CV6501 Water Treatment & Process Design

Part I

Dr. Katherine Dongqing Zhang

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Nanyang Technological University

dqzhang@ntu.edu.sg
 Course Outline

week 1 – Introduction and water characteristics

week 2 – Water characteristics, standards, treatment
processes & selection
week 3 – Coagulation and flocculation
week 4 – Sedimentation
week 5 – Filtration
week 6 – Disinfection and quiz 1
 Filtration

(WEEK 5)

Today’s Lecture
Flocculation and its applications in water treatment

Typical layout of a water treatment plant

TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Brief history of filtration;
 Principal features of rapid filtration;
 Properties of granular filter media;
 Hydraulic of flow through granular media;
 Filtration mechanisms;
 Rapid filter design;
 Pressure filtration.
5.1 BRIEF HISTORY OF FILTRATION
5.2 PRINCIPAL FEATURES OF RAPID FILTRATION
Types of Filters
CLASSIFICATION OF RAPID FILTRATION
SLOW SAND FILTRATION
SLOW SAND FILTRATION
 No need to be as uniform in size as in rapid
filters;
 No coagulation pretreatment and backwashing;
 Typical velocities are only about 0.4 m/hr; 50-100
times lower; require much more land;
 The low filtration rates cause particles to be
removed in the top few centimeters of the filter
bed.
SLOW SAND FILTRATION
 The surface of the bed forms a mat of material,
called a schmutzdecke, physically straining
smaller particles from the influent water.
 The schmutzdecke forms a complex
community that degrades some organic matter.
 Slow sand filters are cleaned by taking them
off line and draining them.
 Low construction and O & M cost; large land
area requirement.
RAPID SAND FILTRATION
Rapid sand filtration with higher filtration rate (100
times greater than slow sand filtration) has the key
features:
 The necessity of size uniformity;
 The necessity of coagulation pretreatment;
 The necessity of back washing;
 Depth filtration – better utilization of storage
capacity.
COMPARISON OF SLOW AND RAPID SAND
FILTRATION
RAPID SAND FILTRATION

 Most modern filters employ two separate filter

media in layers:
 The lower layer is composed of a dense, fine
media, often sand;
 The upper layer is composed of a less dense,
coarse media, often anthracite coal;
 The coarse upper layer removes larger
particles before they reach the fine layer,
allowing the filter to operate for a longer
period before clogging.
DUAL-LAYER RAPID FILTER
MULTI-LAYER RAPID FILTER
RAPID FILTRATION SAGES
RAPID FILTRATION SAGES
FILTRATION EFFECTIVENESS
5.4 PROPERTIES OF GRANULAR FILTER MEDIA
UNIFORMITY COEFFICIENT
SIZE DISTRIBUTION
SIZE DISTRIBUTION
SELECTION OF FILTER MEDIA
TYPES OF FILTER BEDS
Filters may be classified according to the types of
media used as follows:
 Single–media filters: These have one type of
media, usually sand or crushed anthracite coal.
 Dual–media filters: These have two types of
media, usually crushed anthracite coal and sand.
 Multi–media filters: These have three types of
media, usually crushed anthracite coal, sand, and
garnet.
SINGLE-MEDIA BEDS
 Well graded sand;
 Coarser (larger) than that in slow sand filter;
 Larger pores; less costs;
 Deep beds accumulate headloss at a low rate
leading to high capacity for accumulating solids;
 After backwashing, the larger grains settle faster
than smaller grains, resulting in stratification.
DUAL-MEDIA BEDS
 Upper anthracite layer remove both larger and some
small particles;
 Lower sand layer captures small particles;
 Suitable for raw water sources with rapid changes in
turbidity;
 Higher solids holding capacity and longer filter run.
MULTIPLE-MEDIA BEDS
 Anthracite, sand and garnet are used;
 Larger particle are strained out by anthracite;
while the sand and garnet trap the smaller one;
 Greater removal efficiency and longer filter run;
 Higher filtration rates;
 The ability to filter waters with higher turbidity.
TYPICAL PROPERTY OF FILTER MEDIA
MULTIPLE-MEDIA BEDS
GRANULAR BED POROSITY
5.5 Hydraulics of flow through granular
media

o Head loss: a loss of pressure (also known as

head) by water flowing through the filter;
Friction in a clogged filter causes the water to
lose energy,
 Head loss through a clean filter beds;
 Head loss in an particle-accumulated filter bed;
 The fluidization depth of the expansion bed
and the head loss during the back washing.
Head loss

