1.

Auto Backwash Gravity Filters (New Proposed)

1.1 Design Criteria
Design flow: Q = 16,000m3/d，equivalent to 666.67 m3/h = 0.185 m3/s

There are 2 lines of filters, 2 compartments of each line, and 4 in total. The flow capacity of
each Filter is 166.67 m3/h.
Backwash flow rate for each filter unit: take as 15 l/s/m2 = 54 m3/h/m2 = 54 m/h.
Backwash period: <5 min
Air-scour flow: 60 m3/m2/h = 60 m/h (once a week or as determined on site)
Water head loss for filter: 1.7m
Supporting layer: gravel, d= 6～8mm, 100mm thickness
Filter media: one-cristal quartzsand, d10=0.55mm，K80＜2.0，H= 800mm;

1.2 Design Layout

Filter area during backwash of one filter At
At = Q/V = 166.67/6.0 = 27.78 m2
Choose 5,300 mm (length) × 5,300 mm (width) which gives an effective filter area of each
filter 28.09m2.
Ad=28.09m2.
Flow rate with all filters in operation υall:
υall = 666.67/4/28.09 =5.93m3/m2/h ≈ 5.9 m/h

1.3 Inlet Pipe

For each line of filters chose DN300 as the inlet pipe.
V=166.7/3.14/0.152= 0.634 m/s

1.4 Clear Water Tank

The clear water tanks serve as backwash tank as well. The treated water is stored, and the
storage volume should be enough for supplying backwash water for one (1) filter wash. So the
clear water tank should share with another filter for safety reason. The backwash time is less
than 5 min. This gives a required volume of:
Q=54×5.3×5.3×5/60=126m3
The highest level of clear water tank is 1140.15, the lowest level is where the siphon destructor
is located. So the level should be lower than:
Water height H=V/A= 126/(5.3×5.3×2)=2.20m
Level should be 1140.15-2.2=1137.95m

1.5 Filter Height

Clear water collecting chamber: 0.85m
Filter plate 0.10 m (concrete for plate, ABS for filter nozzles)
Supporting layer (coarse sand) 0.10m
Filter Bed 0.80m (d= 0.5~1.1mm)
Backwash expansion 0.40m (during backwash)
Cone cover 0.75m
Backwash storage, height 2.25m (bottom of siphon breaker)
Safe margin 0.30m
Total height 5.55m

1.6 Filter Outlet Channel

Outlet water is collected by weir. Downstream of the weir is a channel for collecting treated
water. The weir for controlling the outlet level of filters has a width of 5.3m
q = 1.84H1.5 (for a rectangular, sharp edged overflow)
Where:
q: quantity of water per meter width 0.046/5.3 = 0.009 [m 3/m/s]
H: water depth above weir [m]
Trying 0.03m
q = 1.84×0.031.5
= 0.009 m3/m/s
So the water depth above weir is taken as 0.03m
The channel meets the water flow of each filter.
The width of which is 0.5 m ,the depth of channel is 0.7m ,chose 0.3m safe hight ，reasonable
flow rate is 0.8m/s,
Q=0.5×0.4×0.8=0.16m3/s >0.046m3/s (each filter actual flow rate) OK