• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.458-463
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• 2005

Considering the characteristics of a filtration bio-reactor equipped with a mesh filter module which can effectively maintain high concentration of biomass and enhanced solid-liquid separation performance, the hybrid process of filtration bio-reactor combined with coagulation was investigated to get improved filtration characteristics as well as water quality in this work. Two bio-reactors (Run-1 & Run-2) were operated under the following conditions: working volume of 25 L, continuous loading of a synthetic wastewater (BOD: 200 mg/L, T-N: 50 mg/L, T-P: 5 mg/L), where an appropriate amount of alum ($Al_2(SO_4)_3{\cdot}18H_2O$) was added once a day into the reactor (Run-2). In the system without using a alum (Run-1), the clogging of mesh filter module was observed two times through 85 days of whole operation. Meanwhile, the filter module did not clog even at higher MLSS concentration (6,000~12,000 mg/L) and the stable filtration (0.7 mid) was continued in the case of using a alum. Due to the stable formation of cake layers, BOD and SS were shown below 6 and 3 mg/L, respectively. T-P and pH of the effluent were changed because of the intermittent addition of the alum. In the case of Al/P=2.5, the average T-P removal efficiency per day was 85.2% and the average T-P concentration of the effluent was 0.3 mg/L. However, the removal efficiency of phosphate was influenced by pH in the reactor.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.945-949
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• 2006

For a membrane bio-reactor, it is possible to fillet and separate activated sludge and effluent by head loss of centimeters, if non-woven fabric material is used as titration media. However, if non-woven fabric material is used to thicken high-concentration sludge, excessive sludge attachment causes the rapid decrease of flux. Mesh with fore sizes of $100{\mu}m,\;150{\mu}m,\;and\;200{\mu}m$ allows for easy separation of attached sludge. This study examined the possibility of mesh as filtration media. Existing close-flow filtration process, which requires maintaining sludge movement, makes It difficult to obtain high thickening rate. With a view of complementing this weakness, this study has made an experimental examination on how high-concentration sludge (about 3,000mg/L to 10,000mg/L) will be filtered and thickened when mesh module is submersed in the bio-reactor. Effluent flowed from the bottom of the bio-reactor by head loss of 65cm. In case of pore size of $100{\mu}m$, SS showed high recovery of 80% to 96%; therefore, it has been decided that mesh can be used as filtration media. Filtration lasted for more than 9 hours, until sludge with 9,000mg/L in MLSS concentration was thickened 9 times as dense. In the range from 3,610mg/L to 9,060mg/L in MLSS concentration, it was possible to obtain effluent with less than 2mg/L in MLSS concentration within 10 minutes.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2005

In order to recycle the waste material and to develop the thickening unit of waste activated sludge from wastewater treatment facilities, the filtration bio-reactor equipped with a shadow mask filter module was employed for this work from which the operating properties and parameters were drawn. The sludge thickening and filtration unit is made of cylindrical acryl tank(12cm i.d. ${\times}$ 58cm height: working volume of 6L), where the flat-sheet type of shadow mask filter module(pore size: 220~250um, opening area: 34.8~39.6%) was installed and the effluent was withdrawn from the effluent port at the lowest point of the reactor, and the filtration was performed only by the hydraulic pressure. For evaluating the operating performance of this reactor, some parameters such as the solid-liquid separation of different biomass concentrations, the water quality of filtrate, the aeration cleaning time and the cleaning effect were investigated. Depending on the MLSS concentrations, the different time to withdraw 3L of filtrate was required in which the longer filtration time was necessary for the higher MLSS concentrations caused by the thicker formation of cake layer: 40 minutes for 5,000 mg/L, 70 minutes for 10,000 mg/L and 100 minutes for 15,000 mg/L, where the concentrations of SS were 8.9, 6.7 and 6.5 mg/L, respectively. Under the same operating conditions (the intensity of aeration cleaning: 80 L/min, MLSS: 10,000 mg/L), the proper aeration cleaning time was revealed 30 seconds, and the stable formation of cake layer was in the range of 10 to 15 minutes. Therefore, the shadow mask considered as a waste material can be of use as a filter material for the sludge thickening system.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.2314-2320
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• 2015

MBR (Membrane Bio-Reactor) process is known to consume enormous energy to control membrane fouling. To solve this problem, electro-coagulation technique has been applied to MBR. A series of electro-coagulation was applied to activated sludge suspension under different current density condition. After the electro-coagulations, membrane filtration of the activated sludge suspensions was conducted to investigate the effect of electro-coagulation on the fouling. As current density increased 10 to 40A/m2, the total fouling resistance (Rc+Rf) decreased from 18 to 79%, showing that the electro-coagulation improved the membrane filtration efficiency. Both the organic concentration in bulk and the particles size distribution were not nearly changed before and after the electro-coagulation. The enhanced filtration efficiency might be due to the aluminum hydroxide generated from chemical precipitation, which can be acted as a dynamic membrane preventing a deposition of foulants on membrane surfaces.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2006

