A new membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) for wastewater treatment

A new hybrid Membrane-Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) can be a critical component of an energy-neutral wastewater treatment flowsheet. The MABR process offers the benefits of biofilm reactors while efficiently transferring oxygen with low energy input. The oxygen transfer capabilities of the new MABR product were determined using clean water re-aeration tests. These demonstrated that the capability to deliver oxygen can be adjusted in the cord design by changing the number of hollow fibers oriented around the circumference of a yarn reinforcement. Results for two continuous pilot studies were evaluated. The first, using a synthetic ammonia feed solution, was run in flow-through mode to represent a tertiary nitrification application (with a C/N ratio of approximately 0.5). The second, using primary effluent, was run in a hybrid mode to represent an application where the membranes are immersed in a suspended biomass (with a C/N ratio of approximately 7.3). In both cases, the membranes transferred oxygen to the bulk during the period when the biofilm was being established.

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