.85 – 0.95 0.8 – 0.9 1.0 0.85 – 0.95
Sludge concentration on g TSS/L 8 – 15 8 - 15 12 - 30 8 – 15
membrane tank.
Module volume m3 2 - 12 3 - 10 0.1 0.1
Specific membrane surface m2/m3 100 - 150 40 - 70 200 - 330 200 – 330
Specific air requirements Nm3/m2 0.1 – 0.5 0.3 – 1.0 N.A. 0.5 – 0.6
0.2 – 0.6
Operation ΔPTM bar 0.1 – 0.2 0.1 – 0.2 2–4 0.2 – 0.5
Velocity inside the tubes m/s N.A. N.A. 3-5 0.5 – 1.0
Recirculation rate 4-8 4-8 10 - 20 30 - 40

3.3.- Performance
In the following table, reference values about effluent quality in urban wastewater treatment MBR effluent are
compared to those of conventional activated sludge systems.

Table 5. Comparative summary between MBR effluent and activated sludge systems with and without
complementary units (Cortacans, 2012)
Activated sludge

Parameter MBR Amplified AS +secondary

Conventional +secondary
settling +sand filtration
settling
+disinfection
TSS ≈ 0 mg/L 10-15 mg/L 3-8 mg/L
COD <30 mg/L 40-50 mg/L 30-40 mg/L
Ptotal (con with
simultaneous <0.3 mg/L 0.80-1.0 mg/L 0.3-0.5 mg/L
precipitation)
 Adequate to
Microbial quality - Adequate to bath
bath
MLSS <18 g/L <5 g/L <5 g/L
Specific energy 3 3 3
consumption
0.7-1.5 Kwh/m 0.2-0.4 Kwh/m 0.3-0.5 Kwh/m

4.- SPECIFIC TECHNICAL

CONDITIONS
From CEDEX information contained in Iglesias (2014), some recommendations regarding construction and
functional aspects of the MBR are extracted:

‐ Dispose anti- foam baffles higher than 0.5 m height.

‐ Water spray systems for foaming control.
‐ Biological reactor depth should range between 5 and 8 m. This depth will be conditioned by the type of
plant and the space available.
‐ The hydraulic circuit should be designed in order to ensure a homogeneous flow separation through
distribution tanks with control gates or weirs.

Regarding the membrane tanks, they must be designed to maintain good hydraulic conditions both for water
filtering and for the cleaning air. This design is given mostly by manufacturers, which also determine a series of
conditions to the design line of the module racks. Some recomendations for the proper functioning of the
membranes could be:

‐ Place a hydraulic deflector in the initial part of the unit to improve flow distribution, avoiding mechanical
overstress on the first module.
‐ Fouling related to solids attached to the membranes should be prevented setting at least 8 mm
separation between plate modules.
‐ In double-headed hollow fibers, systems to tighten both connections should be considered.
‐ Some free space should be left, normally on each skid, to install more membrane modules. A common
reference is that this space should be enough to introduce an additional 20% of membrane surface.
‐ An adequate membrane tank levelling is essential to reach the optimal air distribution in submerged
membranes cleaning.
‐ Selection of suitable materials to prevent corrosion by chemical cleanings. It is advisable to opt for
preventive anti-corrosion coated materials.
‐ Cover the tank membrane to avoid leaf or other materials entries that could damage the membranes.
‐ Enable enough access space to manipulate the membranes inside the process line.
‐ Installation of a cleaning mechanism of the aeration tubes.
‐ Dispose an area annexed to the tank to perform tests and visual inspections.
‐ Install a bridge crane allowing to elevate membrane modules easily.
‐ In case of designing a gravity membrane filtration, consider to install in any case an extraction pump to
be used if necessary.
‐ Dispose an additional tank for cleaning and recovery operations.

5.- SPECIFICATIONS IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY EFFLUENT

TREATMENT
At one ETP of Boselli mill (Italy) an MBR pilot plant was installed parallel to the low load activated sludge reactor.
The equipment used a hollow fiber module ZW-10 (membrane surface area of 0.93 m2) immersed in a tank of 200
L. The yields obtained for COD removal were 94% (sd: 2.3%). In addition, color removal was assessed by decrease
in absorbance in the effluent, with a mean of 96.5% at 426 nm and 98.7% at 660 nm.

