title: Automatic control systems for submerged membrane bioreactors: a state-of-the-art review.
abstract: Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology has become relatively widespread as an advanced treatment for both industrial and municipal wastewater, especially in areas prone to water scarcity. Although operational cost is a key issue in MBRs, currently only a few crucial papers and inventions aimed to optimise and enhance MBR efficiency have been published. The present review summarises the available solutions in the area of automatic control systems and widely explores the advances in automation and control for MBRs. In this review of state of the art, different control systems are evaluated comparatively, distinguishing between control systems used for the filtration process and those used for the biological process of MBRs and describing the challenge faced by integrated control systems. The existing knowledge is classified according to the manipulated variables, the operational mode (open-loop or closed-loop) and the controlled variables used.
authors.affiliation: ICRA-Catalan Institute for Water Research, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, H2O Building, c/Emili Grahit 101, E-17003 Girona, Spain.
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrero
authors.forename: Ignasi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Roda
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Comas
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D019149:Bioreactors; D004867:Equipment Design; D005374:Filtration; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods