Abstract
Membrane bioreactor (MBR), a kind of activated sludge process, is an advanced wastewater treatment technology that uses UF/MF membranes for solid–liquid separation instead of the final settling tank. MBR has a small footprint compared to the conventional activated sludge process, and it also produces high–quality treated water that can be reused. On the other hand, in order to promote the spread of MBR, it is important to solve the problem of high energy consumption. We developed a high packing–density membrane module using a small diameter PVDF hollow fiber membrane to achieve 0.4 kWh/m3 or less of energy consumption per treated water volume in the entire MBR system. As a result, the total energy consumption was estimated to be 0.347 kWh/m3, and it was expected to reach approximately 0.24 kWh/m3 due to the efficiency of equipment. In addition, the daily flow rate fluctuation test assuming a large–scale sewage treatment plant and the 24–hour peak flow test assuming a rainwater inflow were carried out, and both were operated stably.
