Source: Membrane Bioreactors: WEF Manual of Practice No.

36, 1st Edition

ISBN: 9780071753661
Authors: Water Environment Federation

A. Standard Membrane Bioreactor Computations

1.0. INTRODUCTION
The following section presents standard computations for membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems. The section outlines
important MBR-specific design considerations and calculations, although it is not a complete step-by-step guide to MBR
design. Therefore, the design example presented does not address all possible analyses, evaluations, safety factors, or design
considerations. Furthermore, the design example assumes the reader has a prior understanding of the design of biological
wastewater treatment systems and, therefore, does not address this aspect of MBR design. More information on the general
design of activated sludge systems can be found in Design of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WEF et al., 2009). These
standard computations focus on understanding key parameters for MBR system design. Depending on the specific parameter
and the decision of the engineer and/or owner of the MBR system, these parameters may be specified by the engineer in
procurement documents or provided by membrane vendors.

2.0. DESIGN EXAMPLE OVERVIEW

2.1. Design Flowrates and Maximum Monthly Loading Rates

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2.1. Design Flowrates and Maximum Monthly Loading Rates
A new MBR facility is being designed to treat influent flows and maximum monthly loading rates, as summarized in Table A.1.

Table A.1 Influent design flowrates and maximum monthly loading rates.

Influent flowrates

Average annual 8 000 m 3/d

Maximum month 11 500 m 3/d

Peak day 18 000 m 3/d

Peak hour 21 000 m 3/d

Maximum month loading rates

Biological oxygen demand (BOD) 2 500 kg/d

Total suspended solids 2 400 kg/d

Total Kjeldahl nitrogen 320 kg/d

Ammonia nitrogen 220 kg/d

Total phosphorus 45 kg/d

2.2. Design Temperature

Historical data indicate that the minimum weekly influent temperature is 10 °C; therefore, 10 °C will become the minimum
design temperature for the membrane system.

2.3. Treatment Objectives

The MBR treatment system must meet effluent characteristics summarized inTable A.2 on an average monthly basis.

Table A.2 Treatment objectives.

∗ NTU = nephelometric turbidity units.

Turbidity ≤ 0.5 NTU ∗

Total suspended solids ≤ 5 mg/L

Biochemical oxygen demand ≤ 5 mg/L

Total nitrogen ≤ 5 mg/L

2.4. Overview of the Biological Reactor

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2.4. Overview of the Biological Reactor
The biological reactor for this application has been designed to achieve nitrification and denitrification. Because the plant must
meet a total nitrogen limit of 5 mg/L, the system has been designed with two sets of anoxic and aerobic zones. The influent
flow is split between the anoxic zones to supply organic carbon for denitrification. The treatment plant does not include a
primary clarifier, but does include a 2-mm fine screen. The influent fats, oils, and grease (FOG) concentration is expected to be
low enough to meet the vendor-specified requirement that the mixed liquor FOG concentration is less than 100 mg/L. The
required reactor volume was determined to be 1960 m3 , with 25% anoxic volume. The required membrane tank volume was
determined to be 500 m 3 based on the required membrane surface area and the packing density of the selected membrane
product. The return activated sludge return pumping system is designed for a flowrate of 4 times the maximum monthly
influent flowrate and the mixed liquor return flow returning nitrate to the first anoxic zone is designed for a flowrate of 2 times
the maximum monthly influent flowrate. Figure A.1 summarizes relevant flowrates and reactor volumes. The mixed liquor
concentration in the biological reactor will range from 6000 to 8000 mg/L total suspended solids (TSS). The design solids
retention time (SRT) is 14 days; however, the possible SRT range is from 10 to 20 days. Wastewater flows beyond the peak-day
condition will be equalized in a tank upstream of the aeration basin.

Figure A.1 F. A.1 Biological process design overview.

