Membrane bioreactor for water reclamation in Singapore

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guihe Tao ◽  
Kiran Kekre ◽  
Bala Visvanath ◽  
Maung Htun Oo ◽  
Harry Seah

The Public Utilities Board (PUB) of Singapore embarked on MBR technology evaluation program in 2002. The three systems, i.e. Zenon system, Mitsubishi system and Kubota system, were set up in early 2003 and evaluated. Other MBR systems like Memcor MBR, Toyoplus MBR, Singaport Cleanseas MBR, Huber MBR and Asahi MBR were tested later on or is under testing. These trials have generated valuable information on the design and operation of the MBR systems under tropical environment in pilot scales. PUB decided to extend the pilot scale operations by building a 23,000 m3/d demonstration plant at Ulu Pandan Water Reclamation Plant. This plant was commissioned in December 2006. The product of this plant is supplied to industries as Industrial Water. The plant produces industrial water which is superior to all the requirements. The power consumption is about 0.55 kwh/m3 and no intensive chemical cleaning has been done since the start-up of the plant for about 7 months.

Author(s):  
Haruka Takeuchi ◽  
Naoyuki Yamashita ◽  
Norihide Nakada ◽  
Hiroaki Tanaka

This study investigated the removal characteristics of N-Nitrosamines and their precursors at three pilot-scale water reclamation plants. These plants applies different integrated membrane systems: (1) microfiltration (MF)/nanofiltration (NF)/reverse osmosis (RO) membrane; (2) sand filtration/three-stage RO; and (3) ultrafiltration (UF)/NF and UF/RO. Variable removal of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) by the RO processes could be attributed to membrane fouling and the feed water temperature. The effect of membrane fouling on N-Nitrosamine removal was extensively evaluated at one of the plants by conducting one month of operation and chemical cleaning of the RO element. Membrane fouling enhanced N-Nitrosamine removal by the pilot-scale RO process. This finding contributes to better understanding of the variable removal of NDMA by RO processes. This study also investigated the removal characteristics of N-Nitrosamine precursors. The NF and RO processes greatly reduced NDMA formation potential (FP), but the UF process had little effect. The contributions of MF, NF, and RO processes for reducing FPs of NDMA, N-Nitrosopyrrolidine and N-Nitrosodiethylamine were different, suggesting different size distributions of their precursors.


2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guihe Tao ◽  
Kiran Kekre ◽  
Maung Htun Oo ◽  
Bala Viswanath ◽  
Aliman MD Yusof ◽  
...  

One of the major components of MBR operating expenditure is energy consumption. This paper presents our six-year journey of energy reduction and optimization in MBR systems through various pilot and demonstration studies. Through comprehensive and systematic MBR optimisation studies, the specific energy consumption was reduced from 1.3 kWh m−3 to less than 0.8 kWh m−3 by increasing membrane flux and reducing aeration at 300 m3 per day pilot scale plants. Through energy audit, the key energy consumption components including process aeration, membrane scouring rate, SRT, MLSS level, MLSS recirculation, and energy efficient equipment selection were identified, and these were optimised one by one at 23,000 m3 per day municipal scale MBR demonstration plant after the baseline had been set up. The specific energy consumption was further reduced to 0.37 kWh m−3.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 329-341
Author(s):  
Tukaram P. Chavan ◽  
Ganpat B. More ◽  
Sanjaykumar R. Thorat

The present investigation was carried out to assess the operation of a pilot-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) for the treatment of reactive dye and textile wastewater. The operation of SMBR model was conducted by using a polyethersulfone (PES) hollow fibre membrane with continuous flow mode at different HRTs at 8, 6 and 4 h, for 90 days. During the entire operation, the average permeate flux, TMP, F/M ratio and OLR was found to be 19 (L/m²/h), 2.6 (psi), 0.10 (g BOD/(g MLSS•d) and 0.89 (kg BOD/m³.d), respectively. The variations in the permeate flux, TMP, F/M ratio and OLR have not adversely effects on the operation of the SMBR model. Throughout the entire operation, despite the TP, TDS and conductivity, the high amount of COD (82%), BOD (86%), NO3-N (79%), TSS (98%), turbidity (97%) and colour (79%), removal was achieved. The permeate flux was declined by membrane fouling and it was recovered by chemical cleaning as well as regular backwashing during the entire operation. The results obtained from the study concluded that the hollow fibre ultrafiltration polyethersulfone (PES) membrane shows good performance while treating textile wastewater along with reactive dye solution.


HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 784B-784
Author(s):  
Carol A. O'Meara* ◽  
Kerrie B. Badertscher

Data supports the success of Colorado Master Gardener sm (MG) of Boulder County outreach beyond the Cooperative Extension office at outlying clinic sites. Initially unique in Colorado, MG plant clinics at area nurseries and garden centers has gained acceptance in other counties of Colorado. Exploration of benefits and investments for programs interested in expanding outreach to the public are discussed to provide a blueprint for clinics start-up. MG clinics are set up to provide answers to questions from the public on Friday through Sundays from April through mid-July. This schedule, coupled with the Monday through Friday MG desk hours, provides seven day per week access to the public during the busiest part of the growing season. Clinics are conveniently located in all county communities at Green Industry locations. Participating businesses consider the clinics a benefit worth investing IN and justification of sites is uniform. Additional single-day clinics have spun off as an addition to fixed clinic schedule. High requirement of staff time, increased sample load and resource investment is offset by the benefits of increased visibility of program in the community leading to increased recruitment of volunteers. Knowledge gained by the public has brought about measurable positive changes in pesticide use and responsible cultural practices. Volunteer retention is favorably affected with increased flexibility of scheduling opportunities and communications. Information on setting up clinic sites, what the sites receive, staff time and services requirements, and refinements as a result of clinic survey will be given.


2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (11) ◽  
pp. 2324-2330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Z. Wang ◽  
T. Zsirai ◽  
K. Connery ◽  
M. Fabiyi ◽  
A. Larrea ◽  
...  

This study aimed to investigate the influence of biomass properties and high mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations on membrane permeability in a pilot-scale hollow fibre membrane bioreactor treating domestic wastewater. Auxiliary molasses solution was added to maintain system operation at constant food-to-microorganisms ratio (F/M = 0.13). Various physicochemical and biological biomass parameters were measured throughout the trial, comprising pre-thickening, thickening and post-thickening periods with reference to the sludge concentration and with aerobic biotreatment continuing throughout. Correlations between dynamic changes in biomass characteristics and membrane permeability decline as well as permeability recovery were further assessed by statistical analyses. Results showed the MLSS concentration to exert the greatest influence on sustainable membrane permeability, with a weaker correlation with particle size distribution. The strong dependence of absolute recovered permeability on wet accumulated solids (WACS) concentration, or clogging propensity, revealed clogging to deleteriously affect membrane permeability decline and recovery (from mechanical declogging and chemical cleaning), with WACS levels increasing with increasing MLSS. Evidence from the study indicated clogging may permanently reduce membrane permeability post declogging and chemical cleaning, corroborating previously reported findings.


Desalination ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 237 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 190-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Ferraris ◽  
Carolina Innella ◽  
Alessandro Spagni

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-98
Author(s):  
J. Xu ◽  
F. C. Kent ◽  
K. Farahbakhsh

Two wastewater polishing systems were compared in terms of their ability to protect downstream reverse osmosis (RO) processes. A conventional full-scale wastewater treatment system with primary and secondary treatment followed by rotating biological contactors (RBC) and sand filtration were compared in a side-by-side study with a pilot-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR). Effluent from the two pretreatment trains was sent to two identical RO pilot systems. The effluent water quality of the two systems was compared as well as the RO performance. The MBR pretreatment provided effluent with a turbidity (0.11 NTU) that was more than five times lower than that of the conventional system (0.58 NTU). The fouling rate of the RO system with MBR pretreatment was 50–67% of the value found for the RO system with conventional pretreatment and the difference in turbidity values was identified as the major source of this large difference. The RO effluent quality of both systems was excellent, with similar overall removals in both systems. The study emphasizes the importance of removing particulate matter for the prevention of RO fouling within water reclamation.


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