Startup and initial operation of an MLE-MABR treating municipal wastewater.

A 630 m/d pilot plant was installed at Subiaco WRRF to determine design and operational parameters of a hybrid Modified Ludzack-Ettinger - Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MLE-MABR) configuration. Two commercial ZeeLung MABR cassettes were installed in series in the anoxic zone and the pilot was fed with primary effluent (averaging COD 601 mg/L, TKN 68.5 mg/L and 17-29 °C). A nitrifying biofilm was developed within 3 weeks and the nitrous oxide (NO) gas emissions from the MABR exhaust gas proved to be a reliable parameter to assess biofilm development. Both MABRs achieved the average nitrification rate (NR) of 3.7 gNH-N/m.d when air flow was 8.6 and 11.2 Nm/h to MABR1 and MABR2 respectively, which reached a maximum oxygen transfer rate of 17.4 gO/m.d. Biofilm thickness was controlled via air scouring and intermittent coarse bubble mixing (90 s on/90 s off). This paper discusses the startup strategy, minimum requirements for process monitoring, impact of different air flow conditions, ORP and mixing patterns on performance efficiency over a 22-week period.