Advanced control system for wastewater treatment plants with membrane bioreactors

An advanced control system for a wastewater treatment plant comprising:

• a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system comprising a plurality of membrane modules or units;
• one or more pumps and valves for controlling the flow of wastewater through the membrane modules or units;
• and a plurality of sensors for measuring one or more of MBR measured parameters selected from the group consisting of temperature of the stream flowing into the membrane modules or units;
• the flow rate of the stream into the membrane modules or units;
• the flow rate of the sludge stream out of the membrane modules or units;
• the flow rate of the permeate stream out of membrane modules or units;
• pressure of the flow into the membrane modules or units;
• pressure of the flow out of the membrane modules or units;
• the pressure of the permeate flow out of the membrane modules or units;
• one or more microprocessor based controllers that:
• (i) receives signals corresponding to the measured MBR parameters from the plurality of sensors;
• (ii) calculates Membrane Conductivity (Fxc);
• (iii) compares the calculated membrane conductivity (Fxc) to prescribed setpoints;
• and (iv) initiates a membrane cleaning cycle when membrane conductivity falls below minimum setpoint.

An advanced control system for a wastewater treatment plant comprising:

• an aeration or biological basin;
• an membrane bioreactor (MBR) system comprising one or more membrane modules;
• one or more pumps and valves for controlling the flow of wastewater through the membrane modules;
• and
• one or more microprocessor based controllers that:
• (i) receives signals from a plurality of sensors associated with the aeration basin including a dissolved oxygen (DO) probe;
• (ii) calculates or estimates the Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR) in the aeration basin;
• (iii) compares the OUR to a prescribed setpoint or desired range;
• and (iv) sends control signals to the one or more pumps or valves within the MBR system to adjust the flow of wastewater through the membrane modules or adjusts the influent flow to the aeration or biological basin in response thereto.