Pilot study on municipal wastewater treatment by a modified submerged membrane bioreactor

A pilot-scale modified submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) with the capacity of 18.1 m³d⁻¹ was developed on the basis of the principle of air-lift internal-loop reactor. Economical aeration intensity of the SMBR was determined as 96 m³m⁻²h⁻¹ according to hydrodynamic investigation. Corresponding economical air-flow rate was selected as the working air-flow rate in the long-term run. Under economical aeration intensity, the critical flux zone of the modified SMBR was as high as 30–35 Lm⁻²h⁻¹ when MLSS was less than 13 gL⁻¹. Therefore, a sub-critical flux of 30 Lm⁻²h⁻¹ was selected as the working membrane flux in the long-term run. Membrane fouling was effectively controlled by sub-critical flux operation and periodic on-line chemical cleaning in the long-term run. When the average influent COD_Cr, NH₃-N and turbidity were 310 and 44.3 mgL⁻¹ and 161 NTU, respectively, the average permeate were 38.5 and 19.5 mgL⁻¹ and 0.96 NTU under hydraulic retention time (HRT) was only 2.8 h. Corresponding removal was 86, 58.2 and 99.4%. DO deficiency caused by high MLSS was demonstrated as the main reason for low NH₃-N removal.