Harvesting Energy from Wastewater Using an Innovative Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor
Low cost-sensors as a real alternative to on-line nitrogen analysers in continuous systems.
This paper is focused on the evaluation of the applicability of low-cost sensors (pH and ORP) versus nutrient analysers for controlling biological nitrogen removal in WWTPs. A nutrient removal pilot plant located in Carraixet WWTP (Valencia, Spain) that is equipped with a significant number of nutrient analysers and low-cost sensors was used. The relations between reliable, cheap on-line sensors such as pH and ORP (located in anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic zones) and the nitrification/denitrification processes are provided. The nitrification process can be evaluated by measuring the pH difference between the first and last aerobic zones. The denitrification process can be evaluated by measur…
Position paper - progress towards standards in integrated (aerobic) MBR modelling.
Membrane bioreactor (MBR) models are useful tools for both design and management. The system complexity is high due to the involved number of processes which can be clustered in biological and physical ones. Literature studies are present and need to be harmonized in order to gain insights from the different studies and allow system optimization by applying a control. This position paper aims at defining the current state of the art of the main integrated MBR models reported in the literature. On the basis of a modelling review, a standardized terminology is proposed to facilitate the further development and comparison of integrated membrane fouling models for aerobic MBRs. ispartof: WATER …
Effect of ambient temperature variations on an indigenous microalgae-nitrifying bacteria culture dominated by Chlorella
[EN] Two outdoor photobioreactors were operated to evaluate the effect of variable ambient temperature on an indigenous microalgae-nitrifying bacteria culture dominated by Chlorella. Four experiments were carried out in different seasons, maintaining the temperature-controlled PBR at around 25¿°C (by either heating or cooling), while the temperature in the non-temperature-controlled PBR was allowed to vary with the ambient conditions. Temperatures in the range of 15¿30¿°C had no significant effect on the microalgae cultivation performance. However, when the temperature rose to 30¿35¿°C microalgae viability was significantly reduced. Sudden temperature rises triggered AOB growth in the indig…
Optimising an outdoor membrane photobioreactor for tertiary sewage treatment
[EN] The operation of an outdoor membrane photobioreactor plant which treated the effluent of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor was optimised. Biomass retention times of 4.5, 6, and 9 days were tested. At a biomass retention time of 4.5 days, maximum nitrogen recovery rate:light irradiance ratios, photosynthetic efficiencies and carbon biofixations of 51.7¿±¿14.3¿mg¿N·mol¿1, 4.4¿±¿1.6% and 0.50¿±¿0.05¿kg CO2·m3influent, respectively, were attained. Minimum membrane fouling rates were achieved when operating at the shortest biomass retention time because of the lower solid concentration and the negligible amount of cyanobacteria and protozoa. Hydraulic retention times of 3.5, 2, and 1.5 days …
Factores relacionados con el riesgo de trombosis en pacientes con lupus y positividad para anticuerpos antifosfolipídicos
Fundamento y objetivo Los anticuerpos antifosfolipidicos (AAF) aparecen con frecuencia asociados al lupus eritematoso sistemico (LES), con lo que aumenta el riesgo de trombosis. El objetivo del presente trabajo ha sido analizar el perfil temporal y los factores de riesgo de accidentes tromboticos en pacientes con LES. Pacientes y metodo Se ha realizado un estudio retrospectivo en 102 pacientes con LES controlados en nuestra unidad –edad media de 37,5 anos (extremos, 8-85); 90 mujeres–, con una mediana de seguimiento de 72 meses (extremos, 9-324). Del total de la muestra, 41 (40,2%) presentaban AAF positivos. La probabilidad de presentar un accidente trombotico durante el seguimiento se calc…
Resource recovery from sulphate-rich sewage through an innovative anaerobic-based water resource recovery facility (WRRF)
[EN] This research work proposes an innovative water resource recovery facility (WRRF) for the recovery of energy, nutrients and reclaimed water from sewage, which represents a promising approach towards enhanced circular economy scenarios. To this aim, anaerobic technology, microalgae cultivation, and membrane technology were combined in a dedicated platform. The proposed platform produces a high-quality solid- and coliform-free effluent that can be directly discharged to receiving water bodies identified as sensitive areas. Specifically, the content of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus in the effluent was 45 mg COD.L-1 , 14.9 mg N.L-1 and 0.5 mg P.L-1 , respectively. Harvested solar…
New frontiers from removal to recycling of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater in the Circular Economy
