Novel method for enhancing permeate flux of submerged membrane system in two-phase anaerobic reactor.
A two-phase anaerobic reactor system with a submerged membrane in the acidogenic reactor was designed for the enhancement of organic acid conversion and methane recovery. A submerged membrane system in a two-phase anaerobic reactor was tested to increase the sludge retention time (SRT) of acidogen and to enhance the solid separation. The pilot plant experiment was performed for piggery wastewater treatment for a year. The membrane material used was mixed esters of cellulose of 0.5 micron pore size. COD removal efficiency was 80% and the methane production showed 0.32 m3/kg COD removed for the submerged membrane system in the anaerobic digester. As the cake resistance of the membrane caused a serious problem, a stainless-steel prefilter and air backwashing methods were applied to minimize the cake resistance effectively. Among the tested prefilters, the 63 microns pore prefilter showed the best performance for reducing cake resistance and a successful long-term operation. By cleaning with alkali first and acidic solutions later, the permeate flux decreased by long-term operation was recovered to 89% of that with a new membrane.
Lee
S M
SM
Water Environment Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1, Hawolgok-dong, Sungpook-ku, Seoul 136-791, South Korea. leesm@kist.re.kr
Jung
J Y
JY
Chung
Y C
YC
D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D019149:Bioreactors; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry; D005374:Filtration; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008697:Methane / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013464:Sulfuric Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D013552:Swine; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D013464:Sulfuric Acids; D013193:Stainless Steel; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; D002482:Cellulose; C033158:sulfuric acid; D008697:Methane