Comparison of external and submerged membranes used in anaerobic membrane bioreactors: Fouling related issues and biological activity

Anaerobic sludge filtration tests were performed with two experimental set-ups equipped with either submerged hollow-fiber membranes or external tubular membranes operated with low crossflow velocity and gas sparging in a gas-lift mode. Particle size distributions, extracellular polymeric substance...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Martínez Díaz, Raquel, Ruiz Pérez, María Olga, Ramos Rodríguez, Cipriano, Cámara Nebreda, José María, Diez Blanco, Victorino
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Burgos (UBU)
Repositorio:Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos (RIUBU)
OAI Identifier:oai:riubu.ubu.es:10259/8278
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10259/8278
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Submerged filtration
External filtration
Anaerobic membrane bioreactor
Gas-lift mode
Shear stress
Fouling rate
Ingeniería química
Bioquímica
Chemical engineering
Biochemistry
Descripción
Sumario:Anaerobic sludge filtration tests were performed with two experimental set-ups equipped with either submerged hollow-fiber membranes or external tubular membranes operated with low crossflow velocity and gas sparging in a gas-lift mode. Particle size distributions, extracellular polymeric substance concentrations, methanogenic activity, reversible and irreversible fouling rates, and chemical cleaning efficiency were all studied and compared. An increase in the percentage of smaller particles and a decrease in the concentration of volatile suspended solids in the external membrane set-up were observed. Both soluble protein and soluble polysaccharide concentrations were also higher in the external filtration. Operating at 12–15 L/m2 h for 7 days, the total resistance of the external membrane reached 9.3 × 1012 m−1, while the resistance of submerged membrane reached 1.1 × 1012 m−1 despite operating at 15–25 L/m2 h for 12 days. Finally, the type of fouling and the efficiency of chemical cleaning also differed in both configurations.