Evaluation of the Factors that Impact Successful Membrane Biological Reactor Operations at High Solids Concentration

The use of Membrane Bioreactors in wastewater systems is rapidly growing, driven largely by significant advantages such as smaller footprint, lower sludge yield, good effluent quality and enhanced Nutrient removal that their deployment brings to wastewater treatment operations. Although these systems can theoretically be operated at solids concentrations as high as 30-40 g/L MLSS, in practice, they are operated at solids concentrations of about 8-12 g/L due mainly to the alpha factor constraint as well as the increased potential for fouling at higher solids concentrations. In this paper, we systematically evaluate these constraints and demonstrate that the application of innovative concepts and technologies can provide a means for overcoming the alpha factor and the fouling challenges that currently limit the optimal operation of MBR systems.