The influence of membrane properties on fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors

摘要

Membrane fouling hampers full-scale applications of membrane bioreactors (MBR) despite several advantages above conventional systems. Membrane fouling is influenced by operational conditions, feed properties, and membrane properties. The main objective of this study was to elucidate the influence of various membrane characteristics on membrane fouling in an MBR. Firstly, the authors will present an improved flux-step method. This method not only reveals the total fouling rate (Ftotal) and the critical flux (Jc), but also the irreversible fouling rate (Firr) and the critical flux for irreversibility (Jci) in a single experiment for fluxes up to 100 L.m-2.h-1. The method is tested in a lab scale MBR using an activated sludge from an MBR pilot fed with real wastewater.