Hydrodynamics in a Membrane Reactor

Abstract

Over the past decades, membrane bioreactors have become an attractive option for wastewater treatment and reclamation as they possesses numerous advantages such as smaller footprint and higher effluent quality over the conventional activated sludge treatment. However, the competitiveness of this technology is threatened by membrane fouling as it results in higher capital and operational cost incurred from membrane replacement and energy consumption.Currently, enhancement of hydrodynamic conditions is one of the effective approaches to mitigate fouling in MBRs. Air sparging is commonly employed to achieve favourable hydrodynamic conditions near membrane surface to prevent particle deposition on the membranes, thereby reducing the degree of membrane fouling.