Résumé
Membrane Bioreactors (MBR) as a combination of biological wastewater treatment and a membrane separation step, showed high performances for organic and nitrogen compounds removal. However, this technology has high running costs linked to energy consumption for aeration. The latter has to be provided for the biological activity and for the membrane scouring that reduces membrane fouling phenomena. In order to decrease these expenses, an MBR called autotrophic was set. It is marked by low organic loading rates due to a physicochemical treatment removing more than 60% of the initial organic matter amount. Mainly, the autotrophic MBR is dedicated to nitrogen removal that can be influenced by the shortage of the organic substrate, needed to achieve the denitrification process. The aim of this work is the investigation of the behavior of such system and the identification of most determining parameters. Experimental and modeling studies were carried out. Two steady state experimental campaigns were performed at different organic loading rates and solid retention times. They were followed by an experiment at transient state induced by the nitrogen loading rate rise. Obtained results proved that operation at a COD/N ratio as low as 4.5 did not hamper the denitrification efficiency. Those results were reinforced by a dynamic modeling study based on a model called ASM3s-SMP that was developed and calibrated using the experimental results. Membrane fouling analysis during experimental campaigns showed low fouling propensities compared to MBR operating at more common conditions (COD/N>10). The mechanical cleaning effect due to the addition of a granular material to the membrane module was found insignificant in the case of these operating conditions.A steady state modeling study helped determining mathematical expressions of different variables, yields and rates describing the system operation. After a validation step based on simulations with the use of the GPS-X®Hydromantis software, these expressions associated to different modeling approaches (simple model, ASM1 and ASM3) allowed pointing out the critical operating and kinetic criteria in addition to the minimum COD/N ratio required for a complete denitrification reaction.