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Lecture 10 - Trickling Filters

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215 views12 pages

Lecture 10 - Trickling Filters

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Damn son
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lecture 10 : Trickling Filters

Prepared by : Prof. Emeritus M. Feroze Ahmed

Learning Objectives

1. Basic Principles of sewage treatment by trickling filters


2. Empirical equations for computation efficiencies
3. Design of trickling filters
TRICLKLING FILTERS

Trickling filters are artificial beds of stones or artificial porous medial through which settled sewage is
percolated for removal of organic materials present in sewage. The liquid sewage is applied
intermittently or continuously over the to surface of the filter bed by means of distributors. The
sewage promotes the growth of microorganism on the media. The organic materials present in sewage
is adsorbed on the biological attached growth on the media and used by the microorganisms in attached
growth for energy and reproduction (Fig.1) The filtered liquid is collected at the bottom and discharged
to a clarifier through an under drainage system (Fig.2). The fig.2 shows the flow diagram of a single
stage trickling Filter Plant. Fig.2 shows sectional elevation of Tricking Filter bed.

Sewage

Crashed Stone,
Biological Growth Transfer of Organics
Recirculation

Preparatory Primary TRICKLING Final


Inflow Treatment Clarifier FILTER Clarifier Effluent

Sludge Sludge
Digester Disposal

Fig.2: Flow Diagram of a Trickling Filter Plant

Recirculation
Recirculation is the return of a portion of the treated or partially treated sewage to the treatment process.
Usually the return is from the effluent of the final clarifies(sedimentation) to the influent of primary clarifier
(sedimentation).

Purposes of Recirculation
(1) It provides a longer contact time in the filter bed and the sewage is diluted due to recirculation.
(2) The flow through the filter bed can be maintained constant by regulating the recirculated amount.
(3) Seeding the filter is continuous with active organism and enzyme due to recirculation.
(4) It remove the worn-out films and reduce the film thickness around the medium.
(5) The effluent quality is improved and thus improves the efficiency of filtration.
Distributors
Tension Rods
(Sprinklers)

Influent Effluent
Under Drainage System
SECTIONAL ELEVATION

Distributors
(Sprinklers)

PLAN

Fig.3 : DETAILS OF A TRICKLING FILTER UNIT


DESIGN OF TRICKLING FILTERS

There are many variable that may affect the performance and thus the desig of
trickling Filters. Some of the factors to be considered in the design of trickling filters
are:
(1) Composition and characteristics of sewage to be treated
(2) Organic and hydraulic loading on the filters
(3) Pretreatment by sedimentation
(4) Recirculation ratio and systems
(5) Filter beds, their volume, area and depth
(6) Filter media to be used, primarily the surface area of the media
(7) Aeration and presence of oxygen in the beds.
(8) Temperature of operation

The efficiency of Trickling Filters are determined by using empirical formula


developed on the basis of operation and evaluation of number of tricking filters.
1. Eckenfelder Formula

Trickling Filter (TF) can have linear flow TF


And re-circulated flow. TF without Recirculation

The BOD removal of a domestic sewage can be computed using the following
Eckenfelder Formula:

… … (1)

Where Le = BOD concentration of the filter effluent


Li = BOD concentration applied to the filter
D = Depth of the filter, ft.
Q = Hydraulic loading, mgad (Million Gallon/acre/day)
When circulation is used the influent BOD
is diluted by the recirculated flow. The applied R
BOD lf can be calculated by the eqn.: li lf
TF le

… (2) TF with Recirculation


Where R = Recirculation ratio.
The filter performance of a recirculated filter can be calculated by combining
Eqns. (1) and qn. 2) as:

… … … (3)

The BOD removal in trickling filter is affected by climatic conditions in the


same way that other biological processes are affected by temperature. The
effect of temperature on the performance of trickling filter can be expressed by
the relationship:
ET = E20 1.035 (T-20) … … … (4)
Where ET is the BOD removal efficiency at ToC
E20 = BOD removal efficiency at 20oC
Example 1: Compute the BOD removal from a settled domestic sewage in a
6 ft. deep trickling filter with a hydraulic loading of 15 mgad without
recirculation.
Solution: using Eqn. (1) Le/Li = 100/[1 + 2.5 (D0.67/Q0.5)]
= 100/1 + 2.5 ( 6 0.67/150.50)
= 100/1 + 2.5 ( 0.86) = 100/3.15 = 31.8%
BOD Remoal = 100 – 31.8 = 68.2 percent

Example 2: The BOD removal efficiency at 20oC was 71%. What will be the
BOD removal at 24oC.
Solution: Using Eqn. (4) E24 = E20 (1.035)24-20 = 71 (1.035) 4 = 81.4 percent

Example 3 : Compute the recirculation ratio to obtain 90% efficency from a


filter of 5 ft deep and a hydraulic loading of 15 mgad.

