Establishing a kinetic equation to estimate sludge production in municipal wastewater treatment by membrane bioreactor

Abstract

Sludge production in the membrane bioreactor treating municipal wastewater can be estimated from the kinetic equation which describes a relationship between sludge concentration and substrate, decay coefficient, sludge retention time and hydraulic retention time. Based on the experimental data and using the mathematical approximate method, the theoretical yield factor (Y) and the decay coefficient (k_d) were found to be 0.33 mg VSS/mg COD and 0.04 1/day, respectively. Sludge production in the system can be estimated from the obtained kinetic equation. The calculated values were fluctuated around the measured ones. This result proved the potential application of the obtained equation for estimation of the biomass concentration and kinetic parameters in the wastewater treatment systems using membrane bioreactor technology.