0000000000236509
AUTHOR
P. Sanchis-perucho
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…
Exploring the limits of anaerobic biodegradability of urban wastewater by AnMBR technology
[EN] Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) can achieve maximum energy recovery from urban wastewater (UWW) by converting influent COD into methane. The aim of this study was to assess the anaerobic biodegradability limits of urban wastewater with AnMBR technology by studying the possible degradation of the organic matter considered as non-biodegradable as observed in aerobic membrane bioreactors operated at very high sludge retention times. For this, the results obtained in an AnMBR pilot plant operated at very high SRT (140 days) treating sulfate-rich urban wastewater were compared with those previously obtained with the system operating at lower SRT (29 to 70 days). At 140 days SRT the …
Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) scale-up from laboratory to pilot-scale for microalgae and primary sludge co-digestion: Biological and filtration assessment
This research work proposes the scale-up evaluation in terms of biological and filtration performance from laboratory to pilot-scale of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) co-digesting raw microalgae and primary sludge. Best operating conditions for this scale-up were energetically and economically assessed based on laboratory results. Economic balance showed 3% higher annual costs when operating a reactor at 100 d solids retention time (SRT) compared to 70 d SRT. Energetic balance showed a 5.5-fold increase in heat demand working at thermophilic temperature comparing to mesophilic. The AnMBR operating conditions were set at 70 d SRT and 35 °C. The pilot-scale and lab-scale co-digester…
Widening the applicability of AnMBR for urban wastewater treatment through PDMS membranes for dissolved methane capture: Effect of temperature and hydrodynamics.
[EN] AnMBR technology is a promising alternative to achieve future energy-efficiency and environmental-friendly urban wastewater (UWW) treatment. However, the large amount of dissolved methane lost in the effluent represents a potential high environmental impact that hinder the feasibility of this technology for full-scale applications. The use of degassing membranes (DM) to capture the dissolved methane from AnMBR effluents can be considered as an interesting alternative to solve this problem although further research is required to assess the suitability of this emerging technology. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of operating temperature and hydrodynamics on the capture of…
PDMS membranes for feasible recovery of dissolved methane from AnMBR effluents
[EN] This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of degassing membrane (DM) technology for recovering dissolved methane from AnMBR effluents. For that purpose, a PDMS membrane module was operated for treating the effluent from an AnMBR prototype-plant, which treated urban wastewater (UWW) at ambient temperature. Different transmembrane pressures and liquid flow rates were applied for evaluating methane recovery efficiency. Maximum methane recoveries were achieved when increasing the vacuum pressure and reducing the liquid flow rate, reaching a maximum methane recovery efficiency of around 80% at a transmembrane pressure (TMP) of 0.8 bars and a treatment flow rate (Q(L)) of 50 L h(-1). The …