[EN] Nutrient recovery technologies are rapidly expanding due to the need for the appropriate recycling of key elements from waste resources in order to move towards a truly sustainable modern society based on the Circular Economy. Nutrient recycling is a promising strategy for reducing the depletion of non-renewable resources and the environmental impact linked to their extraction and manufacture. However, nutrient recovery technologies are not yet fully mature, as further research is needed to optimize process efficiency and enhance their commercial applicability. This paper reviews state-of-the-art of nutrient recovery, focusing on frontier technological advances and economic and environ…
Experimental study of the anaerobic urban wastewater treatment in a submerged hollow-fibre membrane bioreactor at pilot scale
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of several operational variables on both biological and separation process performance in a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor pilot plant that treats urban wastewater. The pilot plant is equipped with two industrial hollow-fibre ultrafiltration membrane modules (PURON¿ Koch Membrane Systems, 30m 2 of filtration surface each). It was operated under mesophilic conditions (at 33°C), 70days of SRT, and variable HRT ranging from 20 to 6h. The effects of the influent COD/SO 4-S ratio (ranging from 2 to 12) and the MLTS concentration (ranging from 6 to 22gL -1) were also analysed. The main performance results were about 87% of COD removal, efflu…
Outdoor flat-panel membrane photobioreactor to treat the effluent of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor. Influence of operating, design, and environmental conditions
[EN] As microalgae have the ability to simultaneously remove nutrients from wastewater streams while producing valuable biomass, microalgae-based wastewater treatment is a win-win strategy. Although recent advances have been made in this field in lab conditions, the transition to outdoor conditions on an industrial scale must be further investigated. In this work an outdoor pilot-scale membrane photobioreactor plant was operated for tertiary sewage treatment. The effects of different parameters on microalgae performance were studied including: temperature, light irradiance (solar and artificial irradiance), hydraulic retention time (HRT), biomass retention time (BRT), air sparging system an…
Plant-wide modelling in wastewater treatment: showcasing experiences using the Biological Nutrient Removal Model
Abstract Plant-wide modelling can be considered an appropriate approach to represent the current complexity in water resource recovery facilities, reproducing all known phenomena in the different process units. Nonetheless, novel processes and new treatment schemes are still being developed and need to be fully incorporated in these models. This work presents a short chronological overview of some of the most relevant plant-wide models for wastewater treatment, as well as the authors' experience in plant-wide modelling using the general model BNRM (Biological Nutrient Removal Model), illustrating the key role of general models (also known as supermodels) in the field of wastewater treatment…
Performance of industrial scale hollow-fibre membranes in a submerged anaerobic MBR (HF-SAnMBR) system at mesophilic and psychrophilic conditions
The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of temperature on the performance of industrial hollow-fibre (HF) membranes treating urban wastewater in a submerged anaerobic MBR system (SAnMBR). To this end, a demonstration plant with two commercial HF ultrafiltration membrane modules (PURON®, Koch Membrane Systems, PUR-PSH31) was operated at 20, 25 and 33 °C. The mixed liquor total solid (MLTS) level was a key factor affecting membrane permeability (K). K was higher under psychrophilic than mesophilic conditions when operating at similar transmembrane fluxes and MLTS, because the biomass activity of the psychrophilic mixed liquor was lower than the mesophilic mixed liquor. Thus, lower ext…
Application of the General Model "Biological Nutrient Removal Model No.1" to upgrade two full-scale WWTPs
In this paper, two practical case studies for upgrading two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) using the general model BNRM1 (Biological Nutrient Removal Model No. 1) are presented. In the first case study, the Tarragona WWTP was upgraded by reducing the phosphorus load to the anaerobic digester in order to minimize the precipitation problems. Phosphorus load reduction was accomplished by mixing the primary sludge and the secondary sludge and by elutriating the mixed sludge. In the second case study, the Alcantarilla WWTP, the nutrient removal was enhanced by maintaining a relatively low dissolved oxygen concentration in Stage A to maintain the acidogenic bacteria activity. The VFA produce…
Influence of total solids concentration on membrane permeability in a submerged hollow-fibre anaerobic membrane bioreactor.
