title: Preliminary study of osmotic membrane bioreactor: effects of draw solution on water flux and air scouring on fouling.
abstract: Preliminary study on a novel osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR) was explored. Objective of this study was to investigate the effects of draw solution on membrane flux and air scouring at the feed side on fouling tendency in a pilot OMBR system composing the anoxic/aerobic and forward osmosis (FO) processes. Domestic sewage was the raw feed, FO membrane from HTI and NaCl/MgSO4 draw solutions were used in the experiments. Fluxes of 3 l/m2/h (LMH) and 7.2 LMH were achieved at osmotic pressure of 5 and 22.4 atm, respectively. No significant flux decline was observed at 3 LMH over 190 h and at 7.2 LMH over 150 h when air scouring was provided at the feed side of the membrane. However, without air scouring, the flux at 22.4 atm osmotic pressure declined by 30% after 195 h and then levelled off. The potential advantages of the fouling reversibility with air scouring under the operating conditions of the pilot OMBR and better water quality in OMBR over the conventional MBR were preliminarily demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Technology and Water Quality Office, Public Utilities Board, 82 Toh Guan Road East, 608575 Singapore, Singapore. Qin_Jianjun@pub.gov.sg
authors.forename: Jian-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Kiran A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kekre
authors.forename: Maung H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Oo
authors.forename: Guihe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Chee L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lay
authors.forename: Cheun H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lew
authors.forename: Emile R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ruiken
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010539:Permeability; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D014872:Water Movements; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012722:Sewage; D012996:Solutions; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate