title: A fouling suppression system in submerged membrane bioreactors using dielectrophoretic forces.
abstract: A novel method was developed to suppress membrane fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors. The method is based on the dielectrophoretic (DEP) motion of particles in an inhomogeneous electrical field. Using a real sample of biomass as feed, the fouling-suppression performance using DEP with different electrical field intensities (60-160 V) and different frequencies (50-1000 Hz) was investigated. The fouling-suppression performance was found to relate closely with the intensity and frequency of the electrical field. A stronger electrical field was found to better recover the filtrate flux. This is because of a stronger DEP force acting on the biomass particles close to the membrane's surface. Above an intensity and frequency value of 130 V and 1 kHz, respectively the permeate flux was reduced due to an electrothermal effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, 2713 Doha, Qatar. Electronic address: a.hawari@qu.edu.qa.
authors.forename: Alaa H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Hawari
authors.affiliation: Center of Environmental Research and Sustainable Technology, University of Bremen, Leobener Str., D 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Center of Environmental Research and Sustainable Technology, University of Bremen, Leobener Str., D 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baune
authors.affiliation: Center of Environmental Research and Sustainable Technology, University of Bremen, Leobener Str., D 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jorg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thöming
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial
keywords: Dielectrophoresis; Fouling; Inhomogeneous electric field; Submerged membrane bioreactor