The main aim of this work was to study the influence of the mixed liquor total solids (MLTS) concentration on membrane permeability (K 20) in a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) pilot plant, which is equipped with industrial hollow-fibre membranes and treats urban wastewater. This pilot plant was operated at 33°C and 70 days of SRT. Two different transmembrane fluxes (13.3 and 10 LMH) were tested with a gas sparging intensity of 0.23 Nm 3 m -2 h -1 (measured as Specific Gas Demand referred to membrane area). A linear dependence of K 20 on MLTS concentration was observed within a range of MLTS concentration from 13 to 32 g L -1 and J 20 of 10 LMH. K 20 was maintained at sustai…
A review on anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) focused on modelling and control aspects
[EN] The use of anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology (AnMBR) is rapidly expanding. However, depending on the application, AnMBR design and operation is not fully mature, and needs further research to optimize process efficiency and enhance applicability. This paper reviews state-of-the-art of AnMBR focusing on modelling and control aspects. Quantitative environmental and economic evaluation has demonstrated substantial advantages in application of AnMBR to domestic wastewater treatment, but detailed modelling is less mature. While anaerobic process modelling is generally mature, more work is needed on integrated models which include coupling between membrane performance (including fouli…
Mathematical modelling of filtration in submerged anaerobic MBRs (SAnMBRs): long-term validation
The aim of this study was the long-term validation of a model capable of reproducing the filtration process occurring in a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) system. The proposed model was validated using data obtained horn a SAnMBR demonstration plant fitted with industrial-scale hollow-fibre membranes. The validation was carried out using both lightly and heavily fouled membranes operating at different bulk concentrations, gas sparging intensities and transmembrane fluxes. Across a broad spectrum of operating conditions, the model correctly forecast the respective experimental data in the long term. The simulation results revealed the importance of controlling irreversible f…
Trombosis venosa profunda inducida por fenitoína
A fuzzy-logic-based controller for methane production in anaerobic fixed-film reactors
The main objective of this work was to develop a controller for biogas production in continuous anaerobic fixed-bed reactors, which used effluent total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration as control input in order to prevent process acidification at closed loop. To this aim, a fuzzy-logic-based control system was developed, tuned and validated in an anaerobic fixed-bed reactor at pilot scale that treated industrial winery wastewater. The proposed controller varied the flow rate of wastewater entering the system as a function of the gaseous outflow rate of methane and VFA concentration. Simulation results show that the proposed controller is capable to achieve great process stability ev…
Nitrite inhibition of microalgae induced by the competition between microalgae and nitrifying bacteria
[EN] Outdoor microalgae cultivation systems treating anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) effluents usually present ammonium oxidising bacteria (AOB) competition with microalgae for ammonium uptake, which can cause nitrite accumulation. In literature, nitrite effects over microalgae have shown controversial results. The present study evaluates the nitrite inhibition role in a microalgae-nitrifying bacteria culture. For this purpose, pilot- and lab-scale assays were carried out. During the continuous outdoor operation of the membrane photobioreactor (MPBR) plant, biomass retention time (BRT) of 2 d favoured AOB activity, which caused nitrite accumulation. This nitrite was confirmed to inhib…
Workshops of innovation in chemical engineering to train communication skills in science and technology
Abstract This paper shows the application of an innovate pedagogical approach based on the project-based learning technique, focused on the training of communication skills in the framework of a workshop of innovation in chemical engineering. Written, graphical verbal, and non-verbal communication were tackled. For that purpose, a project of technological innovation was developed by the students in teams within the specific area of chemical engineering. A professional-like environment was simulated by a final workshop where the students defenced and supported their project by using oral presentation and production of a poster and a video. Several surveys were performed before and after the …
Application of the Morris method for screening the influential parameters of fuzzy controllers applied to wastewater treatment plants
In this paper,we evaluate the application of a sensitivity analysis to help fine-tuning a fuzzy controller for a biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal (BNPR) plant. TheMorris Screeningmethod is proposed and evaluated as a prior step to obtain the parameter significance ranking. First, an iterative procedure has been performed in order to find out the proper repetition number of the elementary effects (r) of the method. The optimal repetition number found in this study (r = 60) is in direct contrast to previous applications of the Morris method, which usually use low repetition number, e.g. r = 10 ~ 20. Working with a non-proper repetition number (r) could lead to Type I error (identify…
DSC: software tool for simulation-based design of control strategies applied to wastewater treatment plants.
