{"id":1818,"date":"2026-08-28T14:46:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T06:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/banott.com\/?post_type=news&p=1818"},"modified":"2026-08-28T14:46:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T06:46:39","slug":"submerged-mbr-membrane-modules-specs-and-sizing","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/banott.com\/de\/news\/submerged-mbr-membrane-modules-specs-and-sizing\/","title":{"rendered":"Submerged MBR Membrane Modules: Specs and Sizing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Banott Water Treatment Engineering Team \u2014 Published August 28, 2026<\/p>\n

Sizing a submerged hollow fiber MBR<\/a> train means converting a design flow into a required membrane area, then dividing that area by the area of one module. Banott’s hollow fiber modules span 3 m\u00b2 (MBRIII3C), 10 m\u00b2 (MBRIII10C), and 20 m\u00b2 (MBI120C); design flux, TMP range, and CIP conditions are confirmed as not yet published and must be requested directly.<\/p>\n

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Submerged MBR Membrane Modules: Specs and Sizing<\/p><\/div>\n

What “Submerged” Means for This Calculation<\/h2>\n

A submerged configuration places the membrane module directly in the mixed liquor tank, with permeate pulled through the fiber wall under vacuum rather than pumped across the membrane surface under pressure. That distinction matters for sizing because the driving force is limited \u2014 typical submerged systems run well below the TMP ceilings used in pressurized ultrafiltration, which is part of why fouling control and aeration design carry more weight in the sizing conversation than in a pressurized skid.<\/p>\n

This is not a definition article, so the rest of this piece assumes the reader already knows what MBR<\/a> is and moves straight into the module-count math.<\/p>\n

The Core Formula: Flow to Module Count<\/h2>\n

Three numbers determine how many modules a train needs:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Design flow (Q)\u2014 the peak or average daily flow the plant must handle, in m\u00b3\/day. This comes from the project’s influent data, not from a membrane catalog.<\/li>\n
  2. Design flux (J)\u2014 the sustainable permeate rate per unit of membrane area, expressed in LMH (liters per square meter per hour). This is the number that converts flow into area.<\/li>\n
  3. Effective membrane area per module (A)\u2014 fixed by the product selected.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The relationship is:<\/p>\n

    Required total membrane area (m\u00b2) = Design flow (m\u00b3\/day) \u00f7 [Design flux (L\/m\u00b2\u00b7h) \u00d7 24 \u00f7 1,000]<\/p>\n

    Module count = Required total membrane area \u00f7 Effective area per module<\/p>\n

    Design flux is the term that carries the most engineering judgment in this equation, because it has to account for peak-to-average flow ratios, temperature, mixed liquor suspended solids concentration, and the fouling margin the designer wants to hold in reserve. It is also the parameter Banott has not yet published for the hollow fiber MBR<\/a> line \u2014 see the flagged gap below before running this formula against a real project.<\/p>\n

    Confirmed Module Specifications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Model<\/td>\nEffective membrane area<\/td>\nConfiguration<\/td>\nDesign flux<\/td>\nTMP range<\/td>\nAeration\/scour rate<\/td>\nModule dimensions<\/td>\nCIP protocol<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    MBRIII3C<\/td>\n3 m\u00b2<\/td>\nSubmerged hollow fiber<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    MBRIII10C<\/td>\n10 m\u00b2<\/td>\nSubmerged hollow fiber<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    MBI120C<\/td>\n20 m\u00b2<\/td>\nSubmerged hollow fiber \u2014 classification pending confirmation<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\nNot published \u2014 available on enquiry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    The MBI120C’s naming pattern resembles Banott’s flat sheet series even though the resource library lists it under hollow fiber; this has not been resolved with the product team, so specify it with that caveat until confirmed.<\/p>\n

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    Submerged MBR Membrane Modules: Specs and Sizing<\/p><\/div>\n

    Why the Module-Count Answer Can’t Be Filled In Yet<\/h2>\n

    With effective area confirmed but design flux unconfirmed, the second half of the formula above has no right-hand side to solve. A worked example plugging in an assumed flux number would look complete on the page and be wrong in a tender submission \u2014 exactly the failure mode a design institute reader cares about most. Rather than estimate a plausible-looking LMH figure, this article stops at the formula and the confirmed area inputs, and treats the flux value as a request-for-data item.<\/p>\n

    Once design flux, TMP range, and aeration rate are confirmed, the worked example that belongs here is straightforward: pick a design flow, divide by flux to get area, divide by module area to get count, then round up to the next whole module and add any standby units the redundancy philosophy calls for.<\/p>\n

    Common Misconception: Nameplate Area Isn’t the Design Basis<\/h2>\n

    A frequent sizing error is using a module’s rated maximum flux as the design flux for the whole train. Rated maximum flux is a short-term, clean-water figure; running a submerged MBR at that rate continuously against real mixed liquor accelerates fouling and shortens the interval between chemical cleans. The design flux used for module-count math should sit below the rated maximum, with the margin sized against the specific wastewater’s fouling tendency \u2014 which is one more reason this figure has to come from Banott’s engineering team against actual influent data rather than from a generic catalog number.<\/p>\n

    Screening and Aeration Prerequisites<\/h2>\n

    Module count only answers part of the sizing question. Two upstream conditions have to be in place before any submerged hollow fiber module count is meaningful:<\/p>\n