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In 2015, we asked 'What’s the main issue with MBRs?' This time our question addresses the topic of sludge − most of your responses from the previous three surveys had been based around this topic so we felt it was worthy of further investigation.
The 2016 MBR Survey results
In February 2015, we asked you to contribute to our MBR survey with a view to sharing knowledge and experiences about the common technical issues that prevent MBRs working as they should, as well as your views about the future for MBR technology.
The 2015 MBR Survey results
In our 2012 MBR survey, we asked for the views of a range of MBR stakeholders regarding the perceived technical challenges facing MBRs: What is the main technical problem that prevents MBRs working as they should?
The 2012 MBR Survey – the results
Many marketing managers measure success by the number of clicks their advert receives, directing traffic to their website. This is a fairly simplistic measure for a niche website like The MBR Site: buying an MBR is not like buying a smart phone accessory.
The MBR Site – what measure success?
A 2015 analysis courtesy of Ecologix in Taiwan deconstructed the MBR technology of a small-scale plant into its constituent parts. When the components of MBR technology were considered, it is the membrane which made up the lion’s share of the capital cost.
MBR CAPEX costs – large versus small
In our 2019 wastewater survey, we asked the question: What influences the selection of wastewater treatment technologies for water reuse? Read the results of our survey and what it means in the context of MBR technology.
2019 Wastewater treatment survey – the results
Screening upstream of a membrane bioreactor remains a key concern for MBR practitioners. Screening protects the membrane from mechanical damage from sharp or abrasive particles and from clogging from hair and matted cotton fibre.
MBR Screening Part 1: MBR screen designs and performance – an overview
Of all the questions that crop up about MBR technology, perhaps the most frequent is, 'What is the global capacity of MBR treatment technology?' Of course, as with most questions of this nature, the honest answer is, 'I don’t know'.
MBR global capacity
As at March 2016, Beijing Origin Water had 20 installations in China rated at 100 MLD or more, and 35 of more than 50 MLD. That puts the average capacity of these 35 plants at more than 110 MLD. That’s a whole lotta fibre.
MBR capacity – China and RoW
Trace organic contaminants in municipal wastewater consist of a range of naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals - industrial chemicals, and those chemicals used in households, excreted by people, and formed during wastewater/water treatment processes.
Removal of Emerging Trace Organic Contaminants (TrOCs) by MBR
The interest in anaerobic MBRs (AnMBRs) relates largely to resource recovery and the circular economy − anaerobic treatment permits energy recovery through conversion of the organic carbon (OC) to a methane biogas.
Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) process control
In Japan, over 3,000 MBRs have been in operation since the 1980s for small-scale on-site industrial/household wastewater treatment. Municipal wastewater applications began in the mid 00’s, with 19 operational full-scale plants by April 2013.
Survey of Japanese municipal MBRs
In membrane separation systems, shear is probably the most significant parameter for driving the membrane process. Pressure is important but shear is arguably the property of the system which largely determines the rate of membrane fouling and so the flux.
Mechanical shear in membrane bioreactors
MBRs are growing in size and number, reflecting a growing confidence in the technology. The number of MBR membrane module products is currently increasing by 3−5 a year, and the market itself is growing exponentially at a rate between 11.5 and 13%.
MBRs − a global picture
Who were the pioneers of immersed hollow fibre MBRs? Andrew Benedek of Zenon took a novel idea and made it into a fully-fledged and widely employed commercial product, and not overlooking Professor Kazuo Yamamoto and his team at Tokyo University.
MBRs − a random history
In October 2009, we received a list of what was thought to be the 20 largest MBRs in the world at that time. The peak daily flow capacities on that list ranged from 30 to 100 MLD, with the total capacity being just over 1,000 MLD.
The Top 20 Largest MBRs in the World?
Academic research into MBRs has been dominated by studies of membrane fouling and foulant characterisation. Key topics, such as process failure risk, chemical cleaning impacts on membrane life, and pretreatment requirements, have been largely overlooked.
MBR academic research, past and present
Despite the benefits offered by MBR technology with respect to the amazingly high water quality produced, it’s hard to get away from the perception that they are too expensive, use too much energy, and present a whole host of operational problems.
Sucking air − are MBRs too expensive, too difficult to operate?
A feature of the MBR market over the past decade is the surge in the number of very large (≥100 MLD, or megalitres/day) installations, particularly in China. Of the 55 known global installations of greater than 100 MLD capacity, 39 are in China.
MBRs: the Chinese experience
A selection of abstracts from ten papers relating to anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs). The papers are all review articles, covering topics like landfill leachate, non-potable reuse, hydrogen production, biorefinery biowaste and process aspects.
Anaerobic MBR reviews − ten research papersYou can narrow and customise your search results to find exactly what you want.