Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F3/30—Aerobic and anaerobic processes
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F3/02—Aerobic processes
  • C02F3/12—Activated sludge processes
  • C02F3/1236—Particular type of activated sludge installations
  • C02F3/1268—Membrane bioreactor systems
  • C02F3/1273—Submerged membrane bioreactors
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D63/00—Apparatus in general for separation processes using semi-permeable membranes
  • B01D63/08—Flat membrane modules
  • B01D63/082—Flat membrane modules comprising a stack of flat membranes
  • B01D63/0821—Membrane plate arrangements for submerged operation
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F3/30—Aerobic and anaerobic processes
  • C02F3/302—Nitrification and denitrification treatment
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D2311/00—Details relating to membrane separation process operations and control
  • B01D2311/26—Further operations combined with membrane separation processes
  • B01D2311/2688—Biological processes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D2313/00—Details relating to membrane modules or apparatus
  • B01D2313/12—Specific discharge elements
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D2313/00—Details relating to membrane modules or apparatus
  • B01D2313/26—Specific gas distributors or gas intakes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D2315/00—Details relating to the membrane module operation
  • B01D2315/06—Submerged-type; Immersion type
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2209/00—Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
  • C02F2209/22—O2
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2303/00—Specific treatment goals
  • C02F2303/20—Prevention of biofouling
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2303/00—Specific treatment goals
  • C02F2303/24—Separation of coarse particles, e.g. by using sieves or screens
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F3/00—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F3/02—Aerobic processes
  • C02F3/12—Activated sludge processes
  • C02F3/20—Activated sludge processes using diffusers
  • C02F3/201—Perforated, resilient plastic diffusers, e.g. membranes, sheets, foils, tubes, hoses
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
  • Y02W10/00—Technologies for wastewater treatment
  • Y02W10/10—Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Definitions

• PROCESS PROCESS, APPARATUS AND MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT
• This disclosure relates to treatment of wastewaters containing organic matter and nitrogen by using a new category of membrane bioreactor.
• the disclosure relates to a high flux, non-fouling membrane module.
• the disclosure also relates to a process whereby sulfate reduction is used in an anaerobic zone to reduce excess sludge production.
• a Membrane Bioreactor depicted in FIG. 1, is a type of biological wastewater treatment process. It operates in the mode of activated sludge, i.e., using a suspended growth of biological floe, also known as sludge, composed of bacteria and protozoa processes to oxidize organic carbon in the wastewater. Nevertheless, instead of using a sedimentation process to separate the sludge from the mixed liquid, the MBR process makes use of microfiltration membranes with typical pore size of 0.1 ⁇ to 1 ⁇ to separate the sludge from the mixed liquid. The permeate flux across the membrane is limited to below 1 m per m of membrane per day.
• Hydraulic retention time (HRT), sometimes called “hydraulic residence time”, is the average time the water stays in the system, and can be defined by:
• the MBR process normally operates at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of over 6 hrs and has a soluble Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal efficiency similar to a conventional activated sludge process.
• HRT hydraulic retention time
• COD Chemical Oxygen Demand
• Oxic-Settling-Anaerobic is a wastewater treatment technique employing an anaerobic zone or tank, and is capable of efficiently reducing sludge production and improving the stability of process operation by adding an anaerobic sludge tank in the sludge return line.
• OSA Oxic-Settling-Anaerobic
• FIG. 2 An OSA process, depicted in FIG. 2, two biological reactors and a settling tank are needed, which requires a larger real estate footprint.
• the hydraulic retention time (HRT) for OSA process is usually in excess of 4 hours to reduce the production of excess sludge and remove organic matters.
• MEPT Membrane Enhanced Primary Treatment
• MBR membrane bioreactor
• a wastewater treatment process is used for treating organic matter and nitrogen contained in the wastewater in a short hydraulic retention time (HRT), minimizing excess sludge, and maintaining a "macrofiltration" membrane module in a high flux operation condition.