This paper presents a computer tool called DSC (Simulation based Controllers Design) that enables an easy design of control systems and strategies applied to wastewater treatment plants. Although the control systems are developed and evaluated by simulation, this tool aims to facilitate the direct implementation of the designed control system to the PC of the full-scale WWTP (wastewater treatment plants). The designed control system can be programmed in a dedicated control application and can be connected to either the simulation software or the SCADA of the plant. To this end, the developed DSC incorporates an OPC server (OLE for process control) which facilitates an open-standard communic…
Filtration process cost in submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) for urban wastewater treatment
[EN] The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the main factors affecting the cost of the filtration process in submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) for urban wastewater (UWW) treatment. Experimental data for CAPEX/OPEX calculations was obtained in an AnMBR system featuring industrial-scale hollow-fiber (HF) membranes. Results showed that operating at J(20) slightly higher than the critical flux results in minimum CAPEX/OPEX. The minimum filtration process cost ranged from Euro0.03 to Euro0.12 per m(3), mainly depending on SGD(m) (from 0.05 to 0.3 m(3)m(-2)h(-1)) and MLSS (from 5 to 25 gL-1). The optimal SGD(m) resulted in approx. 0.1 m(3)m(-2)h(-1).
An advanced control strategy for biological nutrient removal in continuous systems based on pH and ORP sensors
[EN] A fuzzy logic-based control system that uses low-cost sensors for controlling and optimizing the biological nitrogen removal in continuous systems has been developed. The novelty of this control system is the use of several pH, ORP, and dissolved oxygen (DO) sensors instead of on-line nitrogen sensors/analyzers. The nitrogen control system was developed and implemented in a UCT pilot plant fed with wastewater from a full-scale plant. The developed nitrification controller allows the effluent ammonium concentration to be maintained below the effluent criteria discharge with the minimum energy consumption. The denitrification process controller allows the energy consumption derived from …
Real-time optimization of the key filtration parameters in an AnMBR: Urban wastewater mono-digestion vs. co-digestion with domestic food waste
[EN] This study describes a model-based method for real-time optimization of the key filtration parameters in a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating urban wastewater (UWW) and UWW mixed with domestic food waste (FW). The method consists of an initial screening to find out adequate filtration conditions and a real-time optimizer applied to a periodically calibrated filtration model for minimizing the operating costs. The initial screening consists of two statistical analyses: (1) Morris screening method to identify the key filtration parameters; (2) Monte Carlo method to establish suitable initial control inputs values. The operating filtration cost after implementing the…
Preliminary data set to assess the performance of an outdoor membrane photobioreactor
[EN] This data in brief (DIB) article is related to a Research article entitled 'Optimising an outdoor membrane photobioreactor for tertiary sewage treatment' [1]. Data related to the effect of substrate turbidity, the ammonium concentration at which the culture reaches nitrogen-deplete conditions and the microalgae growth rate under outdoor conditions is provided. Microalgae growth rates under different substrate turbidity were obtained to assess the reduction of the culture's light availability. Lab-scale experiments showed growth rates reductions of 22-44%. Respirometric tests were carried to know the limiting ammonium concentration in thismicroalgae-basedwastewater treatment system. Gro…
Development and pilot-scale validation of a fuzzy-logic control system for optimization of methane production in fixed-bed reactors
International audience; The objective of this study was to develop an advanced control system for optimizing the performance of fixed-bed anaerobic reactors. The controller aimed at maximizing the bio-methane production whilst controlling the volatile fatty acids content in the effluent. For this purpose, a fuzzy-logic controller was developed, tuned and validated in an anaerobic fixed-bed reactor at pilot scale (350 L) treating raw winery wastewater. The results showed that the controller was able to adequately optimize the process performance, maximizing the methane production in terms of methane flow rate, resulting in an average methane yield of about 0.29 LCH4 g−1 COD. On the other han…
Economic and environmental sustainability of submerged anaerobic MBR-based (AnMBR-based) technology as compared to aerobic-based technologies for moderate-/high-loaded urban wastewater treatment
[EN] The objective of this study was to assess the economic and environmental sustainability of submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) in comparison with aerobic-based technologies for moderate-/high-loaded urban wastewater (UWW) treatment. To this aim, a combined approach of steady-state performance modelling, life cycle analysis (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) was used, in which AnMBR (coupled with an aerobic-based post-treatment) was compared to aerobic membrane bioreactor (AeMBR) and conventional activated sludge (CAS). AnMBR with CAS-based post-treatment for nutrient removal was identified as a sustainable option for moderate-/high-loaded UWW treatment: low energy consump…
Factors that affect the permeability of commercial hollow-fibre membranes in a submerged anaerobic MBR (HF-SAnMBR) system
A demonstration plant with two commercial HF ultrafiltration membrane modules (PURON (R), Koch Membrane Systems, PUR-PSH31) was operated with urban wastewater. The effect of the main operating variables on membrane performance at sub-critical and supracritical filtration conditions was tested. The physical operating variables that affected membrane performance most were gas sparging intensity and back-flush (BF) frequency. Indeed, low gas sparging intensities (around 0.23 Nm(3) h(-1) m(-2)) and low BF frequencies (30s back-flush for every 10 basic filtration relaxation cycles) were enough to enable membranes to be operated sub-critically even when levels of mixed liquor total solids were hi…
A plant-wide energy model for wastewater treatment plants: application to anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology
