Modeling and optimization of membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment

Abstract

The use of the membrane bioreactors (MBR) has gained an important place in the treatment of urban and industrial wastewater in the last years, due mainly to their advantages over conventional processes of wastewater treatment, such as: higher quality of treated water, less environmental impact if compare with other processes, and better process control. In this work, an analysis of the modelling evolution of such complex systems is presented. The advances in last years in modeling biological and filtration systems in MBR are discussed. The importance of Computational Fluids Dynamics in the study of systems functioning, specifically in the modelling of membrane fouling process is underlined. The current trend to use models that integrate biological degradation with the hydrodynamic and membrane filtration process, achieving a more phenomenological description of the MBR functioning is explained. Finally, the importance of integrated models in the optimization of the MBR functioning with a considerable saving of resources and time is described.