Research Abstracts

In this work, modelling of a submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) system for municipal wastewater treatment is evaluated using ASM1 and ASM3 models. Dynamic data (and pseudo steady state) collected in an aerobic SMBR working at high sludge retention time (SRT) are considered. Work is focused on susp

A market survey of the European MBR industry was performed, contacting 33 suppliers or retailers of MBR filtration systems and/or MBR plant constructors. We identified MBR plants constructed up to 2005, and about 300 references of industrial applications (> 20 m3/d) and about 100 municipal wastewate

Brine disposal remains a key consideration when employing ion exchange (IEX) for nitrate removal. To circumvent this issue, research was conducted into developing an immersed membrane bioreactor (MBR) as a replacement for ion exchange. This paper compares the economics of the two process options whi

Among the different classifications of membrane fouling, organic fouling is perhaps the most poorly understood, with relationships to (organic) colloidal fouling and biofouling. Problematical foulants have been identified as polysaccharides and proteins but these components occur in both abiotic mac

This study aims to identify the nature of organic species (soluble or colloidal) governing membrane fouling within the context of a membrane bioreactor (MBR). A knowledge of their nature and origin (excreted during treatment or associated with the influent) can help to better adapt operational condi

In the future, upgrading of existing wastewater treatment plants (wwtps) will become the more challenging task than erection of wholly new plants, as most of the plants (e.g. necessary in Germany) do exist already. Since some time, MBR technology has been taken into consideration and has been realis

Efficient and stable atrazine removal could be realized after a start-up period in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) bioaugmented with genetically engineered microorganism (GEM) and the removal efficiency was above 90%. The start-up period was the key step of MBR bioaugmented with GEM and determined by op

Direct observation (DO) technique allowed the visualisation of fouling deposition and removal in real time and in a non-invasive manner. The DO setup was relatively simple and featured a crossflow hollow fibre membrane module, a microscope and a video camera. Transmembrane pressure (TMP) and fouling

The paper is an overview of the application of membrane processes to winemaking. The aim is to present both the application of membrane processes in winemaking and a general philosophy of their development from a process engineering point of view. Several examples illustrate this approach, in partic

The conventional treatment for production of drinking water from surface water generally consists of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and sand filtration. One of the main disadvantages of the conventional process combining sedimentation and filtration is the rather long residence time. This