Particles Capturing and Correlation with Head Loss in a Pilot-Scale Biological Aerated Filter

Abstract

Experimental observations of particle capturing through the biological aerated filter bed indicated that air flow rate plays an important role in head loss development by influencing the suspended solids distribution along the depth of the bed as well as the morphology of the deposits. The active height for the SS removal prolonged with the increasing of the air velocity based on the mechanism of first-order kinetics. With the increasing of the superficial air velocity, the effluent SS concentration and the time need to reach the stead-states after backwash both increased. The value of the SS spike in the effluent after backwash at superficial air velocity of 27 m/hr was nearly twice as much as that of 5.4m/hr. Distribution of the deposits at higher air velocity was more uniform. Deposits at lower velocity with air flow rate produced higher head loss gradient. The headloss increased with the increasing of deposits and the increase rate was faster when the deposits exceeded higher value.