1. Simultaneous carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus removal in sequencing batch membrane aerated biofilm reactor with biofilm thickness control via air scouring aided by computational fluid dynamics.
- Author
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Wei CH, Zhai XY, Jiang YD, Rong HW, Zhao LG, Liang P, Huang X, and Ngo HH
- Subjects
- Air, Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis, Water Purification methods, Computer Simulation, Rheology, Wastewater chemistry, Biofilms, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Bioreactors, Carbon, Hydrodynamics, Membranes, Artificial
- Abstract
Membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) is challenged by biofilm thickness control and phosphorus removal. Air scouring aided by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was employed to detach outer biofilm in sequencing batch MABR treating low C/N wastewater. Biofilm with 177-285 µm thickness in cycle 5-15 achieved over 85 % chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) removals at loading rate of 13.2 gCOD/m
2 /d and 2.64 gNH4 + -N/m2 /d. Biofilm rheology measurements in cycle 10-25 showed yield stress against detachment of 2.8-7.4 Pa, which were equal to CFD calculated shear stresses under air scouring flowrate of 3-9 L/min. Air scouring reduced effluent NH4 + -N by 10 % and biofilm thickness by 78 µm. Intermittent aeration (4h off, 19.5h on) and air scouring (3 L/min, 30 s before settling) in one cycle achieved COD removal over 90 %, TIN and PO4 3- -P removals over 80 %, showing great potential for simultaneous carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus removals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2024
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