• An aeration zone having the membrane module is provided. Wastewater influent is received and treated with activated sludge in the aeration zone. An oxygen surplus is maintained by controlling a rate of oxygen supplied to the aeration zone.
• the wastewater influent is mixed with the activated sludge in the aeration zone to form a first mixed liquid.
• the first mixed liquid is processed in two portions. A first portion of the first mixed liquid is filtered through a membrane forming a permeate as the effluent. A second portion is transferred from the aeration zone to an anaerobic zone forming a second mixed liquid. An equal volume of the second mixed liquid is recycled back to the aerobic zone.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a typical membrane bioreactor.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a typical activated sludge-OSA process.
• FIG. 3 is a graph showing the operational trans-membrane pressure (TMP) data in a sub-critical / critical flux of membranes with pore sizes of 0.5 ⁇ , 5 ⁇ , 55 ⁇ and 100 ⁇ .
• TMP operational trans-membrane pressure
• FIGs. 4a - 4f are diagrams showing the biomass accumulated on the surface of the membranes with nominal pore sizes from 0.5 ⁇ to 220 ⁇ , viewed under a Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM).
• FIG. 4a depicts a sample with a 0.5 ⁇ pore size
• FIG. 4b depicts a sample with a 5 ⁇ pore size
• FIG. 4c depicts a sample with a 55 ⁇ pore size
• FIG. 4d depicts a sample with a 100 ⁇ pore size
• FIG. 4e depicts a sample with a 150 ⁇ pore size
• FIG. 4f depicts a sample with a 220 ⁇ pore size.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a complete MEPT-OSA reactor.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a side elevation of one embodiment of a membrane module.
• FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating construction details of a membrane module.
• FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a plan view of aeration zone (MEPT tank) and illustrates the distribution of aeration diffusers and inflow of influent and recirculation.
• FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a mechanism of reactions in aerobic and anaerobic zones, using sulfur as the electron carrier.
• the terms "aeration zone" and "tank with a continuous oxygen surplus” refer to a zone having a continuous oxygen surplus maintained, e.g., by controlling the rate of aeration such that the rate of oxygen supplied is equal to the rate of oxygen consumed by the microorganisms in the tank.
• the disclosed technology provides a process for treating wastewater containing organic matter, using a new type of membrane (module) for solids separation.
• the process comprises introducing wastewater influent into an oxygen- surplus aeration zone having activated sludge and one or more membrane modules.
• the influent is mixed with the activated sludge in the aeration zone to form a mixed liquid.
• Treated effluent is taken out of the reactor by means of a vacuum pump filtering through the membrane.
• microfiltration or ultrafiltration membranes with pore sizes of 0.1 ⁇ to 1 ⁇ or less are used.
• the membranes used in the presently disclosed technology have pore sizes of 5 ⁇ to 150 ⁇ , which may be referred to as a "macrofiltration membrane".
• these large pore size membranes can allow individual bacteria to pass through, they are effective to stop large biological floe from passing through the membrane. Therefore the activated sludge can be retained in the aeration tank.
• TMP trans-membrane pressure
• coarse bubble diffusers are mainly used to flush the membrane modules to avoid membrane fouling, while the fine bubble diffusers are mainly used to provide dissolved oxygen.
• an anaerobic zone can be added to the process. This is implemented by transferring a portion of the mixed liquid from the aeration zone to an oxygen-free anaerobic zone.
• the process includes recycling the mixed liquid in the anaerobic zone back to the aeration zone.
• the membrane module provided in the aeration zone continues to be used for the separation of solids from the mixed liquid so as to form the treated effluent.
• the process can also make use of sulfur compounds for minimizing sludge production.
• Sulfur compounds including sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, sulfide or elemental sulfur can be added to the system.
• Possible sulfur sources can be sulfate from seawater, saline sewage through seawater toilet flushing, or industrial wastewater such as acid mine drainage or effluent from desulfurization units of fossil fuel power stations.
• the sulfur compounds will be oxidized to sulfate.
• Part of the sulfate will enter the anaerobic zone and act as the electron acceptor for oxidation of the organic carbon, forming carbon dioxide and sulfide.
• the sulfide will then be recycled back to the aeration tank for conversion to sulfate.
• Part of the sulfate will leave the system with the permeate through the membrane.
• High dissolved oxygen level in the mixed liquid transferred to anaerobic zone may affect the performance of the anaerobic zone.
• the dissolved oxygen in aeration tank should be kept at a low level of about 2 mg/L.
• the membrane module used in this process is produced by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).
• the membranes were housed on a HKUST designed honeycomb module, in which the membrane is held between two thin corrosion-resistant honeycomb plates.
• the corrosion-resistant honeycomb plates support the membrane and keep the membrane in a flat shape, which enables a high efficiency of the membrane module and increases the efficiency of backwash.
• the plates and membrane are installed and fixed on the membrane frame by fasteners such as screws, nuts, and gaskets to enable a close fit for the membrane.
• This equipment forms an integrated HKUST membrane module which is installed into the aeration zone.
• membranes having pore sizes between 0.5 ⁇ and 220 ⁇ have been tested for determination of the critical flux as well as observing the biomass accumulation on the membrane surface under a microscope.
• FIG. 3 is a graph showing the operational trans-membrane pressure (TMP) data in a sub-critical and critical flux of membranes.
• TMP trans-membrane pressure
• critical flux will increase when the pore size increases, with pore size higher than 5 ⁇ being acceptable, and with pore size higher than 55 ⁇ optimal; with critical flux up to around 16 m 3 /m 2 d. These are considered nominal pore sizes because the size of individual pores varies significantly. The nominal pore sizes are rough averages of the pore size as produced by the manufacturer.
• FIGs. 4a - 4f are diagrams showing the biomass accumulated on the surface of the membranes with pore sizes from 0.5 ⁇ to 220 ⁇ , viewed under a Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope.
• FIGs. 4a - 4f show the biomass accumulated the membrane observed under the microscope.
• FIG. 4a depicts a sample with a 0.5 ⁇ pore size
• FIG. 4b depicts a sample with a 5 ⁇ pore size
• FIG. 4c depicts a sample with a 55 ⁇ pore size
• FIG. 4d depicts a sample with a 100 ⁇ pore size
• FIG. 4e depicts a sample with a 150 ⁇ pore size
• the nominal pore size can be in the range of 5 ⁇ to 150 ⁇ or 10 ⁇ to 100 ⁇ .
• a single membrane can have pores of different sizes which include pores within the stated range, or can have pores within a narrow range of pore sizes in the previously-mentioned ranges.
• FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an improved wastewater treatment system. Depicted are influent supply conduit 501, aeration zone or tank (MEPT tank) 502, membrane module 503 with membrane module outlet pipe 507, aeration to anaerobic connection pipe 509, and Oxic-Settling-Anaerobic (OSA) tank 515. OSA tank 515 establishes an anaerobic zone.
• MEPT tank aeration zone or tank
• OSA Oxic-Settling-Anaerobic
• the configuration employs a complete mixing system for treating organic matter and nitrogen-containing wastewater. Wastewater, before entering the system, should first pass through grit removal and screening of 3 mm, but there is no need for suspended solids removal. The wastewater is then fed through a conduit 501 into MEPT tank 502 with a continuous oxygen surplus.
• the oxygen surplus in the aeration zone is such that the rate of oxygen supply is equal to the rate of oxygen consumption by the microorganisms in the tank. This results in dissolved oxygen concentration at about 2 mg/L throughout the tank.
• Aerator devices or a combination of aerator devices and mechanical mixers typically provide oxygen and keep the mixed liquid solids in suspension.
