Modelling of a membrane bioreactor system for municipal wastewater treatment

Within the presented study a model to describe the filtration performance of submerged capillary hollow fibre modules in membrane bioreactor applications for wastewater treatment was developed. The model was implemented in a software platform for simulation and calibrated using operating data of the full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant Rödingen, which is operated by the Erft River Association (Erftverband) and equipped with activated sludge treatment and microfiltration units for biomass retention. Mathematical expressions for filtration resistances like cake layer forming and fouling are presented and combined with an activated sludge model (ASM) to describe the biological treatment processes. The model proved successful in simulating the long-term decrease in permeability of the membranes and the final effluent quality in terms of standard parameters.