Abstract

The study and proposed methodology address the pressing need for sustainable water management in industrial processes. Focusing on enhancing water recycling and reuse, particularly from bottle washer wastewater, our aim is to reduce resource consumption and operational costs associated with wastewater treatment while maintaining water productivity improvement. After conducting a comprehensive study on various treatment processes, we designed and implemented a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) system. In the subsequent phase, we synthesized an antifouling Nano-filtration (NF) membrane to optimize filtration efficiency within the MBR. This involved thorough experimentation to assess numerous membrane parameters and simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics (the objective is to simulate various physical phenomena and properties of the membrane including fluid dynamics, mass transfer, thermal analysis to better understand its behavior and optimize its performance.) and Material Studio (primary aim is to simulate and assess material characteristics and behaviors at atomic and molecular scales such as molecular dynamics, quantum mechanics, crystal structure, and thermodynamics). Our findings suggest that the integration of this modified antifouling self-cleaning NF membrane offers a promising strategy for improving water treatment processes, reducing fouling, and ensuring consistent supply of clean water.

To streamline operations, GPS-X was employed for full-scale plant design, ensuring efficient and reliable performance. The results showed effective COD, BOD, and TSS reduction, supporting reuse for bottle washing (enhances production efficiency up-to 40%), cooling towers, and irrigation. This paper demonstrates the industrial feasibility and sustainability of nanocomposite MBR systems.

Keywords

Waste Water Reuse, Membrane Bioreactor, Nano Filtration Membranes, Process Simulation and Optimization, Productivity Improvement.

Acknowledgement

The author would like to acknowledge Eisha Qaiser, Sara Ejaz, and Wardah Hydri for their valuable contributions and support in the execution of this project.

Biography

Hifza Waseem is a recent graduate in Food Engineering from NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi. With a strong academic foundation and hands-on research experience, she has developed expertise in food product development, quality assurance, and innovative processing techniques. During her undergraduate studies, she actively engaged in research, including her final year project on wastewater treatment through membrane bioreactor technology, which she presented poster at the 1st International Conference of Food Engineering and the 3rd Sindh HEC Research Exhibition at Expo Centre Karachi.

Hifza Waseem

Affiliation

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Simulation and Optimization Approaches for Productivity Improvement in Soft-Drink Industry Wastewater Management