Optimizing Energy Consumption of MBR Systems

Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs) are widely accepted today for the treatment of industrial and municipal wastewater. Benefits of MBR technology over alternative technologies include superior water quality and reduced footprint. The energy consumption of MBRs however, is greater than the energy consumption of a conventional activated sludge (CAS) plant. Energy optimization is a challenge when implementing membranes with a widely varying flow pattern and significant changes in the annual water temperature. Both peak flow events and water temperature play a critical role in determining the required membrane area. This paper focuses on MBR plants using a single header membrane module with central air scour aeration to show how the module design allows a reduction in energy consumption. In addition to the membrane module design, this paper will also identify areas concerning the overall plant design and unique operating concepts that maximize membrane performance while minimizing energy consumption. This paper uses one example of a membrane module to describe how energy onsumption of a plant can be minimized. The example module is a single header submerged hollow fiber UF module, designated the PURON? module. Features of both module construction as well as overall plant design and operation will reduce the average energy demand of optimized plants to the range of 0.6 kWh/m? or lower. Continued membrane product development, focused on optimizing energy consumption, will further develop the membrane market for municipal wastewater treatment, providing high quality water at a low cost.

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