Economic evaluation of submerged anaerobic hybrid membrane bioreactor operating at mesophilic temperature

Abstract A laboratory-scale mesophilic submerged anaerobic hybrid membrane bioreactor (AnHMBR) was operated for 270 days for treatment of high strength synthetic wastewater at different HRTs (3d, 2d, 1d & 0.5 d). COD removal efficiency of 92% was obtained with methane yield rate of 0.18 LCH4/gCODremoval at 1 d HRT. The results of lab scale reactor at 1 d HRT were utilized for up scaling and cost analysis. Cost analysis of the full-scale AnHMBR system showed that tank cost and heating cost accounted for the largest fraction of total life cycle cost. The heating cost can be compensated by gas recovery and heating of influent by permeate. Sensitivity analysis revealed that interest rates, influent flow and membrane flux were the most crucial parameters which affected the total cost of An-HMBR.