[EN] The aim of this study is to propose a detailed and comprehensive plant-wide model for assessing the energy demand of different wastewater treatment systems (beyond the traditional activated sludge) in both steady- and unsteady-state conditions. The proposed model makes it possible to calculate power and heat requirements (W and Q, respectively), and to recover both power and heat from methane and hydrogen capture. In order to account for the effect of biological processes on heat requirements, the model has been coupled to the extended version of the BNRM2 plant-wide mathematical model, which is implemented in DESSAS simulation software. Two case studies have been evaluated to assess t…
Economic and environmental sustainability of an AnMBR treating urban wastewater and organic fraction of municipal solid waste
[EN] The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic and environmental sustainability of a sub- merged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating urban wastewater (UWW) and organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) at ambient temperature in mild/hot climates. To this aim, power requirements, energy recovery from methane (biogas methane and methane dissolved in the effluent), consumption of reagents for membrane cleaning, and sludge handling (polyelectrolyte and energy consumption) and disposal (farmland, landfilling and incineration) were evaluated within different operating scenarios. Results showed that, for the operating conditions considered in this study, AnMBR tec…
Design methodology for submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR): A case study
[EN] The main objective of this study is to propose guidelines for designing submerged anaerobic MBR (AnMBR) technology for municipal wastewater treatment. The design methodology was devised on the basis of simulation and experimental results from an AnMBR plant featuring industrial-scale hollow-fibre membranes. The proposed methodology aims to minimise both capital expenditure and operating expenses, and the key parameters considered were: hydraulic retention time, solids retention time, mixed liquor suspended solids concentration in the membrane tank, 20 C-standardised critical flux, specificgas demand per square metre of membrane area, and flow of sludge being recycled from the membrane …
An improved sampling strategy based on trajectory design for application of the Morris method to systems with many input factors
[EN] In this paper, a revised version of the Morris approach, which includes an improved sampling strategy based on trajectory design, has been adapted to the screening of the most influential parameters of a fuzzy controller applied to WWTPs. Due to the high number of parameters, a systematic approach has been proposed to apply this improved sampling strategy with low computational demand. In order to find out the proper repetition number of elementary effects of each input factor on model output (EEi) calculations, an iterative and automatic procedure has been applied. The results show that the sampling strategy has a significant effect on the parameter significance ranking and that rando…
Global sensitivity analysis of a filtration model for submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR)
The results of a global sensitivity analysis of a filtration model for submerged anaerobic MBRs (AnMBRs) are assessed in this paper. This study aimed to (1) identify the less- (or non-) influential factors of the model in order to facilitate model calibration and (2) validate the modelling approach (i.e. to determine the need for each of the proposed factors to be included in the model). The sensitivity analysis was conducted using a revised version of the Morris screening method. The dynamic simulations were conducted using long-term data obtained from an AnMBR plant fitted with industrial-scale hollow-fibre membranes. Of the 14 factors in the model, six were identified as influential, i.e…
Performance of an outdoor membrane photobioreactor for resource recovery from anaerobically treated sewage
[EN] The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance of a pilot scale membrane photobioreactor (MPBR) for treating the effluent of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) system. In particular, new experimental data on microalgae productivity, nutrient recovery, CO2 biofixation and energy recovery potential was obtained under different operating conditions, which would facilitate moving towards cost-effective microalgae cultivation on wastewater. To this aim, a 2.2-m(3) MPBR equipped with two commercial-scale hollow-fibre ultrafiltration membrane modules was operated treating the nutrient-loaded effluent from an AnMBR for sewage treatment. The influence of several design, enviro…
The operating cost of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating sulphate-rich urban wastewater
The objective of this study was to evaluate the operating cost of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating sulphate-rich urban wastewater (UWW) at ambient temperature (ranging from 17 to 33 degrees C). To this aim, energy consumption, methane production, and sludge handling and recycling to land were evaluated. The results revealed that optimising specific gas demand with respect to permeate volume (SGDp) and sludge retention time (for given ambient temperature conditions) is essential to maximise energy savings (minimum energy demand: 0.07 kW h m(-3)). Moreover, low/moderate sludge productions were obtained (minimum value: 0.16 kg TSS kg(-1) CODRemoved), which further enhanced the…
Sub-critical filtration conditions of commercial hollow-fibre membranes in a submerged anaerobic MBR (HF-SAnMBR) system: The effect of gas sparging intensity
A submerged anaerobic MBR demonstration plant with two commercial hollow-fibre ultrafiltration systems (PURON®, Koch Membrane Systems, PUR-PSH31) was operated using municipal wastewater at high levels of mixed liquor total solids (MLTS) (above 22gL -1). A modified flux-step method was applied to assess the critical flux (J C) at different gas sparging intensities. The results showed a linear dependency between J C and the specific gas demand per unit of membrane area (SGD m). J C ranged from 12 to 19LMH at SGD m values of between 0.17 and 0.5Nm 3h -1m -2, which are quite low in comparison to aerobic MBR. Long-term trials showed that the membranes operated steadily at fluxes close to the est…
Water resource recovery by means of microalgae cultivation in outdoor photobioreactors using the effluent from an anaerobic membrane bioreactor fed with pre-treated sewage.
