# US 2019/0168165 A1 · Membrane bioreactor system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168165 A1 - Document ID: US20190168165A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/205,713 - Filed: 2018-11-30 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01 - Assignees: Kolon Industries, Inc. - Applicants: Kolon Industries, Inc. - Inventors: Kwang Jin LEE; Hyoung Mo YANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168165A1 ## CPC - B01D 65/02: Membrane cleaning or sterilisation {; Membrane regeneration} - B01D 63/16: Rotary, reciprocated or vibrated modules - B01F 23/23121: {having injection means, e.g. nozzles with circumferential outlet} - C02F 3/1273: {Submerged membrane bioreactors} - C02F 3/20: using diffusers - B01D 2313/26: Specific gas distributors or gas intakes - B01D 2315/04: Reciprocation, oscillation or vibration - B01D 2321/185: Aeration - B01D 2321/2058: by vibration of the membrane, e.g. with an actuator - B01F 23/231231: {the outlets being in the form of perforations} - B01F 23/231265: {being tubes, tubular elements, cylindrical elements or set of tubes} - B01F 2101/305: {Treatment of water, waste water or sewage} - B01F 2215/0431: Numerical size values, e.g. diameter of a hole or conduit, area, volume, length, width, or ratios thereof - C02F 2303/16: Regeneration of sorbents, filters - Y02W 10/10: Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract Disclosed is a membrane bioreactor system capable of minimizing the energy consumption while guaranteeing excellent membrane cleaning effect. According to the membrane bioreactor system of the present invention, a filtration apparatus for solid-liquid separation is provided in an aerobic tank and a portion of fine bubbles supplied to increase the dissolved oxygen of wastewater introduced into the aerobic tank are used for cleaning the membrane of the filtration apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A membrane bioreactor system comprising: an aerobic tank configured to receive a wastewater from at least one of a flow control tank, an anoxic tank and an anaerobic tank; a fine bubble generator disposed in the aerobic tank to increase a dissolved oxygen of the wastewater introduced into the aerobic tank; and a filtration apparatus submerged in the wastewater introduced into the aerobic tank, the filtration apparatus disposed directly above the fine bubble generator, wherein the filtration apparatus comprises: a filtration membrane module; and a bubble-converting device disposed below the filtration membrane module and configured to convert a portion of fine bubbles provided by the fine bubble generator into coarse bubbles suitable for filtration membrane cleaning, wherein the bubble-converting device comprises: a case having a lower opening and a collecting space configured to confine the portion of the fine bubbles introduced therein via the lower opening; a main pipe extending downwardly from a circumference of a first hole formed in an upper plate of the case; and a branch pipe extending from a circumference of a second hole formed in a side of the main pipe, and wherein the main pipe is in fluid communication with the collecting space via the branch pipe. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The membrane bioreactor system of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the first hole is 10 to 50 mm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The membrane bioreactor system of claim 2, wherein the fine bubble generator is configured to provide the fine bubbles having a diameter of 1 to 3 mm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The membrane bioreactor system of claim 1, wherein the filtration apparatus is disposed opposite a wastewater inlet of the aerobic tank in the aerobic tank. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The membrane bioreactor system of claim 1, wherein an opening of the branch pipe opposite to the second hole is positioned closer to the upper plate of the case than the second hole. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The membrane bioreactor system of claim 5, wherein the opening of the branch pipe faces the upper plate of the case. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The membrane bioreactor system of claim 1, further comprising a vibration apparatus configured to enable a rectilinear reciprocating movement of the filtration apparatus submerged in the wastewater. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The membrane bioreactor system of claim 7, wherein the vibration apparatus comprises: a motor; a rotor rotatable by the motor; a shaft configured to convert a rotary motion of the rotor into a rectilinear reciprocating motion of the filtration apparatus; and a rail configured to guide the rectilinear reciprocating motion of the filtration apparatus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The membrane bioreactor system of claim 7, wherein the filtration apparatus further comprises a frame, and the filtration membrane module and the bubble-converting device are respectively installed in the frame. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The membrane bioreactor system of claim 9, further comprising a rod for coupling the bubble-converting device to the frame, the rod configured to enable the bubble-converting device to rotate on an axis of the rod within a predetermined angle range. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The membrane bioreactor system of claim 10, wherein the frame comprises a lower horizontal member having a third hole, one end of the rod is connected to the bubble-converting device, the other end of the rod is inserted in the third hole of the lower horizontal member, and a lower part of the rod has a curved cross section so that the rod can rotate in the third hole of the lower horizontal member within the predetermined angle range.