Performance evaluation of a pilot-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating ethanol thin stillage

The ethanol industry has grown rapidly during the past ten years, mainly due to increasing oil prices. However, efficient and cost-effective solutions for treating thin stillage wastewater have still to be developed. The anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology combines classical anaerobic t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental technology 2012-07, Vol.33 (13), p.1511-1516
Main Authors: Dereli, R. K, Urban, D. R, Heffernan, B, Jordan, J. A, Ewing, J, Rosenberger, G. T, Dunaev, T. I
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR)
Anaerobiosis
Applied sciences
biogas
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis
Bioreactors
Biotechnology
Chemical engineering
chemical oxygen demand
cost effectiveness
environmental technology
Equipment Design
Ethanol
ethanol industry
Exact sciences and technology
Filtration
flat-sheet
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General purification processes
Industrial Waste
industry
Membrane separation (reverse osmosis, dialysis...)
Methods. Procedures. Technologies
oils
Others
Pollution
prices
Reactors
submerged membranes
thin stillage
total suspended solids
ultrafiltration
Various methods and equipments
Waste Disposal, Fluid - instrumentation
Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods
wastewater
Wastewaters
Water treatment and pollution
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Summary:The ethanol industry has grown rapidly during the past ten years, mainly due to increasing oil prices. However, efficient and cost-effective solutions for treating thin stillage wastewater have still to be developed. The anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology combines classical anaerobic treatment in a completely-stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with membrane separation. The combination of these two technologies can achieve a superior effluent quality and also increase biogas production compared to conventional anaerobic solutions. A pilot-scale AnMBR treating thin stillage achieved very high treatment efficiencies in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal (>98%). An average permeate flux of 4.3 L/m².h was achieved at relatively low transmembrane pressure (TMP) values (0.1–0.2 bars) with flat-sheet membranes. Experience gained during the pilot-scale studies provides valuable information for scaling up of AnMBRs treating complex and high-strength wastewaters.
ISSN:1479-487X
0959-3330
1479-487X
DOI:10.1080/09593330.2012.665491