Darmstadt (Germany), an MBR system was used as part of a treatment and reuse water line in a laundry. The
system consisted of pretreatment and homogenization, followed by biological-MBR and reverse osmosis (RO)
treatment. The mixing ratio of the RO permeate and BRM is maintained between 2: 1 and 1: 1 depending on the
amount of salt in the MBR effluent. The MBR reactor contained a 510 Kubota type Microfiltration.

In Schoeberl et al (2004) the installation of a MBR system is documented as a pilot scale unit for the treatment of
textile wastewater, mainly knitted fabric washing lines, with a small contribution of dyeing water. The result led to
the conclusion that the treatment was adequate to meet the load requirements on the discharge, but in case to
follow water reuse objectives, further treatment (NF) should be needed.

In De Jager et al (2014) it is stated that reactive azo dyes contain between one and four azo links that can be
reduced in anaerobic biological conditions, allowing this compound to get bleached. The reaction has discolored
amines as
product, which are prepared to mineralize under aerobic conditions. For this purpose, textile wastewater was
treated by a dual stage MBR, anaerobic step followed by an anoxic/aerobic step and UF cross-flow membranes. The
system is completed with a RO treatment in order to reuse water.

In Judd, 2011, Shenghong Printing & Dyeing mill is described. The factory has an average flow rate of 10.000
m3/d, treating effluent from dyeing operations upstream of a reverse osmosis plant, the treated water being
reused for production processes. The effluent flow is equalized for 8h before passing on to the 5000 m3 biotank
(50:50 anoxic: anaerobic) where the MLSS is held at around 3 g/L and recirculated to the 800 m3 membrane
tank, with sludge being wasted at 280 kg dry solids/day from a total tank volume of 5800 m3, i.e. 62 d SRT. The
membrane tank holds
19,200 m2 membrane area in six trains of four units, which each house 80 of the 10 m2 SMM-1010 HF modules
(Memstar). The net flux is maintained at 21 L.m.h and the TMP between 0.2 and 0.6 bar by backflushing at ~20
L.m.h for 1 min in every 10 min of operation, and air scouring at 0.2 m3/(m2/h). Maintenance cleaning comprises a
monthly soak for 1.5h in 200 mg/L NaOCl, with recovery cleans 1-2 times each year by soaking for 4h each in 300-
500 mg/L NaOCl and then 0.5 wt% citric acid. The plant achieves >90% COD removal down to effluent
concentrations below
60 mg/L whilst incurring specific energy demand values in kWh/m3 of 0.3 for both membrane and process
aeration
(and hence 0.6 kWh/m3 for total aeration) and 0.006 kWh/m3 for sludge transfer.
 MEMBRANE BIOREACTORS FS-BIO-010 Page 16 of 23

