Patent ID: 8308939
Filing Date: 2012-11-13
Classification: B01D,C02F,Y02W

Abstract:
1. In a wastewater or biosolids treatment system using submerged membrane bioreactors and containing a multiplicity of flat sheet membrane separators retained in membrane filtration units or assemblies within a tank, an improved, space-efficient and process-efficient arrangement, comprising: a series of air discharge conduits located below the membrane separators for emitting scour air bubbles to rise among the membrane separators for air scouring and effective to lift mixed liquor in the tank among the membrane separators to rise with the air bubbles, a multiplicity of flat sheet membrane separators arranged in a plurality of groups or membrane filtration units, with a plurality of the units positioned side by side within an SMBR tank and submerged in liquid within the tank, the membrane filtration units being arranged and contained in the tank closely together so as to prevent normal roll pattern internal recirculation around individual membrane filtration units and to define for the mixed liquor moving upward with scour air bubbles between the membrane separators a discrete flow path or channel leading from space above the membrane separators around a plurality of the membrane filter assemblies to below the membrane separators to deliver the recirculating mixed liquor generally back to the air discharge conduits below the membrane separators to again induce upward movement of the mixed liquor among the membrane separators with the rising scour air bubbles, at least one submerged infeed conduit below the membrane separators with discharge outlets configured to distribute infeed generally uniformly to the membrane separators, and at least one overflow outlet above the membrane separators, to remove, generally uniformly from all membrane filtration units, mixed liquor from the SMBR tank as return to other process zones, substantially preventing successive thickening of return mixed liquor to generally maintain a liquid level in the tank.