2.5. Membrane Design and Redundancy Requirements

The membrane system will be designed with enough membrane area to accommodate the peak-day flow condition with one
membrane train out of service; the MBR will have five membrane trains. The membrane system will also be provided with 10%
spare space per membrane train to allow for the installation of additional membrane area if needed. This spare membrane area
will not be installed immediately, rather, it will provide contingency for unexpected membrane fouling conditions.

3.0. STANDARD COMPUTATIONS

3.1. Membrane System Design Information

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3.1. Membrane System Design Information
For the purpose of this design example, Table A.3 summarizes relevant membrane system assumptions. These parameters
may be specified by the design engineer or provided by the membrane vendor to meet performance criteria specified by the
design engineer. No attempt has been made to differentiate these items here.

Table A.3 Assumed membrane design factors.

* LMH = liters per meter squared per hour (standard).

Membrane area per small subunit 32 m 2

Number of small membrane subunits per large membrane subunit 48

Design flux for peak-day flow based on influent flowrate 30.5 LMH*

Air scour rate for flows up to maximum monthly flowrate 10 seconds on/30 seconds off

Air scour rate for peak-day flowrate 10 seconds on/10 seconds off

Total relaxation interval 12 minutes

Relaxation time 30 seconds

Maintenance clean interval 4 days

Maintenance clean duration 60 minutes

Recovery clean interval 180 days

Recovery clean duration 8 hours

Maximum allowable solids flux to the membrane surface at the net flux of the system 325 g/m 2 ·h

3.2. Parameter Definitions

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3.2. Parameter Definitions
Table A.4 summarizes the parameter definitions used herein.

Table A.4 Parameter definitions, abbreviations, and units.

Parameter Description Abbreviation Unit

Influent flowrate Q m 3/d

Design net flux J LMH

Instantaneous flux Jinstantaneous LMH

Membrane area A m2

Membrane area per small subunit ASSU m2

Time between relaxation t relaxation minutes

Duration of relaxation τrelaxation minutes

Time between maintenance cleans t maintenance minutes

Duration of maintenance clean τmaintenance minutes

Number of relaxations between maintenance cleans N

Online factor of the membrane system η

3.3. Required Membrane Area

(A.1)

In practice, the membrane surface area requirements for all flow conditions and operating scenarios would be assessed
against the net flux at those conditions to determine the scenario that drives design of the membrane system. For the current
example, the peak-flow condition drives the membrane system surface area requirements.

3.4. Required Number of Small Membrane Subunits with Ten Percent

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3.4. Required Number of Small Membrane Subunits with Ten Percent
Spare

(A.2)

3.5. Required Number of Large Membrane Subunits

(A.3)

This number of large units requires 4.5 large membrane subunits per membrane tank. The membrane basin is sized to allow
installation of five large membrane subunits as a provision for further expansion. Thus, the actual spare membrane area
available is 22%.

3.6. Required Membrane Tank Volume

The chosen membrane product requires 20 m3 per large subunit at the chosen packing density. With five large subunits per
membrane train and five total membrane trains, the required membrane tank volume is 500 m3 .

3.7. Instantaneous, Temperature-Corrected Flux

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3.7. Instantaneous, Temperature-Corrected Flux
The design flux value of an MBR system is not a measure of the actual flux of the system. Because the membrane system
spends time in nonproductive modes of operation (such as relaxation), the actual instantaneous flux during membrane
operation must be greater than the design value to treat the full influent flow. Table A.5 illustrates the determination of the
instantaneous, temperature-corrected flux values for the peak-day flowrate. It is important to note that the pumping and piping
systems for an MBR would be sized to carry the maximum expected instantaneous flowrate. It is also important to note the
higher flux value for temperature correction to 20 °C. The designer should always verify the temperature that corresponds to a
flux value provided by the vendor or assumed in a design calculation.

Table A.5 Determining instantaneous, temperature-corrected flux.

