2.

Membrane Bioreactor
(MBR)

1
 Membrane Bioreactor (MBR)

A combination of biological WWT (e.g. activated

sludge) and membrane filtration as a measure
for solid-liquid separation.

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 Image of Membrane Filtration on MBR

Air bubbles Filtrate

For washing

Stream of
bubble and
activated
sludge

Activated
sludge Membrane
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 Membrane and Removable Materials
MBR Sand
Membrane 0.1~0.4m filtration
Microfiltration (MF)

Ultrafiltration (UF)

Nanofirtration (NF)

Reverse Osmosis (RO)

Pore size 0 -4 0 -3 0 -2 0 -1 0 m

Ion Organic matters Allegra

Humic acid

Odor materials Virus Bacteria

Anion surfactant
Protozoa
Removable materials
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 Membrane Type used for MBR
Flat sheet Hollow Fiber Ceramic

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 Advantages of MBR over Conventional Activated
Sludge Process
- Complete rejection of suspended solids.
- Higher mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) (>8 g/L).
- Smaller footprint (< 6hr for biological nutrient removal).
- Smaller sludge production.
- Simple monitoring parameters (e.g. transmembrane
pressure (TMP) ).

Fine screen Membrane

Conventional activated sludge process MBR process

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 Various Evaluation of MBR technology
MBR is a core technology for simultaneous dissolving
current issues on sewage works in Japan and other
countries due to its excellent characteristics

Excellent and Small-scale

plants
stable effluent Disaster Large-scale
quality recovery plants
Bacteria free
effluent Risk Advanced
reduction treatment
Nitrogen and
phosphorus
removal Overseas
Retrofitting
Small footprint deployment
Reclamation
Easy operation of effluent

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 Developments of MBR in Japan Sewage Works
Agency
98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 13 14

Pilot-scale studies
1st phase 2nd phase 3rd phase 4th phase

Basic Reduction of Large-scale Application to combined

system and/or more
factors operation costs application energy-saving

Technology evaluation of MBR

1st 2nd
2003.11
Stared operation of the largest MBR
JS Design guideline of MBR (Sanbou WWTP, 60,000m3/d)
2003.4 2005.4 2011.3
1st edition Revised edition

Stared operation of the first MBR 18

(Fukuzaki WWTP, 2,100m /d) 3 15
2005.3 9 10 11
6
1 3
Number of MBR in operation at the end of fiscal year
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 Example of MBR Facilities in Japan
Fukuzaki
Fukuzaki WWTP
WWTP Sanbo
Sanbo WWTP
WWTP
-Present 3 3
-Presenttreatment
treatmentcapacity
capacity4,200m
4,200m3/d/d -Treatment
-Treatmentcapacity60,000m
capacity60,000m3/d/d
entire capacity 12,500m 3/d
entire capacity 12,500m3/d -The
-Thelargest
largestMBR
MBRininJapan
Japan
-The
-Thefirst
firstMBR
MBRinstallation
installationfor
forJapanese
Japanese -First
-Firstapplication
applicationtotoretrofitting
retrofittingofofexisting
existing
sewage
sewageplant
plant facilityand
facility andcombined
combinedsewer
sewersystem
systeminin
Japan
Japan

Aeration tank

Primary Settling tank

Fine Screen

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 Development of large-scale MBR on the 3rd
phase pilot-scale studies
A variety of system configuration was developed to fit to
restrictions of existing facilities and requirements of
upgrade.
Biological A
Membrane MBR
treatment Others
type system process

Submerged Combined with RO

A Hollow fiber A2O
Separate for reclamation
B

B Ceramic External A2O

Submerged Gravity filtration

C Flat sheet UCT Large-size C D
Integrated membrane

Submerged Gravity filtration

D Flat sheet UCT NH4-N control
Separate Combined with RO
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 Process Flow of UCT-MBR Process
Vertical axis mixer Syphon filtration system
Chemical dilution tank M Chemical tank
Raw water or
Primary effluent Auxiliary aeration Membrane air Chemical
blower scour blower

Anaerobic Anoxic tank Syphon

Tank mixer mixer filtration
PI F
Denitrified liquor Nitrified liquor Permeate
Airlift pump Airlift pump Excess
M M
Membrane F sludge
unit

diffuser

Anaerobic tank Anoxic tank Excess sludge Aerobic tank

HRT=1hr HRT=2hr pump HRT=3.2hr

MLSS recirculation with airlift pump Large-size membrane unit

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 Treatment Efficiency in UCT-MBR Process

Influent BODmg/L
200 Influent 16
Design influent 120mg/L
175 influen 14

Permeate BOD
permeate
150 teffluent 12

mg/L
Biological Oxygen 125 10
100 8
Demand (BOD) 75 Design effluent 3mg/L
6
50 4
25 2
0 0
6/1 7/1 8/1 9/1 10/1 11/1 12/1 1/1 2/1 3/3 4/3
40
Design influent 31.5mg/L
T-Nmg/L

30
Influent
Total Nitrogen (T-N) 20 Permeate
Design effluent 7mg/L
10

0
6/1 7/1 8/1 9/1 10/1 11/1 12/1 1/1 2/1 3/3 4/3
6
5 Design influent 4.25mg/L Influent
T-Pmg/L

4 Permeate

Total Phosphorus (T-P) 3

2 Design effluent 0.66mg/L
1
0
6/1 7/1 8/1 9/1 10/1 11/1 12/1 1/1 2/1 3/3 4/3

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 Energy Saving Efficiency in UCT-MBR Process

Membrane cleaning
Auxiliary aeration
Permeate pump
MLSS recirculation
Tank mixing

Conven- 0.91kWh/m3
MBR
tional MBR

47% reduction
large-size membrane unit
UCT-MBR 0.48kWh/m3
MBR siphon filtration
airlift pump
vertical axis mixer
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Trial calculation of
kWh/m3
energy consumption

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