title: Modeling three-dimensional surface morphology of biocake layer in a membrane bioreactor based on fractal geometry.
abstract: While the adsorptive fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) is highly dependent of the surface morphology, little progress has been made on modeling biocake layer surface morphology. In this study, a novel method, which combined static light scattering method for fractal dimension (Df) measurement with fractal method represented by the modified two-variable Weierstrass-Mandelbrot function, was proposed to model biocake layer surface in a MBR. Characterization by atomic force microscopy showed that the biocake surface was stochastic, disorder, self-similarity, and with non-integer dimension, illustrating obvious fractal features. Fractal dimension (Df) of sludge suspension experienced a significant change with operation of the MBR. The constructed biocake layer surface by the proposed method was quite close to the real surface, showing the feasibility of the proposed method. It was found that Dfwas the critical factor affecting surface morphology, while other factors exerted moderate or minor effects on the roughness of biocake layer.
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
authors.forename: Leihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
authors.forename: Lining
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China. Electronic address: hjlin@zjnu.cn.
authors.forename: Hongjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada.
authors.forename: Meijia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
authors.forename: Haiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada.
authors.forename: Bao-Qiang
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
authors.forename: Fangyuan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
authors.forename: Renjie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D019149:Bioreactors; D017709:Fractals; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012722:Sewage; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012722:Sewage
keywords: Biocake layer; Fractal dimension; Membrane bioreactor; Membrane fouling; Surface morphology