Zhen He University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Sustainable wastewater treatment should significantly clean polluted water while minimizing energy consumption, improving water reuse, and decreasing the carbon footprint. To achieve this goal, exploring new treatment technologies becomes increasingly important. This research aims to scientifically investigate a novel membrane bioelectrochemical reactor (MBER) system for sustainable wastewater treatment that integrates ultrafiltration membranes into microbial fuel cells either in the anode (submerged) or the cathode (side-stream). Such cooperation between the two technologies enables a new treatment system to simultaneously treat wastewater in an energy-efficient way, recover electric energy from organic wastes, and produce high-quality effluent that requires minimal post-treatment. The specific objectives of this GOALI project are: (1) to understand the interaction between fouling-control methods and energy production/consumption in the MBER system; (2) to investigate nitrogen removal in the two MBERs with different membrane installations; and (3) to functionally scale up the MBERs system to a transitional stage. The project will systematically compare hollow-fiber membranes with cross-flow membranes in terms of treatment performance, fouling and economical cost. It will experimentally interpret whether motional granular activated carbon can provide colony sites for electrochemically active bacteria and collect electrons during organic oxidation. It will also examine whether both nitrification and denitrification can be accomplished on the cathode of an MBER system and understand the pathways in which nitrogen is removed. The scaled MBER system will provide a new research platform to bridge fundamental research and system development and fill the knowledge gap on how to scale up a bioelectrochemical system. The project will be carried out through close collaboration with Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, which will provide substantial support to the project through membrane materials, student training, data analysis, and other active communication/interaction. The project will also involve Pall Corporation, a leading company in membrane materials, as an unofficial collaborator that will provide guidance and help with membrane tests.
This project will provide new insights into the development and optimization of a new treatment technology through fundamental understanding of the key problems. It will also reveal the critical relationship between fouling control and energy, which will guide practical operation of the MBER system. The project will benefit the economy (wastewater business) and society (new technology for environmental sustainability) through advancing anaerobic treatment of domestic wastewater and interaction/collaboration with the water industry. The results from the research will help to improve the existing treatment process and to expand the scope of the business with cutting-edge technologies. The research findings will be integrated into current academic programs in environmental engineering to prepare future engineers/scientists for academic and industry careers.
