MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR

(MBR) BY
U.Sowndhiga
2018017038
 What it is ..

1. Combination of a membrane process like microfiltration or ultrafiltration with a

biological wastewater treatment process, the activated sludge process.
2. It is now widely used in industrial, municipal waste water treatment.
3. Based on Biological Treatment Process.
MBR Technology:

1. Biological Treatment - followed by memberane separation system comprising

of an intense activated sludge process.

2. Membrane replaces the Settlemental stage in conventional activated sludge

system.

3. Separation of biomass from the treated water using membranes.

4. It allows very high MLSS

 How It Works..

1. Membrane fibers have Millions of Microscopic pores on the surface .

2. Those pores form a barrier to impurities and allow the purified water to pass.

3. Water is drawn through the pores by gentle suction.

 Process configurations:

INTERNAL /SUBMERGED / IMMERSED :

• The filtration element is installed in either the main bioreactor vessel or in a separate tank.

• The membranes can be a flat sheet or tubular or a combination of both and can incorporate an
online backwash system which reduces membrane surface fouling by pumping membrane
permeate back through the membrane.

• In systems where the membranes are in a separate tank to the bioreactor, individual trains of
membranes can be isolated to undertake cleaning regimes incorporating membrane soaks,
however, the biomass must be continuously pumped back to the main reactor to limit MLSS
concentration increase.
• In order to optimize the reactor volume and minimize the production of sludge, submerged MBR
systems typically operates with MLSS concentrations comprised between 12000 mg/L and 20000 mg/L,
hence they offer good flexibility in the selection of the design Sludge retention time.

• This type of solution is widely accepted in larger-scale unit, where the internal/submerged configuration
is typically used, because of the higher relative cost of the membrane, compared to the additional
volume required into the tank.

• Immersed MBR has been the preferred configuration due to its low energy consumption level, high
biodegradation efficiency, and low fouling rate compared to side stream membrane bioreactors.
External/sidestream :

• In sMBR technology where the filtration modules are outside the aerobic tank, that’s why is
named side-stream configuration. 

• The biomass is either pumped directly through a number of membrane modules in series and
back to the bioreactor, or the biomass is pumped to a bank of modules, from which a second
pump circulates the biomass through the modules in series.

• Cleaning and soaking of the membranes can be undertaken in place with the use of an installed
cleaning tank, pump, and pipework. 
• small-scale higher strength applications.

• the external/sidestream configuration shows is the possibility to design and size the tank and the
membrane separately, with practical advantages for the operation and the maintenance of the unit.

• external/sidestream configuration provides this shear using a pumping system.

• since there is an energy requirement to promote the shear, this configuration shows this additional cost.
Fouling and fouling control :

1. Membrane fouling results from the interaction between the membrane material and the components
of the activated sludge liquor, which include biological flocs formed by a large range of living or
dead microorganisms along with soluble and colloidal compounds.

2. The suspended biomass has no fixed composition and varies with feed water composition and MBR
operating conditions.

3. Thus though many investigations of membrane fouling have been published, the diverse range of
operating conditions and feedwater matrices employed, the different analytical methods used, and
the limited information reported in most studies on the suspended biomass composition, has made it
difficult to establish any generic behaviour pertaining to membrane fouling in MBRs specifically.
 Biological performances/kinetics

COD removal and sludge yield : The pollutants uptake rate can be increased. This leads to better
degradation in a given time span or to smaller required reactor volumes.

Nutrient removal : Some characteristics of MBR technology render EBPR in combination with post-
denitrification an attractive alternative that achieves very low nutrient effluent concentrations. [

Mixing and hydrodynamics :  It has a substantial effect on the energy usage and size requirements
of an MBR, therefore the whole life cost of an MBR is high.
 Reuse potential :

• This system provide the good quality of effluent that is completely acceptable for reuse.

• After the softening treatment ,the reclaimed water can be used as a cooling water supply or processing
water.

• Therefore lots of urban wastewater can be effectively harnessed and moreover ,large quantities of water
can be saved.

• As a result , the water industry would move towards a more sustainable future.
Advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages Disadvantages
1. High effluent quality 1. Stress on sludge in external MBR.

2. High rate of degradation. 2. Membrane pollution.

3. High volumetric load possible. 3. higher capital and operating costs .

4. Discharge is possible in vulnerable areas; 4. There is a limit to the size of Hard Drives
in MBR partition structure. 
 Current status:

1. The current MBR market has been estimated to value around .

2. About 200 MBRs are currently in operation for various waste water - 90% - municipal treatment.

3. In India now MBR system Are now being used for domestic waste water treatment .

4. Treated effluent Isof much better quality - for gardening , flushing etc.
Conclusion:

1. Almost all commercial MBR processes available today use the membrane as a
filter, rejecting the solid materials which are developed by the biological process,
resulting in a clarified and disinfected product effluent.

2. Product removes 95% to 99% of BOD, COD, Microorganism, and nutrients from effluent

3. Life-time > 10 years.

4. The membrane bioreactors market in EMEA has witnessed stable growth. 

Reference:

1. THE MBR BOOK –by Simon Judd

2. www.ncib.gov.com

3. www.sswm.com
THANK YOU