Final Report Summary - AMEDEUS (Accelerate Membrane Development for Urban Sewage Purification)
The AMEDEUS project aimed at tackling both issues of accelerating the development of competitive European membrane bioreactor (MBR) filtration technologies as well as increasing acceptance of the MBR process through decreased capital and operational costs. The project targeted the two market segments for MBR technology in Europe: the construction of small plants (semi-central, 50 to 2 000 population equivalent or p.e. standardised and autonomous) and the medium-size plants (central, up to 100 000 p.e.) for plant upgrade.
The project was organised into several steps, as follows:
1. Minimisation of membrane fouling with chemical additive
The most promising chemicals (two synthetic cationic polymers and one biopolymer) were investigated in long term trials in two identical MBR pilot units, operated side by side and fed by real municipal sewage. The two cationic polymers proved better.
2. Development of on-line sensors for fouling propensity of MBR sludge
3. Improving membrane cleaning
Investigations were performed at lab scale and pilot scale to identify chemical reagents alternative to chlorine with three different membrane types supplied by project partners. The results highlight that the composition of the internal fouling could vary according to the used membrane and the operating conditions. Results have shown that hydrogen peroxide could be a best alternative to chlorine, but must be preferentially used with a backwash step.
4. Modelling of biological process
5. Evaluation of the impact of primary sedimentation
The model calibrated at 15 day sludge age was used to assess the impact of primary sedimentation in plant design and operation. The presence of a settler would result in a total sludge production increase of +19 %, biological oxygen demand decrease by 15 % and a reactor volume decrease by 30 %.
6. Cost-effective positioning of submerged modules
7. On-line data acquisition and advanced filtration control system
An operational advanced control system (ACS) was developed which was validated on a MBR pilot unit with a gradual increase in complexity of selected input and output parameters. The MBR-VFM measurements correlated well with on-line permeability and are thus suitable input parameter for the ACS.
8. Optimised integration and control of MBR system in case of plant refurbishment
An ACS for the flow repartition between the MBR and the CAS line was developed with desk-top analysis, before full-scale demonstration.
9. Standardisation of MBR technology
10. Development of novel concepts of MBR filtration modules and systems
Three different design approaches were proposed by the project partners A3 Water Solutions, Polymem and Inge and were evaluated at Anjou Recherche under typical biological operating conditions. The flat sheet technology of the company A3 Water Solutions was the more mature technology at the start of the project and performed better.
11. Development of MBR modules with textile filtration media
The project team undertook the development of MBR filtration systems using non woven textile as filtration media. Production cost analysis at industrial scale performed for nanocomposite membranes showed that the overall cost would be 5 Euros/m2 to be compared with about 14 Euros/m2 for conventional microfiltration membranes.
12. Development of turn-key standardised MBR plants and filtration units
A range of turn-key containerised MBR units was engineered for small communities of 50 up to 2 000 people. An engineering study was performed for bigger communities.
13. Results integration
14. Dissemination
The website: http:www.mbr-network.eu has proven to be a powerful and sustainable communication tool and source of information for the international MBR community and will be maintained to play this role after the termination of the projects.
The project was organised into several steps, as follows:
1. Minimisation of membrane fouling with chemical additive
The most promising chemicals (two synthetic cationic polymers and one biopolymer) were investigated in long term trials in two identical MBR pilot units, operated side by side and fed by real municipal sewage. The two cationic polymers proved better.
2. Development of on-line sensors for fouling propensity of MBR sludge
3. Improving membrane cleaning
Investigations were performed at lab scale and pilot scale to identify chemical reagents alternative to chlorine with three different membrane types supplied by project partners. The results highlight that the composition of the internal fouling could vary according to the used membrane and the operating conditions. Results have shown that hydrogen peroxide could be a best alternative to chlorine, but must be preferentially used with a backwash step.
4. Modelling of biological process
5. Evaluation of the impact of primary sedimentation
The model calibrated at 15 day sludge age was used to assess the impact of primary sedimentation in plant design and operation. The presence of a settler would result in a total sludge production increase of +19 %, biological oxygen demand decrease by 15 % and a reactor volume decrease by 30 %.
6. Cost-effective positioning of submerged modules
7. On-line data acquisition and advanced filtration control system
An operational advanced control system (ACS) was developed which was validated on a MBR pilot unit with a gradual increase in complexity of selected input and output parameters. The MBR-VFM measurements correlated well with on-line permeability and are thus suitable input parameter for the ACS.
8. Optimised integration and control of MBR system in case of plant refurbishment
An ACS for the flow repartition between the MBR and the CAS line was developed with desk-top analysis, before full-scale demonstration.
9. Standardisation of MBR technology
10. Development of novel concepts of MBR filtration modules and systems
Three different design approaches were proposed by the project partners A3 Water Solutions, Polymem and Inge and were evaluated at Anjou Recherche under typical biological operating conditions. The flat sheet technology of the company A3 Water Solutions was the more mature technology at the start of the project and performed better.
11. Development of MBR modules with textile filtration media
The project team undertook the development of MBR filtration systems using non woven textile as filtration media. Production cost analysis at industrial scale performed for nanocomposite membranes showed that the overall cost would be 5 Euros/m2 to be compared with about 14 Euros/m2 for conventional microfiltration membranes.
12. Development of turn-key standardised MBR plants and filtration units
A range of turn-key containerised MBR units was engineered for small communities of 50 up to 2 000 people. An engineering study was performed for bigger communities.
13. Results integration
14. Dissemination
The website: http:www.mbr-network.eu has proven to be a powerful and sustainable communication tool and source of information for the international MBR community and will be maintained to play this role after the termination of the projects.