• oxygen supplemented by the aerators or mixers in the aeration tank heterotrophic organisms oxidize organic carbon to carbon dioxide and autotrophic organisms oxidize ammonia to nitrate, as well as the hydrogen sulfide, contained in the mixed liquid which recycled from OS A tank 515, to sulfate.
• the hydraulic retention time in MEPT tank 502 is typically, but not limited to, 1.5 to 2 hours.
• the mixed liquid suspended solids in MEPT tank 502 is about, but not limited to,
• FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a side elevation of one embodiment of a membrane module 503. Depicted are module 503, with outlet 507 and corrosion- resistant honeycomb plates 605 (one shown). Honeycomb plates 605 have
• honeycombed openings 606 with hole size of 10 mm.
• the hole size for openings 606 is selected according to the requirements of structural integrity of the honeycomb plate 605 and for supporting the membrane (717, Fig. 7) within the module 503.
• One or more membrane modules 503 are installed in MEPT tank 502 where permeate passes through the membrane filters within the modules 503 as effluent while the biological solids are separated by membrane filters and left behind in the MEPT tank 502.
• Membrane modules 503 need a significant amount of air bubbles not only for supplying oxygen to the microorganisms but also for membrane scouring in order to avoid membrane fouling.
• OS A tank 515 Part of the mixed liquid from MEPT tank 502 then flows to OS A tank 515 through a connection pipe 509.
• OS A tank 515 nitrate and sulfate contained in the mixed liquid from MEPT tank 502 acts as electron acceptors and reduce to nitrogen gas and sulfide by oxidizing organic carbon to carbon dioxide. Part of the nitrate may also act as electron acceptor to oxidize sulfide through autotrophic denitrification.
• the same amount of mixed liquid in OS A tank 515 is then recycled back to MEPT tank 502.
• the hydraulic retention time in OSA tank 515 is typically, but not limited to, 1.5 to 2 hours.
• the mixed liquid suspended solids concentration in OSA tank 515 is about, but not limited to, 3000 mg/L.
• MEPT Membrane Enhanced Primary Treatment
• Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) systems combine biological treatment, involving bacteria (referred to as activated sludge), with membrane separation to treat wastewater.
• Wastewater after passing through grit removal, screening and primary sedimentation, enters an aeration tank filled with activated sludge and fitted with air diffusers for providing oxygen and scouring of the membranes.
• Treated effluent is separated from the sludge by passing through the membrane in the form of permeate.
• MBR typically employ flat sheet or hollow fiber membrane modules submerged in the aeration tank.
• MEPT tank 502 of the wastewater treatment system resembles a MBR without primary sedimentation.
• the membrane used in the MEPT has a nominal pore size of 55 ⁇ , called as macrofiltration membranes.
• Wastewater, after passing through screening enters the aeration tank through feeding pumps and pipes.
• the effluent is taken out of the reactor by applying a vacuum to the membrane modules to withdraw the permeate through the membranes.
• Course gas bubbles are supplied such that, in use, the coarse bubbles move past the membrane surface are entrained or mixed with a liquid flow and scoured against the membrane surface.
• the course gas bubbles function to dislodge fouling materials from the membrane surface.
• a further source of aeration can be provided within the tank to assist microorganism activity.
• This kind of source is provided by fine bubbles.
• the combined use of aeration for both degrading of organic substances and membrane cleaning, together with the specific macrofiltration membranes, has been shown to enable constant filtrate flow with significant increase in TMP under a very high flux up to 16 m /m d.
• the membrane module is therefore used to establish a flux across the membrane of between 2 and 16 m /m d.
• the MEPT process can be used to provide an effective treatment of domestic or industrial wastewater and to provide effluent resembling secondary treatment plus nitrification.
• This type of submerged membrane process uses membrane modules immersed in an aeration tank. The submerged membrane allows the MEPT process to combine primary treatment, biological treatment and physical separation of sludge in one stage, so that the membrane bioreactor is compact, efficient, economical, and versatile.
