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MBR system is ideal for small wastewater treatment plants
NEWS AERI is the strategic energy technology arm of the Alberta Government in the Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology. Its mission is to enhance the development of Alberta’s energy resources through investment in research, technology and innovation in partnership with industry. AERI was established during 2000 and is responsible for energy-related research for the province. Contacts: Air Products & Chemicals Incorporated, 7201 Hamilton Boulevard, Allentown, PA 18195, USA. Tel: +1 610 481 4911, www.airproducts.com/co2_capture Alberta Energy Research Institute, Suite 2540, AMEC, 801 – 6th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 3W2, Canada. Tel: +1 403 297 7089, www.aeri.ab.ca
MBR system is ideal for small wastewater treatment plants
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ow available from Koch Membrane Systems Incorporated (KMS) of Wilmington, Massachusetts, is a packaged membrane bioreactor (MBR) system. Featuring Puron submerged membrane modules, the pre-engineered system produces highquality effluent while significantly reducing the treatment system footprint, installation cost and personnel commitments for small wastewater treatment plants, says the developer and manufacturer of membranes and filtration systems. Using Puron submerged membrane technology, the packaged MBR system integrates membrane filtration and bioreactor processes into a turnkey unit that can be installed in new wastewater treatment plants or used to retrofit existing facilities. Puron MBR modules feature improved membrane density, reduced air-scour requirements, and simplified installation compared with firstgeneration MBR membrane module designs, says the company. Sized for systems that require a capacity of up to 757 000 litres (200 000 gallons) per day, the packaged system is ideal for denitrification, advanced tertiary polishing and scalping applications. In addition, it can produce effluent that is capable of meeting stringent requirements for water reuse and recycling. A key advantage of the patented Puron module is the use of a single header with reinforced hollow fibres that are fixed only at their lower end. The sealed upper end of the fibre is allowed to float freely. This design eliminates the build-up of hair and fibrous materials that typically clog the upper ends of membrane fibres in MBR module designs that employ both top and bottom headers. 4
Membrane Technology
Solids and particulate matter, including bacteria, are retained by the membrane, while permeate is drawn through the membrane to the inside of the fibres. This flow pattern – from the outside to the inside – provides optimal solids management and a high flow-rate, while using up to 50% less energy than other MBR systems, claims the firm. The packaged MBR system consists of predesigned and pre-assembled skid units that can be custom formatted to fit facilities of various sizes and shapes, enabling fast on-site installation and start-up. The equipment, grouped by functionality, performs a number of different processes from pre-screening and biological reaction to membrane filtration and in situ cleaning. The system uses a main control panel with a programmable logic controller and human–machine interface for remote control, continuous monitoring and data logging. Packaged MBR systems are being used increasingly at locations where water resources are scarce, reusable quality effluent is desirable, space availability is limited, and/or stringent discharge standards are in effect, says KMS. These locations include, for example, small communities, housing and commercial developments, resorts, hotels, schools and golf courses. The MBR is also employed for industrial applications to recycle process water, and reduce wastewater disposal costs and consumption of potable water. The package design approach also enables a system to be expanded quickly as the demand for wastewater treatment increases. Contact: Koch Membrane Systems Incorporated, 850 Main Street, Wilmington, MA 01887-3388, USA. Tel: +1 978 694 7000, www.kochmembrane.com
Dow technology helps Chinese utilities maintain feed-water quality
U
ltrafiltration (UF) membranes from Dow Water Solutions (DWS), a business unit of US-based Dow Chemical Company, and a developer of water purification, sea-water desalination, contamination removal and water reuse technology, are being used by utilities in China to maintain quality feed-water for their operations. In order to ensure quality reverse osmosis (RO) feed-water, ShanXi DaTong Co-gen has selected Dow ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for its co-generating plant in DaTong.
Despite challenges posed by high chemical oxygen demand, the UF membranes successfully demonstrate reliable performance with product water of turbidity averaging 0.05 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) and silt density index (SDI) of less than one, says DWS. Located in China’s ShanXi Province, the facility has supplied more than 300 MW of heat and electricity to local communities and industries for the past 50 years. In order to meet the increasing demand for energy DaTong required an economical and efficient approach to treating municipal wastewater. The site was able to maintain acceptable feed-water quality for RO using only a prescreen and Dow UF modules as pretreatment. No coagulation, sedimentation, or sand filtration pretreatment unit operations are needed. ‘Knowing how to effectively integrate worldclass technology, such as ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, allows Dow to assist municipalities such as ShanXi,’ commented Christina Fang, Area Commercial Development Manager at DWS. ‘The stable product water turbidity and low SDI, consistent since November 2006, in addition to the system requiring chemical cleaning once every six to eight months, demonstrates the reliability and quality of Dow ultrafiltration.’ Another company, NingBo Jiufen Co-gen, is using Dow UF membranes as the sole pretreatment in its RO water treatment process. According to Dow, this particular customer faced construction and economic constraints, and the UF membranes helped it to manage the steady supply of steam and hot water, resulting in optimal flux and high recovery. The site is responsible for the generation, installation and repair of electrical services for the NingBo Province in China. The site also maintains a steady supply of source water from the nearby XiePu River, which is high in total suspended solids, with temperature fluctuation and sea-water intrusion that increase the impurity level in the river. Nevertheless, Dow says that its UF membranes are able to overcome these challenges and demonstrate solid performance with an average product water turbidity of 0.1 NTU and SDI of less than two. ‘One of the biggest challenges that our customers face is finding an economical way of handling variable swings in dissolved solids and feed-water conditions while removing turbidity to a very low level without the addition of pretreatment prior to the utlrafiltration system. Our ultrafiltration modules provide steady performance, creating a reliable, economical and efficient system for the NingBo site,’ continued Fang. The UF membranes have been in operation since August 2005 without undergoing a chemically-enhanced back-wash and have only required periodic cleaning (clean-in-place) to
