• Membrane Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.276-286
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• 2015

The effects of relaxation and backwashing on fouling in ultrafiltration were investigated using full-scale membrane bioreactors (MBRs) which operated at a constant flux of 30 LMH. This paper also estimated the feasibility of using intermittent aeration strategies for minimizing the hydraulic resistance to filtration in comparison with the continuous aeration for running MBRs. Multiple cycles of filtration (14.5 min each) and relaxation (0.5 min each) were repeated. Similarly, a backwash was conducted by replacing a relaxation after each filtration cycle for the comparative performance test. The attached cake thickness on the membrane rapidly increased, caused by subsequent no aeration leading to easier combining with gel layer and the formation of heterogeneous layer on the membrane surface. During periodic backwashing, it is expected that gel and thin cake layer might sufficiently be removed by heterogeneous layer. After periodic backwashing, subsequent cake layer formation during time of no aeration was rapid than frequent no aeration, acting as a prefilter and preventing further irreversible fouling. Based on the Pearson correlation analysis, overall period fouling (dTMP/min) and average of all cycles (dTMP/min) were strongly correlated with the on-off period of aeration for operating MBRs.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.188-195
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an intermittent aeration mode to reduce the membrane fouling in a submerged membrane process using the specifically devised module (YEF 750D-2). The fluid velocity on the module increased with increasing the supplied air volume, and decreased with the increment of MLSS in the biological reactor. The reduction rate of the fluid velocity was found to be $3\times10^{-4}m{\cdot}min/sec{\cdot}L$ per 1,000 mg MLSS/L increased. In the operation of the intermittent aeration, the intermitted stop of the aeration provoked the formation of a cake layer on the gel layer which was previously formed during the aeration, resulting in the highly increased TMP level. However, the TMP level could be significantly lowered by the subsequent backwashing and aeration that effectively removed the cake along with the gel layer on the membrane surface. In this study, the optimum condition for the intermittent aeration was determined to be aeration for 20 sec and pause for 20 sec.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2011

The diffuser which is conventionally adapted to MBR, has problem that decreasing the cleaning effect of membrane module by inflexible air supply due to the occlusion of sludge from diffuser hole. To solve this problem, diffuser structure of submerged module should be improved to discharge sludge which is flow into the diffuser for prevent occlusion in the diffuser. In this study, the structure of the diffuser was reformed to open lower part for preclusion the blocking. And the outlet diameter of the diffuser was drawn through the condition for the depth of water and air rate, to prevent air-leak condition of improved diffuser. Moreover, application is evaluated by comparing test with occlusion effect of the conventional and improved diffuser. From the results, air-water boundary changes are steady with changes of water depth and it shows linear relation about air rate. By using this linear numerical formula, the height of diffuser's outlet can be decided. Also, it displays that it can prevent the occlusion effect during the comparing test. Hereafter, if this diffuser is applied to practical MBR process, the occlusion problem of diffuser will be disappeared.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.948-954
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• 2008

Membrane bioreactor(MBR) processes have been widely applied to wastewater treatment for last decades due to its excellent capability of solid-liquid separation. However, membrane fouling was considered as a limiting factor in wide application of the MBR process. Excess aeration into membrane surface is a common way to control membrane fouling in most MBR. However, the excessively supplied air is easily dissipated in the reactor, which results in consuming energy and thus, it should be modified for effective control of membrane fouling. In this study, cylindrical tube was introduced to MBR in order to use the supplied air effectively. Membrane fibers were immersed into the cylindrical tube. This makes the supplied air non-dissipated in the reactor so that membrane fouling could be controlled economically. Two different air supplying method was employed and compared each other; nozzle and porous diffuser which were located just beneath the membrane module. Transmembrane pressure(TMP) was monitored as a function of airflow rate, flux, and ratio of the tube area and cross-sectioned area of membrane fibers(A$_m$/A$_t$). Flow rate of air and liquid was regulated to obtain slug flow in the cylindrical tube. With the same flow of air supply, nozzle was more effective for controlling membrane fouling than porous diffuser. Accumulation of sludge was observed in the tube with the nozzle, if the air was not suppled sufficiently. Reduction of membrane fouling was dependent upon the ratio, A$_m$/A$_t$. For diffuser, membrane fouling was minimized when A$_m$/A$_t$ was 0.27, but 0.55 for nozzle.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.469-475
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• 2016

