Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor for Bioenergy

纸浆和造纸工业是加拿大的经济支柱之一。然而，废物管理一直是该行业面临的重大挑战。据估计，加拿大纸浆和造纸厂生产了大约170万公吨（干燥）污泥（2005年），需要进一步处理和处置。目前纸浆和造纸厂污泥管理的做法包括将工厂污泥用作脱水和干燥（这是一个能源密集型过程）后的低热值生物燃料，或作为垃圾填埋场或内陆复垦。然而，焚烧工厂污泥被认为是劣质生物燃料，由于高含水量。此外，工厂污泥的填埋或在内陆填海项目中使用工厂污泥面临成本增加和环境问题的挑战。因此，寻找一种低成本、环境可持续、长期的解决方案来处理纸浆和造纸厂的污泥对该行业至关重要。拟议的研究计划将侧重于开发一种创新的厌氧膜生物反应器（AnMBR）技术，用于从湿形式的工厂污泥中回收生物能源。预计拟议的研究计划将开发紧凑，高效的生物能源生产膜技术，其效率是目前技术无法实现的。此外，提高对膜污染机理和污染控制的基本理解将有助于提高AnMBR系统的效率。这项研究的成功将解决纸浆和造纸工业的污泥管理问题，并加强加拿大在废水技术方面的领导作用。

The pulp and paper industry is one of the economic backbones of Canada. However, waste management has been a significant challenge for this industry. It was estimated that Canadian pulp and paper mills produced about 1.7 million metric tons (dried) sludge (in 2005) that need further treatment and disposal. The current practice of pulp and paper mill sludge management includes the use of mill sludge as low heat value biofuel after dewatering and drying (which is an energy intensive process) or as landfill or inland reclamation. However, incineration of mill sludge is considered as poor quality biofuel, due to the high water content. Furthermore, landfill of mill sludge or the use of mill sludge in inland reclamation projects faces the challenges of increased cost and environment concerns. Therefore, finding a low cost, environmentally sustainable, long-term solution to handling pulp and paper mill sludge is of critical importance to the industry. The proposed research program will focus on the development of an innovative anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology for bioenergy recovery from mill sludge in wet form. It is anticipated that the proposed research program will develop compact, high efficient membrane technologies for bioenergy production with efficiencies that are not achievable with current technologies. Furthermore, improved fundamental understanding of membrane fouling mechanisms and fouling control will be developed to improve the efficiency of the AnMBR systems. The success of the proposed study will solve the sludge management problems of the pulp and paper industry and enhance the leading role of Canada in wastewater technologies.