Rheological characterization of mixed liquor in a submerged membrane bioreactor: Interest for process management

Rheological analyses of a submerged membrane bioreactor mixed liquor were performed in the aim of characterizing the mixed liquor present in the bioreactor and thus proposing a process management. These analyses pointed out that the mixed liquor was characterized by its viscoplastic property, which leads to a possible restructuring ability when a shear stress lower than the yield stress is applied. As the shear stress in the bioreactor is essentially generated by coarse bubbles, specific experiments were carried out in which coarse bubbles were injected in an intermittent way. The results of these experiments showed that this method could avoid damage to the mixed liquor. So working with intermittent coarse bubbles is useful to prevent fouling, keep good flocculation and minimize the energy cost.