3.8. Peak-Day Solids Loading Rate

The solids loading rate at peak day must be checked to ensure that the design requirement is met. The design net flux is 30.5
LMH at peak-flow conditions. Assuming the membrane tank has a solids concentration of 10 000 mg/L TSS, the solids flux
during peak flow is 305 g/m2 ·h, which is less than the 325 g/m2 ·h maximum provided in Table A.3. However, it is important to
note that the maximum allowable solids loading rate to the membrane would be exceeded during peak-day flows if the
membrane tank solids concentration is larger than 10 600 mg/L when the peak-day influent flow arrives.

3.9. Air Scour Air Demands

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3.9. Air Scour Air Demands
The membrane supplier recommends an air scour rate of 10 Nm3 /h (i.e., normal cubic meters per hour) per small subunit
under average conditions and an air scour rate of 20 Nm3 /h per small subunit under peak-flow conditions. The designer has
chosen to install enough air scour for the 840 small subunits; therefore, the air scour blowers must be able to provide 8400
Nm 3 /h on average and provide 16 800 Nm 3 /h under peak-flow conditions. Two alternative approaches available are (1) to
provide blower capacity for only the membrane area installed, not including the 22% spare, or (2) to provide blower capacity for
the full five large subunits per membrane trains as a provision for future expansion, and throttle the blower, as appropriate, to
deliver the required air for the installed membranes.

3.10. Membrane Permeability

Permeability is used as a measurement for determining when a cleaning cycle is needed. Permeability is measured as the
temperature-corrected flux divided by the transmembrane pressure (TMP) and, therefore, simultaneously provides information
about both membrane flux and TMP, which are critical operating parameters. The membrane manufacturer recommends a
maximum typical operating TMP of 0.4 bar. At a temperature-corrected instantaneous flux value of 41.1 LMH at peak-day flow,
the minimum allowable membrane permeability is 102.8 LMH/bar.

4.0. RECOVERY CLEANING CALCULATIONS

Performing a recovery cleaning cycle involves emptying the mixed liquor from the membrane tank and then filling it with a
chemical solution for cleaning and soaking the membranes. Sizing of the various pumps used for the clean-in-place cycle is a
function of the size of the membrane tank, the amount of time allocated to draining and filling the tanks, the chemical used, and
the desired chemical solution strength. This section describes typical calculations used for sizing the pumping and chemical
systems.

4.1. Membrane Tank Drain Pump

The membrane tank drain pumps are typically used to pump mixed liquor and spent chemical cleaning waste from the
membrane tanks. For this example, the drain pumps are sized to empty the membrane tank in 30 minutes. The membrane
system has five large subunits that are independently chemically cleaned. Each large subunit is housed in a tank with a volume
of 100 m 3 . Therefore, the drain pump has a design capacity of 3 m3 /min.

4.2. Recovery Cleaning Chemical Volume

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4.2. Recovery Cleaning Chemical Volume
The amount or volume of chemical needed for each recovery cleaning cycle is a function of the size of the membrane tank, the
desired solution strength for the chemical cleaning cycle, and the strength of the chemical solution actually delivered or stored
at the facility. The membrane manufacturer recommends twice-yearly recovery cleaning cycles, each one lasting 8 hours. The
recommended chemical cleaning regime includes 1000 mg/L sodium hypochlorite and 2000 mg/L citric acid. For the purposes
of this design example, the volume of sodium hypochlorite required is illustrated in Table A.6. Sodium hypochlorite is delivered
to the treatment plant with a concentration 12.5%, by weight, and has a specific gravity of 1.175.

Table A.6 Determination of chemical usage for recovery cleaning.

5.0. REFERENCE
Water Environment Federation; American Society of Civil Engineers; Environmental and Water Resources Institute (2009)
Design of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants, 5th ed.; WEF Manual of Practice No. 8; ASCE Manual of Practice and
Report on Engineering No. 76; McGraw-Hill: New York.

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