Table 6.- Case study summary in textile effluent MBR applications (mod. from De Jager, (2014))
MBR Configuration Water type Scale Average Av. removal Color ETP size Country Reference
removal COD
Homogenization pretreatment followed by Cross flow MBR (2 Textile wastewater Laboratory 96% 72% (97.5 after NF 300-500 L (bioreactor) Austria Brick et al.
stages process). and pilot posttreatment) (2006)
Cross-flow MBR consisting in an activated sludge reactor and UF Polyester finishing Laboratory 60-95% >87% 20L (aerobic reactor Austria Badani et al
tubular filtration (2-stage process). textile effluent. 0.28 m2 tubular (2005)
membrane
Submerged MBR microfiltration (1-stage process). Synthetic textile Lab scale NA 68.3% 12.5 L bioreactor Japan Hai (2006)
wastewater
Microfilter (MF) followed by: (1) NF and (2) RO (2-stage process). Synthetic textile Lab scale NA 97% 2.5 L bioreactor Korea Kim (2004)
wastewater (3
reactive dyes)
Sidestream MBR consisting of an activated sludge reactor Industrial mixed Lab scale 91.8% (max.) 80% after NF post- 20 L (aerobic reactor) Austria Schoeberl et
connected to an external tubular crossflow UF unit, followed by NF textile wastewater treatment 0.28 m2 (tubular al (2004)
(3-stage process) from a polyester membrane filter area)
finishing plant
Submerged hollow fibre membrane module in a bioreactor (1-stage Industrial mixed Pilot-scale 97.4% >97% 230 L Turkey Yigit et al
process) textile wastewater (2009)
(denim)
Anaerobic bioreactor followed by an aerobic membrane bioreactor Synthetic textile Lab-scale 92.3% 74.6 (Anaerobic SBR) 36 L (anaerobic Taiwan You et al
(2-stage process) wastewater (anaerobic 9.1% (aerobic MBR) bioreactor) 18 L (aerobic (2009)
(reactive black 5) SBR) 5.2% MBR bioreactor)
(aerobic MBR)
Aerobic submerged MBR (1-stage process) anaerobic bioreactor Synthetic textile Lab-scale NA 81% without post- 25 L (anaerobic) 25 L Taiwan You et al
followed by an aerobic submerged MBR (2-stage process) anaerobic wastewater treatment with RO (aerobic) 0.2 m2 hollow (2008)
bioreactor, aerobic submerged MBR followed by RO (3-stage containing reactive 97% after post- fibre membrane Surface
process). black treatment with RO. area)
Submerged aerobic MBR (1-stage process Industrial textile Pilot-scale 79% 54% 25L (aerobic MBR) 0.2 m2 Taiwan You et al
wastewater (hollow fibre membrane (2006)
Surface area)
2-stage MBR, anaerobic followed by anoxic/aerobic and sidestream Industrial textile Piloto 75% 28.6% Anaerobic: 1000L, South De Jager
UF membrane. wastewater Anoxic: 2500L; Aerobic: Africa (2014)
2500L
2-stage MBR (50:50 anoxic:aerobic) Industrial textile Real-scale >90% Available for reuse 10.000 m3/day, 5000 m3 China Judd (2011)
wastewater after RO step reactor
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 17 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

6.- PARAMETERS AND CONTROL

STRATEGIES
MBR systems require a high automation level, with the installation of monitoring and control systems allowing,
besides, to introduce changes to optimize the process.

Flow rate control will require, at least:

‐ Permeate flow meter
‐ Recirculation flow meter
‐ Backwash flow meter

6.1.- Transmembrane pressure monitoring

Crossflow membrane TMP can be determined by the differential pressure between to pressure indicators: the first
one installed in the mixed liquor and the second unit in the membrane permeate outlet. The additional pressures
are inferred considering a linear pressure decrease on each module.

On the other hand, submerged membranes pressure control is more complicated since mixed liquor is in an open
tank. Then a pressure indicator is installed on the permeate pump suction side. TMP is established as the difference
between the pressures in relaxation and working operation.

6.2.- Level monitoring on the liquid tank

MBR flow rate is controlled by the permeate pump, so that level control on the tank prior to the modules is
necessary. A mismatch between water influent and permeate effluent will rapidly lead to an overflow or to an
empty area in the activated sludge reactor.

As the permeate flow is controlled by the liquid level in the tank, membrane units will stop when necessary to
balance the influent flow.

They will also be included:

‐ Mixed liquor temperature probe.
‐ Permeate tank level probe (only in backwashed systems).
‐
7.- MBR OPERATION &
MAINTENANCE

A fast decrease on permeability means that there are problems on the system. As an example, it can be due to an
excessively high transmembrane pressure flow, or due to a sludge cake formation on the membranes surface.

Permeability is mainly influenced by the fouling rate and the temperature changes. A temperature rise increases
permeability due to the decrease in water viscosity and also to the membrane pores expansion.

The main factor influencing membrane operation is the fouling degree. A summary of the fouling typologies and
their applied solutions is referred below:

Table 7. MBR fouling typologies and correction measures (Haandel and Lubbe, 2012)
Fouling
Features Correction
type
Inorganic Precipitation of inorganic solids on the
Acid cleaning at low pH.
fouling membrane surface.
Organic Deposits of organic materials, oil, grease, fats, Improve wastewater pretreatment. NaOH or
fouling etc. oxidant chemicals cleaning at high pH
Improve biological reactor treatment. Cleaning
Biofouling Biological growth in the membrane surface
with strong oxidants at high pH.

