Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor Technology

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor TechnologyMovingBedBiofilmReactorTechnology:ProcessApplications,Design,andPerformanceJamesP.McQuarrie1,JoshuaP.Boltz2*ABSTRACT:Themovingbedbiofilmreactor(MBBR)canoperateasa2-(anoxic)or3-(aerobic)phasesystemwithbuoyantfree-movingplasticbiofilmcarriers.Thesesystemscanbeusedformunicipalandindustrialwastewatertreatment,aquaculture,potablewaterdenitrification,and,inroughing,secondary,tertiary,andsidestreamapplications.Thesystemincludesasubmergedbiofilmreactorandliquid–solidsseparationunit.TheMBBRprocessbenefitsincludethefollowing:(1)capacitytomeettreatmentobjectivessimilartoactivatedsludgesystemswithrespecttocarbon-oxidationandnitrogenremoval,butrequiresasmallertankvolumethanaclarifier-coupledactivatedsludgesystem;(2)biomassretentionisclarifier-independentandsolidsloadingtotheliquid–solidsseparationunitisreducedsignificantlywhencomparedwithactivatedsludgesystems;(3)theMBBRisacontinuous-flowprocessthatdoesnotrequireaspecialoperationalcycleforbiofilmthickness,LF,con