Re=Reynolds number for flow around a sphere, dimensionless;

vF=filtration rate, m/s;
ρw=fluid density kg/m3;
ʋ=kinematic viscosity, m2/s;
d=media grain diameter, m;
μ=dynamic viscosity of fluid, kg/m.s;
Φ=shape factor.
HEAD LOSS IN A CLEAN FILTER BED

Darcy flow regime

HEAD LOSS IN A CLEAN FILTER BED
Carmen-Kozeny equation

head loss hf =
HEAD LOSS IN A CLEAN FILTER BED
CARMAN-KOZENY EQUATION
 For stratified beds consisting of mixed particles
homogeneously packed, head loss hf

hf =
HEAD LOSS IN A CLEAN FILTER BED
EXAMPLE

A rapid sand filter has a sand bed of 0.61 m in depth.

Pertinent data: specific gravity of sand = 2.65, shape
factor Ψ = 0.82, porosity = 0.4, filtration rate v = 6
m/h, and kinematic viscosity 𝓥 = 0.893 × 10-6 m2/s
(at operating temperature 25 °C ). The sieve analysis
of the sand is shown in column 1 and 2 of the table.
Determine the head loss for a stratified bed of mixed
particles homogeneously packed using the Carman-
Kozeny equation.
GIVEN
SOLUTION
 Filtration rate or approach velocity vF = 6 m/h =
0.00167 m/s;
 Reynolds number Re=
= (0.82×1.006×10-3 × 0.00167)/(0.893×10-6) = 1.54
 f’ = 150(1-e)/Re = 150(1-0.4)/1.54= 60.19
 f’(pi/di) = 60.19(8.7/1.006) =521 see next Table
 Head loss

hL = 0.68 m
SOLUTION
 HEAD LOSS IN CLEAN RAPID FILTERS
ROSE EQUATION
h v2
 1.067C D
l gd f 4

CV3501 (2008-09) Lecture 8: Sand filtration

v( d)
Re 

24 3
CD    0.34 for 1 < Re < 10 4
Re Re
24
CD  for Re  1
Re
for stratified beds
h 1.067 V 2 CD x
l

g e 4  d
EXAMPLE
Find head loss in clean filter bed. Bed depth = 1 m, grain size
d = 1 mm, filtration rate νF = 100 m3/m2.d, f = 0.4, shape
factor ψ = 0.8; kinematic viscosity 𝓥 = 0.893 × 10-6 m2/s.

CV3501 (2008-09) Lecture 8: Sand filtration

Solution
Filtration rate νF = 100/(3600 x 24) = 1.16 x 10-3m/s .
v( d)
Re   0.95

24
CD   25.3
Re
h v2
 1.067C D  0.18
gd f 4 47
l
EXAMPLE
A Water Treatment Plant having a maximum design
capacity of 1 × 105 m3/d has eight rapid filter beds,
each unit being 12.5 m × 10 m (long × wide). Locally
available sand is to be used as the filter media with the
size of 1 mm. From laboratory examinations, the shape
factor of the filter sand was found to be 0.75 and its
porosity was 0.4. The average water temperature was
25 °C with kinematic viscosity = 0.893 × 10-6 m2/s at
25 °C.
If the filter sand is to be placed to a depth of 1 m,
compute the initial head loss for filtration using Rose
equation.
INDICATOR AND METHODS OF BACKWASHING
Indicator:
 Head loss is so high that the filter no longer
produces water at the desired rate – Terminal
Head Loss;
 Increasing effluent turbidity or particle counts (>
0.3 ntu);
Methods:
 Water backwash with full fluidization;
 Surface wash plus fluidized bed backwash;
 Air scour-assisted backwash.
FILTER BED EXPANSION
Fg= mg = (ρp- ρw)(1- εe)ALeg
hL = Fg/A ρwg