• Membrane modules 503 used in this system are produced in HKUST.
• the type of the membrane module is flat sheet with the length-to- width-to-thickness 7:4.3:0.25.
• Corrosion resistant honeycomb plates 605 are fixed onto the membrane module 503 surfaces symmetrically with holes 606 of 10 mm diameter and spacing of 20 mm between centers.
• Outlet 507 for effluent from membrane module 503 is installed on the top of membrane module 503.
• FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating construction of a membrane module 503.
• the membrane 717 used is a non-woven fabric flat sheet membrane with nominal pore size ranged from 5 ⁇ to 150 ⁇ , with optimum pore size of 55 ⁇ . All the pore size in this range could be used in this MEPT process.
• the thin corrosion-resistant honeycomb plates 605a, 605b are used to hold membrane 717 so that the membrane shape does not change during operation, and thereby maintains membrane module 503 at a high level of stability."
• permeate flux is more than 10 times larger than traditional membrane bioreactor and backwash flux is even larger than permeate flux. Therefore, membrane 717 must be held in a fixed position tightly by the honeycomb plates 605a, 605b in membrane module 503 in order to avoid changes in shape of membrane 717.
• the thin corrosion-resistant honeycomb plates 605a, 605b used in this system are 1 mm thick which could provide the efficiency of air bubble flushing and control bio-cake growth on the membrane surface.
• the bolts and nuts 731, 732 are installed through the whole membrane module 503 from the front side to the reverse side (or vice-versa). The distance between each bolt is 50 mm which results in membrane 717 being closely fitted within membrane module 503.
• the membrane bioreactor system utilizes an effective and efficient membrane cleaning method.
• Commonly used physical cleaning methods include backwash using effluent and scouring using coarse bubbles in the mixed liquid. In the example shown below, chemical or off-tank cleaning is not needed.
• the backwash using 1% effluent is conducted twice a day, and trans-membrane pressure (TMP) is typically below 0.09 bars after a 1 min. backwash.
• FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a plan view schematic of aeration zone (MEPT tank 502) and illustrates the distribution of aeration diffusers and inflow of influent and recirculation, and illustrates the distribution of aeration diffusers and inflow of influent and recirculation.
• MEPT tank 502 membrane module 503, aeration holes 808, air diffusers 809, holes 813 for influent, holes 815 for recycled mixed liquid, and valves 821-825.
• Aeration holes 808 having a diameter 5 mm for producing coarse bubbles are designed on the bottom of MEPT tank 502 and positioned on both sides of membrane module 503 where scouring membrane module 503 can be quite effectively performed.
• Air diffusers 809 are installed evenly in MEPT tank 502 to provide dissolved oxygen symmetrically in the tank. Influent and recycled mixed liquid from OSA tank 515 flow into MEPT tank 502 from the bottom of the tank in order to guarantee a desired hydraulic retention time (HRT). Holes 813 having a diameter 8 mm are used for influent while holes 815 having a diameter 10 mm are used for recycled mixed liquid. Valves 821-825 installed externally to MEPT tank 502 are controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC) panel.
• PLC programmable logic controller
• the anaerobic tank (OSA tank) 115 of the wastewater treatment system is a sludge minimizing reactor.
• the heterotrophic oxidation reaction using oxygen or nitrate has a sludge yield coefficient 0.4 g VSS/g COD, which is much higher than the yield coefficient 0.1 g VSS/g COD for anaerobic methanogenic reactions
• diversion of the mixed liquid or sludge from the aeration tank to the anaerobic tank to facilitate anaerobic methanogenic reactions can reduce the overall sludge production.
• the reaction rate of methanogenic reaction is much slower than heterotrophic oxidation, such reaction requires a very long HRT and SRT to remove enable sludge minimization efficiently.
• the OSA process can be added to the MBR process without applying secondary sedimentation.
