Article
Agricultural Engineering
Guohao Liao, Liying Bin, Bing Tang, Ping Li, Bangqiao Qiu, Zhaole Huang, Shaosong Huang, Fenglian Fu
Summary: The study revealed the characteristics and development of fouling layer on flat-sheet membranes in an integrated oxidation-ditch membrane bioreactor. Membrane fouling appeared successively in biofilm and sludge fouling structures, mainly caused by organic foulants and a small amount of inorganic metal compounds, particularly protein-like and fulvic acid-like substances. Different microbial properties were found in biofilm and sludge fouling, with protein-like and fulvic acid-like substances contributing significantly to irreversible membrane fouling.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Nazila Sutudehnezhad, Amir Heydarinasab, Reza Yegani, Farshid Pajoum Shariati
Summary: Membrane fouling is a major drawback of membrane bioreactor systems. Through experimental and simulation analysis, it has been found that angular nozzle aerators perform better in terms of reducing fouling ratio and improving performance, especially for nanocomposite membranes, while also reducing energy consumption and operating costs.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Toshio Sano, Yasunori Kawagoshi, Ituki Kokubo, Hiroaki Ito, Kei Ishida, Akira Sato
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between membrane pore size and fouling development in membrane bioreactors (MBRs). The study finds that the optimal membrane pore size for suppressing fouling development is 0.31-0.57 μm. It also demonstrates that irreversible fouling is related to the capture of protein-like compounds inside the membrane, while reversible fouling is caused by gel and cake layers on the membrane surface.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Bing Wang, Yan Zhang, Guixiao Zhang, Kaisong Zhang, Robert W. Field
Summary: This study introduces an innovative design for the free aeration system in flat sheet MBRs to ensure sufficient shear stress in all membrane channels at an economical air demand, significantly reducing membrane fouling and lowering aeration costs. Through optimized design, efficient hydrodynamic effects were achieved in flat sheet MBRs of different sizes.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Berinike Braesel, Sang-Whon Yoo, Sabrina Huber, Matthias Wessling, John Linkhorst
Summary: Understanding the impact of operating conditions on fouling in crossflow membrane filtration is a challenge. This study uses a CFD-DEM approach to simulate particle motion and deposition behavior in a membrane-mimicking geometry. The results show that crossflow velocity affects dynamic fouling behavior, while trans-membrane pressure influences particle removal and flux decline. The study connects visual pore-scale phenomena to macroscopic filtration quantities, bridging the gap between pore-scale events and the filtration process.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jingxin Shi, Jiahui Wang, Shuhui Yang, Siqi Li, Jingchun Liu
Summary: This study investigated the mechanisms of membrane fouling in a commercial ceramic flat membrane bioreactor. It was found that the duration of backwash, charged particles, and suspended solids content are important factors influencing membrane fouling. Adjusting operating parameters and using appropriate cleaning methods can effectively reduce membrane fouling.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ayesha Ilyas, Loren Timmermans, Maarten Vanierschot, Ilse Smets, Ivo F. J. Vankelecom
Summary: This study investigates the use of spray-modified non-solvent induced phase separation (s-NIPS) to create large patterned PVDF membranes and magnetically induced membrane vibration (MMV) to enhance their anti-fouling properties. The results show that patterned membranes reduce fouling rate and increase critical flux, while membrane vibration further improves anti-fouling potential and delays irreversible fouling.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Weilong Song, Dong Xu, Xuan Yang, Jian Li, Pin Zhao, Xinhua Wang, How Yong Ng
Summary: Zwitterionic surface engineering was employed to improve the antifouling ability of hollow-fiber membranes. A flow-through coating method using zwitterionic organosilica material was used to introduce zwitterions onto the membrane, which was then incorporated into a membrane bioreactor (MBR) to demonstrate enhanced fouling control. The zwitterion-coated membrane showed superior fouling resistance in the MBR, with improved critical flux, extended fouling cycle, and higher resistance to key foulants such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial polymer (SMP). The interfacial free energy analysis revealed that zwitterions altered the interfacial interaction between the membrane and the fouling substances, leading to elevated energy barrier for foulants attachment.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. Mariraj Mohan, S. Nagalakshmi
Summary: In this study, the reduction of fouling in Conventional Membrane Bioreactor (C-MBR) and Modified Membrane Bioreactor (M-MBR) was compared through incorporated modification. The introduction of Self-forming dynamic membrane (SFDM) in M-MBR successfully reduced fouling and prolonged the operation time.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huaorng Yu, Chenyu Du, Fangshu Qu, Junguo He, Hongwei Rong
Summary: This study explored various potential bio-stimuli for quorum quenching enhancement in activated sludge, identifying compounds like gamma-caprolactone, D-xylonic acid-1,4-lactone, and urea as effective in promoting inactivating activity. Through entrapment, these bio-stimuli effectively disrupted quorum sensing in membrane bioreactors.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adem Yurtsever, Erkan Basaran, Deniz Ucar, Erkan Sahinkaya
Summary: The study investigated the robustness of AnDMBR for synthetic textile wastewater treatment, finding that in the absence of sulfate addition, the removal rate of total COD and filtered COD was 91% and 93% respectively, but decreased to 79% after sulfate addition. The suspended solids concentration in textile wastewater was low, while the dye removal rate was high.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ahmad Golrokh Sani, Hamidreza Najafi, Seyedeh Shakiba Azimi
Summary: This study conducted CFD simulation of air-sparged two-phase slug flow inside a flat-sheet membrane channel using a novel approach. The effects of slug bubble motion on Concentration Polarization and permeation flux were studied, showing a significant improvement in average relative error. The new method demonstrated high accuracy in predicting the flow dynamics.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Tongyu Wang, Zhengyu Jin, Yadong Yang, Junyi Ma, Mortaza Aghbashlo, Heqing Zhang, Shihao Sun, Meisam Tabatabaei, Junting Pan
Summary: This paper summarizes the fouling mechanisms in the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). The fouling development can be divided into three stages: pore narrowing, pore-clogging, and gel/cake layer formation. Different foulants play dominant roles at different stages. The interactions between the membrane and foulants are qualitatively discussed in detail.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yu-Xiang Lu, Heyang Yuan, Hameer Chand, You Wu, Yu-Li Yang, Heng Liang, Hai-Liang Song
Summary: Osmotic membrane bioreactors (OMBRs) are considered suitable for treating wastewater containing tetracycline, but the impact of membrane fouling layer on tetracycline filtration and its relationship with microbial activity is still unclear. This study investigated the effects of draw solute concentration and type on the formation of a membrane fouling layer for tetracycline filtration and found that the fouling layer played an important role in tetracycline filtration and degradation. The study provided insights into the combined effect of membrane fouling and microorganisms on tetracycline removal.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
S. Nagalakshmi, S. Mariraj Mohan
Summary: Membrane technology is advantageous in wastewater treatment, but fouling hinders its widespread use. In this study, a novel method combining self-forming dynamic membrane (SFDM) with a sponge-wrapped membrane bioreactor was used to control membrane fouling. The performance of this Novel-MBR was compared to a conventional membrane bioreactor (CMBR) operated under similar conditions.
WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH
(2023)