Solution :Using Eqn. (3) , Le/Li = 100 -90 = 10; D0.67/Q0.50 = (5)
0.67
/(15)0.50 = 0.74
Le/Li = 100/ (1+R) [ 1+ 2.5 ( 0.74)] – R = 10
Solving the above eqn., R = 3.88.
Recirculated to incoming sewage flow ration is 3.88 : 1
2. National Research Council (USA) Formula
R1 R2
The National Research Council developed on of
the more popular relationship for computation of
efficiency of Trickling Filter. The NRC formula for V1W1 V2W2
first-stage filter may be written as:
1st Stage 2nd Stage
… … … (5)

Where E1 = Efficiency of the first-stage filter


W1 = Applied BOD load (5-day, 20oC) in pound in the 1st stage filter
V1 = Volume of filter medial of the 1st stage filter, acre-ft
F1 = Recirculation factor of the 1st stage filter = (1 + R) / (1 + 0.1R)2 (6)
Where R = Ratio of recirculated flow to incoming flow
For 2nd stage filter, the efficiency equation becomes

… … (7)

Where E2 = Efficiency of 2nd stage filter


W2 = BOD load (5-day, 20oC) applied to 2nd stage filter, lb
V2 =Volume of the 2nd stage filter media , acre-ft
F2 = Recirculation factor of the 2nd stage filter
Example 1: Find (a) acre-ft of filtering media required to effect 85% removal
from 10 mgd (million Gallon per day) containing 180 mg/L of 5-day BOD when
it is applied to a single stage trickling filter (b) BOD loading of the filter per
acre-ft and (c ) the BOD loading and hydraulic loading if the filter is made 6 ft
deep. Assume that the sewage is not recirculated.
Solution : Using Eqn. (5) E1 = 100/[1 + 0.0085 (W1/V1F1)1/2]
Since recirculation R = 0, F =( 1+0)/(1+01x0)2 = 1;
W1 = 180x8.34x10 = 15,000 lb
(a) Putting the values in above Eqn. 85 = 100/ [ 1 + 0.0085 ( 15,000/V1)]
V1 = 34.6 acre-ft.
(b) Volumetric BOD loading = W1/V1 = 15,000/34.6 = 433.5 lb/acre-ft.
(c) Surface BOD loading = 433.5 x 6 = 2,600 lb/ acre-ft; Area = 34.6 /6 = 5.56
acre
Hydraulic loading = 10/5.76 = mgd/acre.day
Example 2 : A two stage trickling filter is to treat 1.12 mgd of raw sewage with a
BOD of 265 mg/l The filter (both the filters are of equal size) are to be designed
for a loading of 2800 lb of BOD of the raw sewage per acre-ft.. The recirculation
ratio is 1.1. What will be the BOD of the final effluent, if 30% of the BOD is
removed by the primary clarifier.

Solution : BOD load to be applied to filter = (265x8.34x1.12) x( 1 – 0.3) = 1855 lb


Required volume of the filter = BOD load/ allowable load per volume =
1855/28000 = 0.662 acre-ft
Volume of each filter = 0.661/ 2 = 0.331 acre-ft.
Recirculation factor , F = ( 1 +.1)/ ( 1 + 0.1 x 1.1) 2 = 1.71
BOD Loading of the 1st stage filter is 1855 lb
Efficiency of the 1st stage filter, E1 = 100/( 1 + 0.0085 √( 1855/0.331x1.71) = 68%
BOD loading of the 2nd stage filter = 1855 ( 1 –0. 68) = 592
Efficiency of the 2nd stage filter, E2 = 100/ (1 + [0.0085/ (1 – 0.68)] √ 592
/(0.332 x 1.71) = 55%
BOD of the final effluent = 265 ( 1 – 0.30) ( 1 – 0.68) ( 1 – 0.55) = 26.7 mg/l
Example 3 : A trickling filter is to treat 2.2 mgd of sewage at a rate of 500,000
gpd per acre-ft. The average BOD of the applied sewage is 130 mg/l. There is no
limit on organic loading but the depth of the filter cannot exceed 6.33 in tropical
condition. What should be the size of the filter if two units are to be installed.

Solution: Volume of the filter = 2,200,000/500,000 = 4.4 acre=ft.


Area of the filter = Volume of the filter /depth = 4.4/6.33 = 0.7 acre -30,300 sft
Area of each filter = 30,000/2 = 15,000 sft = π(d/2)2,
Diameter of each filter, d = √ (15,000/0.785) = 140 ft.

Exercise

1. State the mechanism of removal of organics in by trickling filter process


2. What are the purposes of recirculation in a trickling filter
3. Draw neat diagram of a trickling filter and explain the working principles
4. Design a trickling filter unit using both Eckenfelder and National Research
Council Formula to treat 1 mgd of sewage having a BOD of 200 mg/l with
a recirculation ratio of 1. The effluent BOD will be less than 50 mg/l and
the depth of filter bed will not exceed 5 ft.. Assume any data, if required.

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