There is a possibility of the production of the air bubbles in membrane pores due to the reduction in pressure during membrane filtration. The effect of fine air bubbles from dissolved gases on microfiltration was investigated in the submerged membrane bio-reactor (SMBR). The $R_{air}$ (air bubble resistance) was defined as the filtration resistance due to the air bubbles formed from the gasification of dissolved gases. From the results of filtration tests using pure water with changes in the dissolved oxygen concentration, the air bubbles from dissolved gases were confirmed to act as a foulant and; thus, increase the filtration resistance. The standard pore blocking and cake filtration models, SPBM and CFM, respectively, were applied to investigate the mechanism of air bubble fouling on a hollow fiber membrane. However, the application of the SPBM and CFM were limited in explaining the mechanism due to the properties of air bubble. With a simple comparison of the different filtration resistances, the $R_{air}$ portion was below 1% of the total filtration resistance during sludge filtration. Therefore, the air bubbles from dissolved gases would only be a minor foulant in the SMBR. However, under the conditions of a high gasification rate from dissolved gases, the effect of air bubble fouling should be considered in microfiltration.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.502-506
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• 2009

The removal properties of Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) known as the important group of synthetic polymers of ethylene oxide were examined by the bio-reactor equipped with a mesh filter module. PEG-1000 and PEG-2000 were fairly removed on the basis of TOC, which were 75.1% and 51.6%, respectively. In the case of PEG-20000, the removal efficiency of TOC was less than 15.2% and the favorable acclimation of microbes was not obtained. It was suggested that this system could effectively maintain microbes for the biodegradation of low molecular weight of PEG and TOC removal was significantly influenced by PEG molecular weight.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2006

This study was performed to evaluate the air lift reactors (ALR) by variations of HRT and recycling rate. Air lift reactor was composed of bioreactor and clarifier above it. To remove organic matters and nitrogen through the formation of microbic film and filtration, bio-filter reactors were filled with clay, glass, bead, waste plastic, respectively. Influent wastewater was fed to biofilter reactor, and effluent wastewater from bio-filter reactor was injected ALR again, instead of adding external carbon source. Effluent BOD concentration was satisfied with lower than 10 mg/L in recycling rate 100% regardless of the variation of HRT and the kinds of media materials. In HRT 4 hr, recycling rate 100%, BOD removal efficiency rate was from about 85 to 90%, COD removal efficiency rate was higher than 90%. Effluent TN concentration was satisfied with less than 20 mg/L, if HRT was maintained by over than 6 hr regardless of recycling rate and media materials. Over than HRT was 4 hr, microbes concentration in air lift reactor was maintained over than 2,500 mg/L constantly, not sensitive to environmental condition, and organic removal was effective as it was higher.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.44-53
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• 2011

Membrane bio-reactor (MBR) has several advantages over the conventional activated sludge process, including a high biomass, low sludge production, and better permeate quality. Therefore, the MBR have gained popularity for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. However the MBR usually were used for sewage and low streng th wastewater treatment because of membrane fouling problem and limitation of oxygen transfer into biomass. In this study, the hybrid process combining MBR and pure oxygen was tested for high strength organic wastewater treatment in the COD loading range from 2 to $10kgCOD/m^3{\cdot}day$. The hybrid process, membrane coupled pure oxygen high compact reactor (MPHCR), had been operated for one year and operation parameters, the effect of COD loading, MLSS concentration and the location of membrane module were studied for membrane fouling characteristic. Also membrane resistance test and the component of foulant was analyzed to investigate what is specific foulant in the MBR.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.347-353
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• 2014

This work was performed to find the effect of operation parameters on the permeate flux through the activated sludge dynamic layer, and to indicate the relationship between the water quality of supernatant and flux based on the results. Since the effluent can be obtained through steady and stable formation of cake layer in the bio-filter media system, it is an important subject to keep and control microbes with activated state in the bio-reactor. Filtration resistance was drastically increased at more than 18000mg/L of MLSS. With filtration time continued, the flux was gradually decreased and the water qualities of supernatant monitored by turbidity and TOC were also deteriorated. This phenomenon indicated that the organic materials generated by microbes and accumulated in the reactor might affect the flux in the system. In addition, the decrease of flux was simultaneously observed in the sludge volume index. When SVI was controlled from 150 to 250, the flux was also decreased. The proper aeration time was recommended to 30 to 60 seconds in this system. In order to operate this system steadily, therefore, the control of water quality of supernatant and SVI should be proceeded.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.183-190
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• 2020

Although membrane bio-reactor (MBR) has been widely applied for wastewater treatment plants, the membrane fouling problems are still considered as an obstacle to overcome. Thus, many studies and commercial developments on mitigating membrane fouling in MBR have been carried out. Recently, high voltage impulse (HVI) has gained attention for a possible alternative technique for desalting, non-thermal sterilization, bromate-free disinfection and mitigation of membrane fouling. In this study, it was verified if the HVI could be used for mitigation of membrane fouling, particularly the internal pore fouling in MBR. The HVI was applied to the fouled membrane under different conditions of electric fields (E) and contact time (t) of HVI in order to investigate how much of internal pore fouling was reduced. The internal pore fouling resistance (R_f) after HVI induction was reduced as both E and t increased. For example, R_f decreased by 19% when the applied E was 5 kV/cm and t was 80 min. However, the R_f decreased by 71% as the E increased to 15 kV/cm under the same contact time. The correlation between E and t that needed for 20% of R_f reduction was modeled based on kinetics. The model equation, E^1.54t = 1.2 × 10³ was obtained by the membrane filtration data that were obtained with and without HVI induction. The equation states the products of En and t is always constant, which means that the required contact time can be reduced in accordance with the increase of E.