MBBR Technology:-
A cost effective solution for upgrading existing Waste water Treatment Works
Bruno Bigot
1. What is MBBR & How does it work?
2. Different MBBR configurations for upgrading existing WwTW
3. Q&A
Agenda
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• Combining the advantages of
suspended growth and biofilm
technologies
• The core of the process is the biofilm
carrier elements made from
polyethylene with a density slightly below
that of water
• These are designed to provide a large
protected surface for the bacteria
culture
• The biofilm carrier elements are kept
suspended in the water by air from the
diffusers in the aerobic reactors and by
means of a mixer in the anoxic reactors
• HYBAS combines Biofilm & activated
sludge
MBBR = Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor
Hybas = Hybrid Activated Sludge
What is MBBR?
Biofilm carrier elements
Aeration/mixer system Retention sieves
1% Plastic – 99% Know How
3 Key Elements
The Media
Aeration/Mixing Systems
Aerobic reactor sieves Anoxic reactor sieves
The Retention Sieves
Rectangular covered concrete reactors
Circular Steel Reactors (Bolted or Welded)
Circular fiber glass reactors
Rectangular/Circular open concrete reactors
Reactors – new or existing
MBBR – Key Features & Benefits
• Very compact with strong ability to accept high loads
• Simple operation
• Robust biofilm process, recovers fast from acute toxicity and pH-shocks
• No clogging of reactors
• No sludge return – no sludge bulking
• Low loading on the sludge separation stage
• Flexibility for reactor shape – existing tanks or basins may be used
• The carrier elements can easily be pumped in and out of the reactor if desired
MBBR as sole biotreatment
MBBR as pre-treatment
MBBR as post-treatment
MBBR in activated sludge (HYBAS/IFAS)
Liquor Treatment - ANITAMox
Different Configurations
Swansea Bay WwTW, AS into MBBR
Swansea Bay WwTWUpgrade of Activated Sludge
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• Existing AS plant within a building – 4 lanes.
• Need for extra capacity but no opportunity to increase the footprint of the plant
• The solution was to convert the AS into an MBBR (more compact):
• 4 lines of 2 reactors. Total volume of 4,720 m3 (2,360 m3 K5)
Performance: • MBBR guarantee < 10 mg/l of SBOD• Performance test: SBOD out < 4.8 mg/l
MBBR as sole biotreatment
MBBR as pre-treatment
MBBR as post-treatment
MBBR in activated sludge (HYBAS/IFAS)
Liquor Treatment - ANITAMox
Different Configurations
Roughing MBBR (BAS = MBBR + AS) - Kima Egypt
Kima 1 - EgyptRoughing MBBR prior to AS
MBBR ahead of the existing AS
Kima 1: existing AS, capacity 21 MLD 35 MLD
Kima 1 Parameters
Units Inlet Outlet
Average flow m3/d 30 000
BOD mg/l 500 12
COD mg/l 1000 60
TSS mg/l 400 15
1) Remove a fraction of soluble COD (50%) upstream the AS
2) Improve the effluent TSS since direct discharge to the Nile
Increased COD load Increased Sludge Production Decreased SRT on AS
Two needs
MBBR as sole biotreatment
MBBR as pre-treatment
MBBR as post-treatment
MBBR in activated sludge (HYBAS/IFAS)
Liquor Treatment - ANITAMox
Different Configurations
Cudworth WwTW, polishing MBBR + DF
Cudworth WwTWPolishing after trickling filters
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2 Primary settlers + 3 Trickling filters + 2 Humus tanks
Need for an increased secondary capacity (design horizon 2025)
