Filtration Characterization Method as Tool to Assess Membrane Bioreactor Sludge Filterability—The Delft Experience

Filtration Characterization Method as Tool to Assess Membrane Bioreactor Sludge Filterability—The Delft Experience

Lousada-Ferreira, M.
Krzeminski, P.
Geilvoet, S.
Moreau, A.
Gil, J.A.
Evenblij, H.
Van Lier, J.B.
Van der Graaf, J.H.J.M.

Civil Engineering and Geosciences

Water Management

2014-04-30

Prevention and removal of fouling is often the most energy intensive process in Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs), responsible for 40% to 50% of the total specific energy consumed in submerged MBRs. In the past decade, methods were developed to quantify and qualify fouling, aiming to support optimization in MBR operation. Therefore, there is a need for an evaluation of the lessons learned and how to proceed. In this article, five different methods for measuring MBR activated sludge filterability and critical flux are described, commented and evaluated. Both parameters characterize the fouling potential in full-scale MBRs. The article focuses on the Delft Filtration Characterization method (DFCm) as a convenient tool to characterize sludge properties, namely on data processing, accuracy, reproducibility, reliability, and applicability, defining the boundaries of the DFCm. Significant progress was made concerning fouling measurements in particular by using straight forward approaches focusing on the applicability of the obtained results. Nevertheless, a fouling measurement method is still to be defined which is capable of being unequivocal, concerning the fouling parameters definitions; practical and simple, in terms of set-up and operation; broad and useful, in terms of obtained results. A step forward would be the standardization of the aforementioned method to assess the sludge filtration quality.

membrane bioreactors
fouling
activated sludge
filterability
Delft Filtration Characterization method (DFCm)

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:a4110ea4-c708-45bd-990b-16d4eee36384

https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes4020227

MDPI

2077-0375

http://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/4/2/227

Membranes, 4 (2), 2014

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2014 The Author(s); licensee MDPI
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).