An inclined plate coupled membrane bioreactor for treating feed water
having excessive level of nutrients in particular chemical oxygen demand
and total nitrogen and suspended solids has an aerobic bioreactor for
nitrification and aerobic biodegradation in which membranes are submerged
for permeate extraction, and an anoxic bioreactor for denitrification
within which the inclined plates are outfitted to confine as much anoxic
sludge as possible. An air oxygenating and an air scouring are
continuously provided to the aerobic bioreactor to maintain a desired
aerobic environment and to mitigate membrane fouling while an
intermittent air blowing is provided to the anoxic bioreactor to blow out
gaseous content generated through denitrification and to rectify the
uniformed flow along the inclined plates. The aerobic sludge is recycled
to the lower compartment of anoxic bioreactor and the supernatant of
anoxic bioreactor is collected as weir effluent and delivered to the
downstream aerobic bioreactor. Permeate is intermittently extracted from
the membranes by a suction pump. There is no excess sludge withdrawn from
the inclined plate coupled membrane bioreactor throughout the experiment.