[EN] With the aim of assessing the potential of microalgae cultivation for water resource recovery (WRR), the performance of three 0.55 m3 flat-plate photobioreactors (PBRs) was evaluated in terms of nutrient removal rate (NRR) and biomass production. The PBRs were operated outdoor (at ambient temperature and light intensity) using as growth media the nutrient-rich effluent from an AnMBR fed with pre-treated sewage. Solar irradiance was the most determining factor affecting NRR. Biomass productivity was significantly affected by temperatures below 20 °C. The maximum biomass productivity (52.3 mg VSS·L−1·d−1) and NRR (5.84 mg NH4-N·L−1·d−1 and 0.85 mg PO4-P·L−1·…
Advanced control system for optimal filtration in submerged anaerobic MBRs (SAnMBRs)
The main aim of this study was to develop an advanced controller to optimise filtration in submerged anaerobic MBRs (SAnMBRs). The proposed controller was developed, calibrated and validated in a SAnMBR demonstration plant fitted with industrial-scale hollow-fibre membranes with variable influent flow and load. This 2-layer control system is designed for membranes operating sub-critically and features a lower layer (on/off and PID controllers) and an upper layer (knowledge-based controller). The upper layer consists of a MIMO (multiple-input-multiple-output) control structure that regulates the gas sparging for membrane scouring and the frequency of physical cleaning (ventilation and back f…
Biological Nutrient Removal Model No. 2 (BNRM2): a general model for wastewater treatment plants
This paper presents the plant-wide model Biological Nutrient Removal Model No. 2 (BNRM2). Since nitrite was not considered in the BNRM1, and this previous model also failed to accurately simulate the anaerobic digestion because precipitation processes were not considered, an extension of BNRM1 has been developed. This extension comprises all the components and processes required to simulate nitrogen removal via nitrite and the formation of the solids most likely to precipitate in anaerobic digesters. The solids considered in BNRM2 are: struvite, amorphous calcium phosphate, hidroxyapatite, newberite, vivianite, strengite, variscite, and calcium carbonate. With regard to nitrogen removal via…
A filtration model applied to submerged anaerobic MBRs (SAnMBRs)
The aim of this study was to develop a model able to correctly reproduce the filtration process of submerged anaerobic MBRs (SAnMBRs). The proposed model was calibrated and validated in a SAnMBR demonstration plant fitted with industrial-scale hollow-fibre membranes. Three suspended components were contemplated in the model: total solids concentration; dry mass of cake on the membrane surface; and dry mass of irreversible fouling on the membrane surface. The model addressed the following physical processes: the build-up and compression of the cake layer during filtration; cake layer removal using biogas sparging to scour the membrane; cake layer removal during back-flushing; and the consoli…
Effect of pH and nitrite concentration on nitrite oxidation rate
The effect of pH and nitrite concentration on the activity of the nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in an activated sludge reactor has been determined by means of laboratory batch experiments based on respirometric techniques. The bacterial activity was measured at different pH and at different total nitrite concentrations (TNO 2). The experimental results showed that the nitrite oxidation rate (NOR) depends on the TNO 2 concentration independently of the free nitrous acid (FNA) concentration, so FNA cannot be considered as the real substrate for NOB. NOB were strongly affected by low pH values (no activity was detected at pH 6.5) but no inhibition was observed at high pH values (activity wa…
Short and long-term experiments on the effect of sulphide on microalgae cultivation in tertiary sewage treatment.