• Hong Kong sewage contains 500 mgS0 4 2 7L sulfate or 167 mgS/L and 400 mg/L COD, indicating a sufficient sulfate reduction potential.
• As sulfate reduction reaction also has a low sludge yield 0.2 g VSS/g reduced sulfate, it provides an opportunity for sludge minimization using the sulfur cycle.
• As sulfate- reducing bacteria (SRB) have a higher specific growth rate and lower Monod's saturation coefficient than that of methane producing bacteria, they can out-compete methane producing bacteria for degradation of organic substrates, making them suitable for OSA applications.
• SRB sulfate- reducing bacteria
• autotrophic denitrification by sulfide also have a very low sludge yield, the sludge minimization rate with sulfate will not be affected by the nitrate level.
• Reduction of sulfate to sulfide is a change from a strong acid to a weak acid, which would result in the increase in pH.
• sulfide generated from sulfate reduction tends to dissolve in water as pH increases, thereby generating adequate amounts of dissolved sulfide, enable it to be re-circulated to the aeration tank where it would be oxidized by oxygen to sulfate through autotrophic sulfide oxidation.
• this process also has a low sludge yield factor, the sludge production rate of the system would be minimized by this sulfate-sulfide- sulfate cycle.
• FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a mechanism of reactions in the aerobic zone (MEPT tank 502) and anaerobic zone (OSA tank 515) involving sulfur. Depicted are representations of a carbon cycle, described as “heterotrophic sulfur reduction” 913, a sulfur cycle described as “autotrophic denitrification” 914, a nitrogen cycle described as “autotrophic nitrification” 915, and another sulfur cycle described as “autotrophic sulfide oxidation” 916. The process results in reactions involving the three elements, carbon, nitrogen and sulfur.
• organic carbon provides electrons to achieve sulfate reduction and is oxidized to carbon dioxide, while sulfate is reduced to sulfide by sulfate reducing bacteria through heterotrophic sulfate reduction 913.
• Nitrate is reduced to nitrogen gas through two competitive reactions, namely autotrophic denitrification 914 oxidizing sulfide to sulfate, or heterotrophic denitrification oxidizing organic carbon to carbon dioxide.
• the mixed liquid recycled to MEPT tank 502 contains dissolved sulfide which will be oxidize to sulfate again by oxygen through autotrophic sulfide oxidation 916 in MEPT tank 502. Part of the organic carbon will also be oxidized by oxygen to carbon dioxide in MEPT tank 502.
• This process significantly reduces excess sludge production because the three major microbial populations in the process ⁇ sulfate reduction bacteria, autotrophic denitrifiers and autotrophic nitrifiers ⁇ all have low growth yields.
• Growth yields are a function of the bacterial growth rate. The lower growth yield is, the less bacterial mass will produce per unit substrate (e.g. carbon) consumed. Low growth yield is therefore beneficial for the biological sewage treatment process in minimizing sludge production.
• the membrane used is a non-woven fabric membrane with nominal pore size of 55 ⁇ .
• the size of membrane modules is 0.7 m x 0.43 m x 0.025 m with a porosity of 0.42.
• the size of the aeration tank is 0.38 m x 0.54 m x 0.97 m and the size of anaerobic tank is 0.4 m x 0.4 m x 1.25 m.
• the total volume of the system is 400 L, with each of the reactor roughly equals to 200 L.
• the total HRT is 3.5 hrs while SRT is 36 days.
• the influent entered the aeration tank. Part of the mixed liquid of the aeration tank then entered the anaerobic tank with a recirculation rate equal to the influent inflow rate.
• the air-to-water ratio in aeration tank was around 20-25 (m 3 /m 3 ) while mixed liquid in the anaerobic tank was mixed with a mechanical mixer operating at 40-60 rpm/min.
• the average MLSS in both the aeration tank and anaerobic tank are 3000 - 3500 mg/L.
• the permeate flux of this example was maintained at 10.8 to 11 m /m day.
• Membrane backwash was conducted every

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