Water Treatment Unit Sub-Systems in Linkebeek
Ready for the next round of tests and controls in Linkebeek are the water treatment unit's anaerobic bioreactor, ultra-filtering unit (anaerobic bioreactor's tangential unit), aerobic bioreactor and systems' utilities (electrical box and active carbon filtration). Interconnection and final tests are scheduled mid-September.
Each sub-unit is placed on a "skid", a stainless steel module which has been mounted on wheels so that the apparatus can be moved around. On the ultrafiltration skid is a tangential water filter which is coupled to the anaerobic bioreactor. Here, you will find a recycle pump and filtration modules. While the content of the anaerobic bioreactor is circulated inside the filtration modules, the water fraction is continuously pumped out through a porous membrane inside each module.
The second filtering phase follows the aerobic bioreactor. The activated carbon filter which removes colour from the water and the final micro-filter which removes any persistent particles can be found on the utilities' skid. This skid also contains the acid and base dosage system for pH correction.
While further evaluations and sub-unit controls are being carried out on the bioreactors currently on site, Laborelec and IPF are writing up the programming characteristics of the printed circuit boards for the station's electrical system. This step is important because it means that all possible scenarios need to be taken into account and provided for, before starting the programming and functional testing.
Picture: Station Mock-Up and Bioreactors at Laborelec - © International Polar Foundation