[EN] Microalgae cultivation appears to be a promising technology for treating nutrient-rich effluents from anaerobic membrane bioreactors, as microalgae are able to consume nutrients from sewage without an organic carbon source, although the sulphide formed during the anaerobic treatment does have negative effects on microalgae growth. Short and long-term experiments were carried out on the effects of sulphide on a mixed microalgae culture. The short-term experiments showed that the oxygen production rate (OPR) dropped as sulphide concentration increased: a concentration of 5 mg S L¿1 reduced OPR by 43%, while a concentration of 50 mg S L¿1 came close to completely inhibiting microalgae gro…
Model-based automatic tuning of a filtration control system for submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR)
This paper describes a model-based method to optimise filtration in submerged AnMBRs. The method is applied to an advanced knowledge-based control system and considers three statistical methods: (1) sensitivity analysis (Morris screening method) to identify an input subset for the advanced controller; (2) Monte Carlo method (trajectory-based random sampling) to find suitable initial values for the control inputs; and (3) optimisation algorithm (performing as a supervisory controller) to re-calibrate these control inputs in order to minimise plant operating costs. The model-based supervisory controller proposed allowed filtration to be optimised with low computational demands (about 5min). E…
Environmental impact of submerged anaerobic MBR (SAnMBR) technology used to treat urban wastewater at different temperatures
[EN] The objective of this study was to assess the environmental impact of a submerged anaerobic MBR (SAnMBR) system in the treatment of urban wastewater at different temperatures: ambient temperature (20 and 33 degrees C), and a controlled temperature (33 degrees C). To this end, an overall energy balance (OEB) and life cycle assessment (LCA), both based on real process data, were carried out. Four factors were considered in this study; (1) energy consumption during wastewater treatment; (2) energy recovered from biogas capture; (3) potential recovery of nutrients from the final effluent; and (4) sludge disposal. The OEB and LCA showed SAnMBR to be a promising technology for treating urban…
Designing an AnMBR-based WWTP for energy recovery from urban wastewater: The role of primary settling and anaerobic digestion
The main objective of this paper is to assess different treatment schemes for designing a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) based WWTP. The economic impact of including a primary settling (PS) stage and further anaerobic digestion (AD) of the wasted sludge has been evaluated. The following operating scenarios were considered: sulphate-rich and low-sulphate urban wastewater (UWW) treatment at 15 and 30 ºC. To this aim, the optimum combination of design/operating parameters that resulted in minimum total cost (CAPEX plus OPEX) for the different schemes and scenarios was determined. The AnMBR design was based on both simulation and experimental results from an AnMBR plant featuri…
On-line monitoring of photosynthetic activity based on pH data to assess microalgae cultivation
[EN] Microalgae performance of outdoor cultivation systems is influenced by environmental and operating dynamics. Monitoring and control systems are needed to maximise biomass productivity and nutrient recovery. The goal of this work was to corroborate that pH data could be used to monitor microalgae performance by means of data from an outdoor membrane photobioreactor (MPBR) plant. In this system, microalgae photosynthetic activity was favoured over other physical and biological processes, so that the pH data dynamics was theoretically related to the microalgae carbon uptake rate (CUR). Shortand long-term continuous operations were tested to corroborate the relationship between the first d…
Effect of light intensity, light duration and photoperiods in the performance of an outdoor photobioreactor for urban wastewater treatment
[EN] A series of eight experiments were carried out to analyse the effects of light intensity, light duration and photoperiods on a microalgae culture for treating AnMBR effluent at an outdoor photobioreactor (PBR) plant. Improved performance was achieved in terms of nutrient recovery rates, biomass productivity and effluent nutrient concentrations at a higher net photon flux. However, the higher irradiance was also responsible for lower biomass productivity:light irradiance ratios. None of the experiments with different lighting regimes and the same net photon flux showed any significant differences. The data obtained suggest that microalgae performance in this system did not depend on the…
Parameter subset selection for the dynamic calibration of activated sludge models (ASMs): experience versus systems analysis.