January 2009
MBR system is ideal for small wastewater treatment plants
N
ow available from Koch Membrane Systems Incorporated (KMS) of Wilmington, Massachusetts, is a packaged membrane bioreactor (MBR) system. Featuring Puron submerged membrane modules, the pre-engineered system produces highquality effluent while significantly reducing the treatment system footprint, installation cost and personnel commitments for small wastewater treatment plants, says the developer and manufacturer of membranes and filtration systems. Using Puron submerged membrane technology, the packaged MBR system integrates membrane filtration and bioreactor processes into a turnkey unit that can be installed in new wastewater treatment plants or used to retrofit existing facilities. Puron MBR modules feature improved membrane density, reduced air-scour requirements, and simplified installation compared with firstgeneration MBR membrane module designs, says the company. Sized for systems that require a capacity of up to 757 000 litres (200 000 gallons) per day, the packaged system is ideal for denitrification, advanced tertiary polishing and scalping applications. In addition, it can produce effluent that is capable of meeting stringent requirements for water reuse and recycling. A key advantage of the patented Puron module is the use of a single header with reinforced hollow fibres that are fixed only at their lower end. The sealed upper end of the fibre is allowed to float freely. This design eliminates the build-up of hair and fibrous materials that typically clog the upper ends of membrane fibres in MBR module designs that employ both top and bottom headers. 4
Membrane Technology
Solids and particulate matter, including bacteria, are retained by the membrane, while permeate is drawn through the membrane to the inside of the fibres. This flow pattern – from the outside to the inside – provides optimal solids management and a high flow-rate, while using up to 50% less energy than other MBR systems, claims the firm. The packaged MBR system consists of predesigned and pre-assembled skid units that can be custom formatted to fit facilities of various sizes and shapes, enabling fast on-site installation and start-up. The equipment, grouped by functionality, performs a number of different processes from pre-screening and biological reaction to membrane filtration and in situ cleaning. The system uses a main control panel with a programmable logic controller and human–machine interface for remote control, continuous monitoring and data logging. Packaged MBR systems are being used increasingly at locations where water resources are scarce, reusable quality effluent is desirable, space availability is limited, and/or stringent discharge standards are in effect, says KMS. These locations include, for example, small communities, housing and commercial developments, resorts, hotels, schools and golf courses. The MBR is also employed for industrial applications to recycle process water, and reduce wastewater disposal costs and consumption of potable water. The package design approach also enables a system to be expanded quickly as the demand for wastewater treatment increases. Contact: Koch Membrane Systems Incorporated, 850 Main Street, Wilmington, MA 01887-3388, USA. Tel: +1 978 694 7000, www.kochmembrane.com
Dow technology helps Chinese utilities maintain feed-water quality
U
ltrafiltration (UF) membranes from Dow Water Solutions (DWS), a business unit of US-based Dow Chemical Company, and a developer of water purification, sea-water desalination, contamination removal and water reuse technology, are being used by utilities in China to maintain quality feed-water for their operations. In order to ensure quality reverse osmosis (RO) feed-water, ShanXi DaTong Co-gen has selected Dow ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for its co-generating plant in DaTong.
Despite challenges posed by high chemical oxygen demand, the UF membranes successfully demonstrate reliable performance with product water of turbidity averaging 0.05 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) and silt density index (SDI) of less than one, says DWS. Located in China’s ShanXi Province, the facility has supplied more than 300 MW of heat and electricity to local communities and industries for the past 50 years. In order to meet the increasing demand for energy DaTong required an economical and efficient approach to treating municipal wastewater. The site was able to maintain acceptable feed-water quality for RO using only a prescreen and Dow UF modules as pretreatment. No coagulation, sedimentation, or sand filtration pretreatment unit operations are needed. ‘Knowing how to effectively integrate worldclass technology, such as ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, allows Dow to assist municipalities such as ShanXi,’ commented Christina Fang, Area Commercial Development Manager at DWS. ‘The stable product water turbidity and low SDI, consistent since November 2006, in addition to the system requiring chemical cleaning once every six to eight months, demonstrates the reliability and quality of Dow ultrafiltration.’ Another company, NingBo Jiufen Co-gen, is using Dow UF membranes as the sole pretreatment in its RO water treatment process. According to Dow, this particular customer faced construction and economic constraints, and the UF membranes helped it to manage the steady supply of steam and hot water, resulting in optimal flux and high recovery. The site is responsible for the generation, installation and repair of electrical services for the NingBo Province in China. The site also maintains a steady supply of source water from the nearby XiePu River, which is high in total suspended solids, with temperature fluctuation and sea-water intrusion that increase the impurity level in the river. Nevertheless, Dow says that its UF membranes are able to overcome these challenges and demonstrate solid performance with an average product water turbidity of 0.1 NTU and SDI of less than two. ‘One of the biggest challenges that our customers face is finding an economical way of handling variable swings in dissolved solids and feed-water conditions while removing turbidity to a very low level without the addition of pretreatment prior to the utlrafiltration system. Our ultrafiltration modules provide steady performance, creating a reliable, economical and efficient system for the NingBo site,’ continued Fang. The UF membranes have been in operation since August 2005 without undergoing a chemically-enhanced back-wash and have only required periodic cleaning (clean-in-place) to
January 2009