Technical Paper
Design and Preliminary Evaluation of a Novel Gravity Independent Rotating Biological Membrane Reactor
2004-07-19
2004-01-2463
The integration of membrane-aeration technology with biological water processors has direct application to wastewater treatment in microgravity because of the ability to diffuse gases across the membrane without two-phase interactions (gas-liquid). Membrane-aeration bioreactors have demonstrated the ability to deliver a terminal electron acceptor (O2) and substrates (CH4 and H2) to biofilms attached to the membrane surface. However, the process performance of these systems has been limited by mass transfer constraints. A novel bubbleless membrane-aeration bioreactor was design and tested at Kennedy Space Center. The Aerobic Rotational Membrane System (ARMS) consists of a rotational membrane module inside of a pressurized reactor vessel.