In this work we address the issue of parameter subset selection within the scope of activated sludge model calibration. To this end, we evaluate two approaches: (i) systems analysis and (ii) experience-based approach. The evaluation has been carried out using a dynamic model (ASM2d) calibrated to describe nitrogen and phosphorus removal in the Haaren WWTP (The Netherlands). The parameter significance ranking shows that the temperature correction coefficients are among the most influential parameters on the model output. This outcome confronts the previous identifiability studies and the experience based approaches which excluded them from their analysis. Systems analysis reveals that parame…
Sub-critical long-term operation of industrial scale hollow-fibre membranes in a submerged anaerobic MBR (HF-SAnMBR) system
The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term performance of hollow-fibre (HF) membranes used to treat urban wastewater in a submerged anaerobic MBR when operating sub-critically. To this end, a demonstration plant with two industrial scale HF ultrafiltration membrane modules was operated under different conditions. The main factor affecting membrane performance was the concentration of mixed liquor total solids (MLTS). The reversible fouling rate remained low even when MLTS levels (about 25 g L−1) in the membrane tank were high. No chemical cleaning was conducted whilst operating the plant for more than one year because no irreversible fouling problems were detected. The almost compl…
Integrated membrane bioreactors modelling: A review on new comprehensive modelling framework
International audience; Integrated Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) models, combination of biological and physical models, have been representing powerful tools for the accomplishment of high environmental sustainability. This paper, produced by the International Water Association (IWA) Task Group on Membrane Modelling and Control, reviews the state-of-the-art, identifying gaps for future researches, and proposes a new integrated MBR modelling framework. In particular, the framework aims to guide researchers and managers in pursuing good performances of MBRs in terms of effluent quality, operating costs (such as membrane fouling, energy consumption due to aeration) and mitigation of greenhouse gas…
Dataset to assess the shadow effect of an outdoor microalgae culture
[EN] This data in brief (DIB) article is related to a Research article [1]. Microalgae biomass absorb the light photons that are supplied to the culture, reducing the light availability in the inner parts of the photobioreactors. This is known as self-shading or shadow effect. This effect has been widely studied in lab conditions, but information about self-shading in outdoor photobioreactors is scarce. How this shadow effect affects the light availability in an outdoor photobioreactor was evaluated. In addition, advantages and disadvantages of different artificial light sources which can overcome light limitation are described.
Instrumentation, control, and automation for submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors
A submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) demonstration plant with two commercial hollow-fibre ultrafiltration systems (PURON® , Koch Membrane Systems, PUR-PSH31) was designed and operated for urban wastewater treatment. An instrumentation, control, and automation (ICA) system was designed and implemented for proper process performance. Several single-input-single-output (SISO) feedback control loops based on conventional on off and PID algorithms were implemented to control the following operating variables: flow-rates (influent, permeate, sludge recycling and wasting, and recycled biogas through both reactor and membrane tanks), sludge wasting volume, temperature, transmembrane pr…
Microalgae-bacteria consortia in high-rate ponds for treating urban wastewater: Elucidating the key state indicators under dynamic conditions
[EN] On-line performance indicators of a microalgae-bacteria consortium were screened out from different variables based on pH and dissolved oxygen on-line measurements via multivariate projection analysis, aiming at finding on-line key state indicators to easily monitor the process. To fulfil this objective, a pilot-scale high-rate pond for urban wastewater treatment was evaluated under highly variable conditions, i.e. during the start-up period. The system was started-up without seed of either bacterial or microalgal biomass. It took around 19 days to fully develop a microalgal community assimilating nutrients significantly. Slight increases in the biomass productivities in days 26-30 sug…
Improving membrane photobioreactor performance by reducing light path: operating conditions and key performance indicators
[EN] Microalgae cultivation has been receiving increasing interest in wastewater remediation due to their ability to assimilate nutrients present in wastewater streams. In this respect, cultivating microalgae in membrane photobioreactors (MPBRs) allows decoupling the solid retention time (SRT) from the hydraulic retention time (HRT), which enables to increase the nutrient load to the photobioreactors (PBRs) while avoiding the wash out of the microalgae biomass. The reduction of the PBR light path from 25 to 10 cm increased the nitrogen and phosphorus recovery rates, microalgae biomass productivity and photosynthetic efficiency by 150, 103, 194 and 67%, respectively.The areal biomass product…
A systematic approach for fine-tuning of fuzzy controllers applied to WWTPs
A systematic approach for fine-tuning fuzzy controllers has been developed and evaluated for an aeration control system implemented in a WWTP. The challenge with the application of fuzzy controllers to WWTPs is simply that they contain many parameters, which need to be adjusted for different WWTP applications. To this end, a methodology based on model simulations is used that employs three statistical methods: (i) Monte-Carlo procedure: to find proper initial conditions, (ii) Identifiability analysis: to find an identifiable parameter subset of the fuzzy controller and (iii) minimization algorithm: to fine-tune the identifiable parameter subset of the controller. Indeed, the initial locatio…