What is the difference between MBR, MBBR and MABR？

MBR, MBBR, and MABR look very similar because their abbreviations all contain the letters M, B, and R, but they are actually completely different process technologies. They each have different characteristics and application scenarios. In this issue, we will briefly introduce and compare these three technologies below.

1.MBR: Membrane Bioreactor(MBR) is a water treatment technology that combines a membrane separation unit with a biological treatment unit. The principle is: MBR combines biological treatment and membrane filtration technology, and through the dual effects of biodegradation and membrane filtration, it can efficiently remove organic matter (BOD) and suspended solids (SS) in wastewater.

Advantages: MBR has extremely high treatment efficiency and can produce high-quality effluent, which is very suitable for occasions with strict requirements on effluent quality, such as drinking water treatment, industrial wastewater reuse, etc. In addition, MBR occupies a small area and has compact equipment, which is convenient for use in areas with limited space such as cities. Its automated management method also greatly reduces the burden of manual operation.

Disadvantages: However, the investment and operation costs of MBR are relatively high, which is mainly due to the high manufacturing and replacement costs of membrane components. At the same time, membrane fouling is also a major challenge facing MBR, which may lead to a decrease in membrane flux and affect the treatment effect.

2.MBBR: Moving Bed Bioreactor(MBBR) uses the basic principle of biofilm method. By adding a certain amount of suspended carriers into the reactor, the biomass and biological species in the reactor are increased, thereby improving the treatment efficiency of the reactor.

Advantages: MBBR has high biomass and biological activity, so the treatment effect is good. The mobility of the biological carrier helps to reduce clogging and improve mass transfer efficiency. In addition, MBBR has strong resistance to shock loads, which makes it perform well in treating unstable or high-concentration wastewater.

Disadvantages: The filler in the reactor is in a fluidized state due to the aeration and water flow. In actual engineering, local accumulation of filler is easy to occur. Grids or meshes are often set at the outlet of the reactor to prevent the loss of filler, but it is easy to cause blockage.

3. MABR: Membrane Aerated Bioreactor(MABR) is different from traditional aeration methods. MABR uses a high-efficiency oxygen transfer membrane placed in the sewage biochemical pool to complete oxygen transfer. This oxygen transfer membrane allows oxygen in the air to diffuse into the sewage in the form of oxygen molecules, and water will not reversely permeate to the gas phase. No bubbles are generated during this oxygen transfer process, and the water depth resistance has no effect on the oxygen transfer process. The fan outlet pressure is low, and the power consumption is lower than the traditional aeration process.

MABR reactor principle and actual object

It can be seen that BR in the three processes all refer to bioreactors, so you only need to remember the difference in the first letters: the M in MBR and MABR both refer to Membrane, and the latter has an extra A, indicating that it uses membranes to transfer oxygen.

The M in MBBR stands for Moving, and together with the B (bed) at the end, it refers to the moving bed, which refers to the suspended fillers in the reaction tank.

MBBR and MABR are both biofilm methods. The core process is in the aerobic tank, which needs to be connected to a secondary sedimentation tank. The core process of MBR is to replace the secondary sedimentation tank.

Reading this, you must have a basic understanding of MBR, MBBR, and MABR, and be able to distinguish their advantages and disadvantages.