However, intensive cleaning operations tend to reduce membrane life, increasing the operation costs. Membrane
life can be amplified following a series of indications:

‐ Adequate sieving system prior to membrane operation protects the module from physical damage.
‐ Establish a proper flow rate regulation, without an excessive treatment flow that will take the system to
its design limits. These ratios tend to reduce the material quantity inside the membrane and, therefore,
reducing the quantity to be extracted by washing operations.
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 18 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

‐ Regular soft cleanings. The most common MBR cleaning systems include bleaching with sodium
hypochlorite and citric acid. Anyway, maintenance cleaning should comply with manufacturer
recommendations.

Figure 9. Membrane fouling example (Ref.: http://wasterandwastewater.blogspot.com.es/)

Figure 9. Membrane fouling example (Gabarrón, S., 2014)

 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 19 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

BIBLIOGRAPHY

AWWA, LdE & WRC (1996). Water Treatment Membrane Processes. (American Water Works Association, Lyonnaise
des Eaux, & Water Research Commision of South Africa, Eds.) (Vol. 8). McGraw-Hill.
Iglesias, R. (2014). XXXII Curso sobre tratamiento de aguas residuales y explotación de estaciones depuradoras.
Biorreactores de membrana para la depuración y reutilización de aguas residuales urbanas. Centro de estudios
Hidrográficos (CEDEX).
Judd, S. (2006). Membrane Bioreactor Process Fundamentals. Microfiltration IV: A Short Course on Membrane
Bioreactors - Abstracts. National Water Research Institute. Orange, California USA. 2006
M. Brik, P. Schoeberl, B. Chamam, R. Braun, W. Fuchs (2006), Advanced treatment of textile wastewater towards re-
use using a membrane bioreactor, Process Biochem. 41 (2006) 1751–1757.
Z. Badani, H. Ait-Amar, A. Si-Salah, M. Brik, W. Fuchs (2005) Treatment of textile wastewater by membrane
bioreactor and re-use, Desalination 185 (2005) 411–417.
Judd, S. (2011). The MBR book. Principles and Applications of Membrane Bioreactors for Water and Wastewater
Treatment. 2nd ed. Elsevier. Oxford (UK), 2011
F.I. Hai, K. Yamamoto, K. Fukushi, Development of a submerged membrane fungi reactor for textile wastewater
treatment, Desalination 192 (2006) 315– 322.
S.-J. You, J.-Y. Teng, Anaerobic decolourisation bacteria for the treatment of azo dye in a sequential anaerobic and
aerobic membrane bioreactor, J. Taiwan Inst. Chem. Eng. 40 (5) (2009) 500–504
US EPA (2007) Wastewater Management Fact Sheet: Membrane Bioreactors. United States Environmental
Protection Agency. September 2007
Van Haandel, A. C. and van der Lubbe, J. G. M. (2012). Handbook of Biological Wastewater Treatment. Design and
Optimisation of Activated Sludge Systems. Chapter 10: Membrane Bioreactors. IWA Publishing. Glasgow (UK), 2012.
Gabarrón, S.; Gómez, M., Monclus, H., Rodríguez Roda, I. and Comas, J. (2014) Ragging in immersed hollow fibre
membrane bioreactors. http://www.thembrsite.com/features/ragging-in-immersed-hollow-fibre-membrane-
bioreactors/
Hoinkis, J.; Deowan, S. A., Panten V.; Figoli A.; Huang R. R. and Drioli, E. (2012) Membrane Bioreactor (MBR)
Technology – a Promising Approach for Industrial Water Reuse. Procedia Engineering 33 (2012) 234-241
T.-H. Kim, Y. Lee, J. Yang, B. Lee, C. Park, S. Kim, Decolourisation of dye solutions by a membrane bioreactor
(MBR)
using white-rot fungi, Desalination 168 (2004) 287–293.
P. Schoeberl, M. Brik, R. Braun, W. Fuchs, Treatment and recycling of textile wastewater: Case study and
development of a recycling concept, Desalination 171 (2004) 173–183.
N.O. Yigit, N. Uzal, H. Koseoglu, I. Harman, H. Yukseler, U. Yetis, G. Civelekoglu, M. Kitis, Treatment of a denim
producing textile industry wastewater using a pilot-scale membrane bioreactor, Desalination 240 (2009) 143–150.
S.-J. You, D.-H. Tseng, J.-Y. Deng, Using combined membrane processes for textile dyeing wastewater reclamation,
Desalination 234 (2008) 426–432.
S.-J. You, D.-H. Tseng, C.C. Liu, S.H. Ou, H.M. Chien, The performance and microbial diversity of a membrane
bioreactor treating with the real textile dyeing wastewater, Water Pract. Technol. 28 (8) (2006) 935–941.

