Membrane fouling control by ultrasound in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor

Abstract

In this study, ultrasound was used to control the membrane fouling online in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AMBR). Short-term running experiments were carried out under different operating conditions to explore feasible ultrasonic parameters. The experimental results indicated that when the crossflow velocity was more than 1.0 m/s, membrane fouling could be controlled effectively only by hydrodynamic methods without ultrasound. When ultrasound was applied, an ultrasonic power range of 60–150 W was suitable for the membrane fouling control in the experimental system. The experimental results showed that the membrane fouling was controlled so well that membrane filtration resistance (ΣR) could stay at 5 × 10¹¹ m^-1 for more than a week with the crossflow velocity of 0.75 m/s, which equaled the effect of crossflow velocity of more than 1.0 m/s without ultrasound.