A Dynamic Model of Membrane Bioreactor Systems for Wastewater Treatment

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) activated sludge technology has become an increasingly popular choice for the treatment of both municipal and industrial wastewaters in situations where space is limited or a high quality effluent suitable for re-use is required. Modeling and simulation are cost-effective tools for design and optimization of conventional activated sludge processes, and can also be applied to MBR systems. This paper describes a comprehensive dynamic, mechanistic model of the MBR process that sufficiently captures the important and unique hydraulic, physical and biological processes of an MBR system. This model has been implemented in GPS-X™ with three model options to allow the user to select the appropriate level of model complexity depending on the scope of the modeling application. The paper also summarizes a dynamic model calibration of the GPS-X™ MBR model using data from a0020ilotscale membrane bioreactor. Lastly, the paper briefly describes potential enhancements to the model.