Influent Characteristics to MBBR (outlet trickling filters)
Parameter Units Value
Average flow m3/d 2946
FFT m3/d 5440
BOD5 loadkg/d 74
mg/l 25
NH4-N loadkg/d 44
mg/l 15
TSS loadkg/d 118
mg/l 40
• Design horizon for 2025 population equivalent of 10,693• Need for increased secondary capacity• Need for improved nitrification capacity, BOD and solids
removal
Discharge Standard
Parameter Unit Value
Total BOD5 as 95%ile mg/l 10
NH4-N as 95%ile mg/l 3
TSS as 95%ile mg/l 15
Cudworth WwTWPolishing after trickling filters
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Several options considered: • Gravity flow activated sludge + discfilters• Pumped flow activated sludge + discfilters• Additional trickling filter/humus tank + MBBR + discfilters
• 2 stages because low NH4-N (< 3 mg/l)• 1st stage operates at higher residual NH4-N and higher nitrification rates
Cudworth WwTWPolishing after trickling filters
NH4-N Units 2013 2014 2015 2016 4Yr
Design 95%ile mg/l 3 3 3 3 3
Actual 95%ile mg/l 0.78 0.49 0.77 0.76 0.71
Average mg/l 0.25 0.20 0.24 0.18 0.22
Max mg/l 2.4 1.36 2.0 1.5 2.4
MBBR as sole biotreatment
MBBR as pre-treatment
MBBR as post-treatment
MBBR in activated sludge (HYBAS/IFAS)
Liquor Treatment - ANITAMox
Different Configurations
Veolia biofilm based solutions
• Keep the sludge recirculation of the AS• Media only in a fraction of the AS
HYBAS or IFAS (MBBR in AS)
• Fast growing bacteria (heterotrophs, aerobic & denitrifiers) grow in MLSS
• Slow growing bacteria (nitrifiers) grow in the biofilm on the media since not enough SRT in MLSS
• Upgrading carbon removal AS to nitrification or total nitrogen removal without any tank expansion
• Adding carriers for nitrification in a fraction of the existing AS reactor
HYBAS APPLICATION
Marquette-les-Lille WwTW, France
Challenges: o Increasing populationo Strict nitrogen demandso Relatively limited space available
Lille WwTW Upgrade of an AS plant into Europe’s largest HYBAS
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HYBAS!• More compact than AS (55,000 m3) Fit in the available volume
• Lower sludge age higher biogas efficiency in anaerobic digestion • Biological P removal as in AS• Less carriers than pure MBBR (7,600 m3 of Chip M)
• Only nitrification on carriers• Chemical free TSS separation unlike pure MBBR and Biostyr• Robust facing peak loads and toxicity
• Nitrifiers in the biofilm more protected than in floc
Processes evaluated: • AS: Too large• SBR: Preference for continuous operation• Pure MBBR: most compact but higher CAPEX (carriers for COD removal, nitrification, denitrification)
• Membranes: high CAPEX and complex operation• Biostyr: high chemical consumption for TSS separation
Lille WwTWUpgrade of an AS plant into Europe’s largest HYBAS
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PreAnoxDenitr. NO3-N RAS
AnaeroPromote Biolog P removal
PreDNDenitr NO3-N REC
HybasChipM carriers nitrification
PostNitNH4-N Polishing AS
PostDNNO3-N Polishing AS
ReOx• Remove remaining COD• Strip N2 (g) bubbles• Chemical P co-precipitation
Secondary clarifiers
TertiaryHydrotech filters
FeCl3 Methanol
3 identical trains:
Lille WwTW Upgrade of an AS plant into Europe’s largest HYBAS
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Design Parameters
Design data - Inlet to the Hybas™ (after Multiflo and with reject water)
Unit
Average flow 246,342 m3/d
BOD5 91 mg/L
COD 231 mg/L
TSS 114 mg/L
TKN 35 mg/L
