Demonstrated the ultrafiltration viability through the AnMBR system
NewsAqualia shows the first results of the anaerobic treatment of the UMBRELLA prototype effluents
Since its implementation in March 2018, two aspects that until now have been little or not known in the sector of effluents coming from the treatment of solid urban waste have been studied.
On the one hand, during summer of 2018, the degradation of the organic matter of these effluents by the microbial communities present in the anaerobic reactor was quantified, as well as the amount of biogas generated. The conditions were in a complete mixture regime, at a temperature of 35ºC and anaerobic conditions. A productivity between 230 and 342 NL CH4/kg COD eliminated though organic loads between 1.8 and 5 kg COD/m3/d was obtained. The biogas produced is very rich in CH4 (74 - 77%), a content much higher than that obtained in dry digesters (usually 57-60%). The process was stable at all times.
On the other hand, in the last quarter of 2018, the first tests were started in the AnMBR (Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor) configuration to treat the effluents anaerobically. The evolution of the key parameters of the operation (permeability, flow and trans-membrane pressure) has been determined as the filtered volume increases. It is observed that the permeability decreases during the first 3000 L/m2 filtered, but afterwards it seems to stabilize, which differs from any previous reference with this type of effluents. For the first time, ultrafiltration is sustainable over time without the membranes collapsing. Apparently, there are no differences in the permeability values between operating with backwash and without backwash.
Finally, it should be noted that the accumulation of fibres in the water line (problem known as ragging) decreases the tangential velocity, which ends up collapsing the membranes. Thanks to the proper filter, this problem has been solved.
On the one hand, during summer of 2018, the degradation of the organic matter of these effluents by the microbial communities present in the anaerobic reactor was quantified, as well as the amount of biogas generated. The conditions were in a complete mixture regime, at a temperature of 35ºC and anaerobic conditions. A productivity between 230 and 342 NL CH4/kg COD eliminated though organic loads between 1.8 and 5 kg COD/m3/d was obtained. The biogas produced is very rich in CH4 (74 - 77%), a content much higher than that obtained in dry digesters (usually 57-60%). The process was stable at all times.
On the other hand, in the last quarter of 2018, the first tests were started in the AnMBR (Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor) configuration to treat the effluents anaerobically. The evolution of the key parameters of the operation (permeability, flow and trans-membrane pressure) has been determined as the filtered volume increases. It is observed that the permeability decreases during the first 3000 L/m2 filtered, but afterwards it seems to stabilize, which differs from any previous reference with this type of effluents. For the first time, ultrafiltration is sustainable over time without the membranes collapsing. Apparently, there are no differences in the permeability values between operating with backwash and without backwash.
Finally, it should be noted that the accumulation of fibres in the water line (problem known as ragging) decreases the tangential velocity, which ends up collapsing the membranes. Thanks to the proper filter, this problem has been solved.