The study is the result of an practical operation analysis for the full scale fishery product wastewater treatment plant with immersed MBR (iMBR) process. Since fishery product industries show a wide range of wastewater generation by the season, design and operation of the equalization basin are very important factor. The aeration system for the equalization basin mixing can save the chemical consumption for followed system through the restriction of acid fermentation. The concentrations of wastewater primary DAF process treated were BOD 2,291 mg/L, $COD_{Mn}$ 530 mg/L, SS 256.8 mg/L, T-N 38 mg/L, T-P 13.5 mg/L respectively. It was considered that iMBR is the most efficient biological process for high salinity content wastewater since It is irrelevant to the capability of the sludge precipitation. SADp and SADm were 0.31, $26.5m^3/hr{\cdot}m^3$ respectively. In iMBR process, the critical F/M ratio was derived at 0.08~0.10 gBOD/gMLSS by analysing the correlations between MLSS, normalized TMP and temperature. The effluent concentrations were BOD 1.8 mg/L, $COD_{Mn}$ 12.4 mg/L, SS 1.0 mg/L, T-N 7.85 mg/L, T-P 0.1 mg/L and removal efficiencies were 99.9%, 97.6%, 96.3%, 95.7%, 97.8% respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.724-729
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• 2013

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) occurs concurrently in the same reactor under micro dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions. Anaerobic zone was applied for phosphorus release prior to an aerated membrane bio-reactor (MBR), and anoxic zone was installed by placing a baffle in the MBR for enhancing denitrification even in high DO concentration in the MBR. Phosphorus removal was tested by alum coagulation in the anaerobic reactor preceding to MBR. DO concentration were 2.0, 1.5, 1.0, 0.75 mg/L in the MBR at different operating stages for finding optimum DO concentration in MBR for nitrogen removal by SND. pH was maintained at 7.0~8.0 without addition of alkaline solution even with alum addition due to high alkalinity in the raw sewage. Both TCODcr and $NH_4^+$-N removal efficiency were over 90% at all DO concentration. TN removal efficiencies were 50, 51, 54, 66% at DO concentration of 2.0, 1.5, 1.0, 0.75 mg/L, respectively. At DO concentration of 0.75 mg/L with addition of alum, TN removal efficiency decreased to 54%. TP removal efficiency increased from 29% to 95% by adding alum to anaerobic reactor. The period of chemical backwashing of the membrane module increased from 15~20 days to 40~50 days after addition of alum.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.70-83
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• 2005

By supplying air intermittently in various mode, the effects of oxic/anoxic time ratio and air scrubbing in aeration condition on the membrane flux and permeability were investigated. When suction pump stops, vacuum pressure remains inside the suction pump. Therefore, the effect of remaining vacuum pressure in the suction pump on fouling of membrane was investigated. The effect of EPS (Extra cellular Polymeric Substance) which is generated due to the long SRT and high concentration of MLSS and the dose of coagulant on the membrane were also investigated. The suitable oxic/anoxic time ratio for the best removal efficiency of organic matter and nitrogenous matter was 40 minutes (Oxic) : 20 minutes (Anoxic). At this time ratio, alum was dosed into the aeration tank. The result of dosing alum was that the concentration of alum solution might affect nitrification and denitrification. To remove 1 mg/L of phosphorus in MBR process, it needs 0.75 mg/L of alum solution.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.645-652
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• 2016

A membrane module including grid was designed and introduced to MBR (membrane bio-reactor) for the purpose of better control of membrane fouling. It could be anticipated that the grid enhances the shear force of fluid-air mixture into the membrane surface by even-distributing the fluid-air to the membrane module. As MLSS concentration, packing density which is expressed in the ratio of the housing and the cross-sectional area of membrane fibers ($A_m/A_t$) and air-flow rate were changed, membrane foulings were checked by monitoring fouling resistances. The total fouling resistance ($R_c+R_f$) without grid installation (i.e., control) was $2.13{\times}10^{12}m^{-1}$, whereas it was reduced to $1.69{\times}10^{12}m^{-1}$ after the grid was installed. Regardless of the grid installation, the $R_c+R_f$ increased as the packing density increased from 0.09 to 0.28, however, the increment of resistance for the grid installation was less than that of the control. Increase in the air flow rate did not always guarantee the reduction of fouling resistance, indicating that the higher air flow rate can partially de-flocculate the activated sludge flocs, which led to severer membrane fouling. Consequently, installation of grids inside the housing have brought a beneficial effect on membrane fouling and optimum air flow rate is important to keep the membrane lowering fouling.