TP 5 mg/L
Parameter ConcentrationBOD5 20 mg/lCOD 90 mg/lTSS 30 mg/lTKN 5 mg/lTN 10 mg/lTP 1.0 mg/l
Parameter ConcentrationBOD5 6 mg/lCOD 70 mg/lTSS 10 mg/lTKN 2 mg/lTN 10 mg/lTP 0.7 mg/l
Objectives in 2027:
Moyenne Flow outlet WWTP
Average conc outlet of the biological treatment (mg/l)
MonthMonthly averages
TSS BOD5 COD TKN N-NH4 N-NO2 N-NO3 TN Pt
JANVIER 160,511 2.2 3.1 19.6 4.4 1.7 0.2 4.8 9.4 0.9FERVRIER 162,925 2.4 3.0 23.4 4.4 2.0 0.2 5.4 10.0 0.8
MARS 148,024 2.5 3.1 20.6 4.3 2.3 0.2 4.8 9.2 0.5AVRIL 144,292 2.5 3.3 26.5 4.1 2.7 0.1 4.4 8.7 0.5MAI 120,768 2.4 3.0 26.6 3.3 1.7 0.1 4.2 7.6 1.0JUIN 108,019 2.7 3.1 25.9 3.3 1.8 0.1 3.5 7.0 0.7
JUILLET 97,098 3.4 3.1 26.8 3.5 1.7 0.1 3.8 7.4 1.1AOUT 101,571 2.1 3.0 23.1 2.1 1.0 0.1 4.9 7.1 1.4
SEPTEMBRE 116,356 1.9 3.2 19.2 2.5 1.3 0.2 5.6 8.2 0.8OCTOBRE 106,914 2.5 3.1 28.2 3.6 2.1 0.2 4.7 8.5 0.5
NOVEMBRE 141,024 2.6 3.0 22.7 3.5 2.2 0.2 5.0 8.6 0.6DECEMBRE 133,302 2.6 3.0 19.3 2.5 1.5 0.1 5.7 8.2 0.5
AVERAGE 2 3 23 3 2 0 5 8 1
Objectives today:
Results year 2012:
Already reaching 2027 limits
Reaching current limits and almost there with 2027 limits• Higher DO in HYBAS to lower the NH4-N• Boost P chemical co-precipitation
MBBR as sole biotreatment
MBBR as pre-treatment
MBBR as post-treatment
MBBR in activated sludge (HYBAS/IFAS)
Liquor Treatment - ANITAMox
Different Configurations
Conventional Nitrification- Denitrification vs Anammox
O2
NO3-
AOB
COD
Heterotrops
NH4+
NO2-
NOB
55%
45%
N2 + NO3-
Anammox
NH4+
NO2-
89% 11%
O2
(40%)
AnoxicAerobic
COD
(0%)
-60% O2 -100% COD
Big Savings ££££
Properties of Anammox bacteria & AOB/NOBs
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- Grow in anoxic conditions (oxygen-free)- Very slow growing bacteria (slower than nitrifiers) Need very high SRT
- High temperature ideal- Biofilm on the carriers optimum No washout- Biofarm concept to accelerate the start up 10% of the carriers are already
seeded with Anammox Reduce start up from 18 months down to 2-3 months
❑ Reject water from anaerobic digestion :• Low COD/TKN ratio• High Temperature
❑ Research going on for mainstream water• Soon full scale demonstration
Five Fords WwTW, ANITA Mox
Five Fords WwTWFlexible & robust liquor treatment
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Five Fords WwTP (Wales), 170 000 PE
- Able to remove up to 85% of ammonia- Robust (THP generates toxics- Compact (optimised CAPEX)- Competitive OPEX
Problem:• Increase amount of the sludge to treat within the anaerobic digestion• Implementation of Thermal Hydrolysis within the anaerobic digestion
• Higher nitrogen release (2,000 mg/L TKN)
N out from the sludge treatment unit 25% of the N in the mainstream plant
Need to treat this in a sidestream process
Requirements from the client
Five Fords WwTWFlexible & robust liquor treatment
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Reactor volume: 927 m3Media volume: 410 m3 of K5
SOLUTION: HYBAS ANITAMOX
Current status:• Civil construction done• Commissioning – start-up Q1 2019
Considerations to take for THP water:• Dilution water needed Dilute the high N and toxic organic compound concentrations
• 1.4 treated effluent / 1 THP reject water• Buffer tank upstream the HYBAS Anitamox Sludge centrifuges do not operate 24/7
Q & A
Bruno Bigot – Chief Technical Officer, Northern Europe
07775 561 [email protected]
William Jeal – Sales Manager
07825 088 [email protected]