TECHNOLOGICAL REFERENCES

Koch membrane systems. PURON® MBR Solutions. Low energy, cost-effective MBR wastewater treatment.
http://www.kochmembrane.com/PDFs/Brochures/puron-mbr-brochure.aspx
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 20 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

ANNEX 1
AVAILABLE COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES
(Judd, S., 2011)
Submerged membranes
Flat-sheet
Brand Model
A3 Maxflow
Alfa Laval Hollow Sheet
Agfa VITO
Brightwater MEMBRIGHT®
Colloide SubSnake
Ecologix EcoplateTM, EcoSepro TM
Huber VRM®, ClearBox®, Biomem
Hyflux Petaflex
Jiansu Lantian Peier Memb. Co. Ltd
LG Electronics Green Membrane
Kubota ES/EK
MICRODYN-NADIR BioCel®
Pure Envitech Co. Ltd. ENVIS
Shanghai Megavision Memb. Enging. And Technol.
Co. Ltd.
Shanghai SINAP membrane Science & Technol. Co.
Ltd.
Toray MEMBRAY® TMR
Suzhou Vina Filter Co. VINAP
Weise Water Systems GmbH Microclear®
Inge Fish
Beijing IWHR Corp. BIC

Submerged membranes
Flat-sheet
Brand Model
Asahi Kasei MicrozaTM
Beijing Origin Water Technology Co.
Canpure Canfil
Ecologix EcoflonTM, EcoFilTM
ENE Co. Ltd. SuperMAK
GE Zenon ZeeWeed®
Hangzhou H-Filtration Memb. Technol. & Engng. Co. MR
Ltd.
Koch Membrane Systems PURON®
Korea membrane Separations KSMBR
(Hainan) Litree Purifying Technol. Co. Ltd. LH3
MEMOS Membranes Modules Systems GmbH MEMSUB
Memstar Technol. Ltd. SMM
Micronet Porous Fibers S.L. Micronet®
Mitsubishi Rayon Engng. Sterapore-SURTM; SADFTM
Mohua Technology Imem-25
(Tianjin) Motimo Flat Plat FPII
Philos Co. Ltd.
Siemens Water Tech. MemPulseTM
Sumitomo Electric Industries POREFLONTM
Superstring MBR Technol. Corp. SuperUF
Suzhou Vina Filter Co. F08
Zena SRO P5
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 21 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

Cross-flow
Brand Model
Multitube
Berghof HyPem-AE; HyPerflux
Norit X-Flow F4385, F5385
Orelis Environment PLEIADER®
KLEANSEPR®
MEMOS Membrance Modules
Systems GmbH MEMCROSS
Hollow fibre
Ultra-flo®/Mann and Hummel
Polymem IMMEM
Flat disc ceramic
Kerafol
Grundfos Biobooster
 MEMBRANE FS-BIO- Page 22 of 23
BIOREACTORS 010

ANNEX 2
GRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF PROCESS
UNITS

Prefab Puron® plus MBR Systems.

http://www.kochmembrane.com/Systems -Service/Standard/PURON-MBR.aspx

MBR treatment plant CHC-OXI-MBR made by Salher. http://www.salher.com/es/Depuradoras-

con- biomembranas/Depuradora-con-biorreactores-de-membrana-CHC-OXI-MBR.html
 MEMBRANE BIOREACTORS FS-BIO-010 Page
23 of 23

General view of a MBR reactor

http://aguasindustriales.es/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/depuraci%C3%B3n-de-Aguas-residuales-industriales.jpg

Figure 4.- Submerged membranes unit. Kubota SMU (http://www.kubota-mbr.com/mbr.html)