[Optimization of Energy Saving Measures with ABR-MBR Integrated Process]

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Water Treatment Technologies
• Bioreactor Systems

Background:

• Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) face challenges with high energy consumption and membrane fouling, limiting their widespread adoption.
• Efficient treatment of domestic sewage requires advanced systems to manage organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
• Optimizing bioreactor configurations is crucial for enhancing treatment efficiency and sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reduce energy consumption in membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems.
• To mitigate membrane fouling in MBR processes.
• To optimize the anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR)-MBR configuration for domestic sewage treatment, focusing on nitrogen and phosphorus removal.

Main Methods:

• Implementation and structural optimization of an integrated anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR)-membrane bioreactor (MBR) process.
• Evaluation of nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies under optimized conditions.
• Analysis of membrane fouling characteristics, including the impact of particulate media and changes in foulant composition.

Main Results:

• Optimized ABR-MBR structure reduced energy consumption by 43%.
• Achieved high average removal efficiencies: 91% for COD, 85% for NH4-N, 76% for TN, and 86% for TP.
• Particulate media addition effectively delayed membrane fouling and altered its composition, increasing carbohydrate content and decreasing protein content.

Conclusions:

• The optimized ABR-MBR process offers a significant reduction in energy consumption for domestic sewage treatment.
• The system demonstrates robust removal of key pollutants (COD, NH4-N, TN, TP) and enhanced resistance to membrane fouling.
• This integrated approach shows strong potential for practical, sustainable application of MBR technology.