Highly flexible cables ensure reliability in membrane bioreactor production

Climate change and globalization are presenting the water industry with new challenges. The German government's "National Water Strategy" calls for the discharge of problematic substances into water bodies to be reduced, which requires stricter limits for wastewater discharges from sewage treatment plants. One solution is the use of membrane bioreactors (MBR), which achieve up to 1000 times better water quality thanks to membrane filters. Bacteria, multi-resistant germs and microplastics are completely retained, and in combination with powdered activated carbon, trace substances such as pharmaceutical residues can also be removed. MBRs therefore fulfil the new requirements of the so-called fourth treatment stage, which will also be required for many wastewater treatment plants in Germany in the future under the new municipal wastewater directive (KARL).

Membion GmbH has developed energy-efficient membrane filters that reduce the high energy requirements and space requirements of conventional MBR systems and also dispense with fine screening of the incoming wastewater. In a BMBF project at a wastewater treatment plant in the Eifel region, more than 90% energy was saved and 75% less space was required. The plant has been demonstrating these benefits since the beginning of 2022. Membion is thus leading the development of a new MBR generation that combines water protection, climate protection and economic efficiency. The end user's operating and environmental conditions are characterized by high dynamics and demanding framework conditions.

The application must work reliably in a humid environment and cope with both fluctuating volume flows and varying degrees of contamination.

The technical challenges for the components lay in the safe handling of the process media under varying physical and chemical loads and in guaranteeing a high level of operational safety while ensuring efficient water treatment. Through targeted technical measures, a strong performance was achieved and the desired water recycling of up to 90% was realized.

chainflex cables excel with their small bend radii, allowing for an exceptionally compact installation, ideal for tight and space‑restricted environments. Thanks to their small outer diameter, the cables can be used reliably not only inside e-chains®, but also outside them. In addition, chainflex order quantities can be customized to meet individual requirements. The online tools are accessible at all times and make planning and selection much easier. igus® customer support is available for questions about the product, which makes it even easier to use.

Due to the special cable design, no other market competitors could be considered, especially with the high dynamics and special technical environment challenges such as high humidity, the cables were able to fulfil the given application parameters reliably and effectively.

With chainflex cables, which are guided by various igus e-chains, the efficiency of the production plant is permanently guaranteed. The preselection of the energy chains and configuration via the online tool were completed quickly and efficiently thanks to the intuitive operation. The actual costs could be reduced and the performance of the application significantly increased.