εe = porosity of expanded bed; vb = backwash flow rate;

vs = settling velocity; Le: length of expanded bed; ρ = density.
HEAD LOSS DURING BACKWASH
FIXED AND EXPANDED BEDS
HEAD LOSS DURING BACKWASH
EXAMPLE
Given f = 0.4, vs = 0.12 m/s and dimension of filter unit (4.5
m x 9.1 m), find 1) backwash velocity that will expand the
bed by 30%, and 2) backwash volume assuming backwash

CV3501 (2008-09) Lecture 8: Sand filtration

time = 6 min.
le  1 f 
   1.3
 Bed expansion = 30% =>
l  1  fe 
 fe  0.54

 vb= vsfe4.5 = (0.12)(0.54)4.5 = 0.0075 m/s

 Backwash volume = vb *t*A=(0.0075)(6)(60)(4.5)(9.1) =
111m3
59
MULTIMEDIA FILTERS
To minimize intermixing of media grains during
backwashing, different media type should have
about the same settling velocity:

2
 Ss1  1 3

d2  d1  
 Ss 2  1 
where di = diameter of media i with specific gravity Ssi
Example

Sand: d = 0.5 mm, SG =2.65; anthracite: d = 1.5 mm,

SG = 1.7. Check if the two media are compatible:

CV3501 (2008-09) Lecture 8: Sand filtration

2
 Ss1  1  3

d2  d1  
 Ss 2  1 
2 2
 Ssand  1  3
 2.65  1  3
danthracite  dsand    0.5    0.89
 Santhracite  1   1.7  1 

Anthracite of size 1.5 mm (≠ 0.89 mm) is not

compatible. 61
SUPPLEMENTARY BACKWASH SYSTEM
SURFACE AIR WASH
AIR SCOUR-ASSISTED BACKWASH
 CV3501 (2008-09) Lecture 8: Sand filtration
65
5.6 FILTRATION MECHANISMS
FUNDAMENTAL DEPTH FILTRATION THEORY
(MICROSCOPIC MODEL)
FUNDAMENTAL DEPTH FILTRATION THEORY
(MICROSCOPIC MODEL)

L: depth of filter, m; d: diameter of filter, m;

Dc: diameter of collector (media grain), m;
Ci: particle concentrations in influent, mg/L;
Ce: particle concentration in effluent, mg/L;
ε: porosity;
α: attachment efficiency, dimensionless;
η: transport efficiency, dimensionless.
FUNDAMENTAL DEPTH FILTRATION THEORY
(MICROSCOPIC MODEL)

ηG: transport efficiency due to gravity, dimensionless.

ηD: transport efficiency due to diffusion, dimensionless.
ηI: transport efficiency due to interception, dimensionless.
vS: Stokes’ settling velocity, m/s.
vF: filtration rate, m/s.
dc: diameter of collector (media grain), m.
dp: diameter of particle, m.
FUNDAMENTAL DEPTH FILTRATION THEORY
(MICROSCOPIC MODEL)
FUNDAMENTAL DEPTH FILTRATION THEORY
(MICROSCOPIC MODEL)
FUNDAMENTAL DEPTH FILTRATION THEORY
(MICROSCOPIC MODEL)
FUNDAMENTAL DEPTH FILTRATION THEORY
(MICROSCOPIC MODEL)

ɑ=1
FUNDAMENTAL DEPTH FILTRATION THEORY
(MICROSCOPIC MODEL)

ɛ = 0.45 ɑ = 1
PHENOMENOLOGICAL DEPTH FILTRATION THEORY
(MACROSCOPIC MODEL)
PHENOMENOLOGICAL DEPTH FILTRATION THEORY
(MACROSCOPIC MODEL)

tB: : time to breakthrough, h;

ϭB: specific deposint at breakthrough, mg/L
vF: filtration rate, m/s;
L: filter bed depth, m;
CI: influent concentration, mg/L;
CE: effluent concentration, mg/L.
PHENOMENOLOGICAL DEPTH FILTRATION THEORY
(MACROSCOPIC MODEL)
5.7 Rapid-filter design
PROCESS DESIGN CRITERIA
COMMON FILTER PROBLEM
COMMON FILTER PROBLEM
COMMON FILTER PROBLEM
COMMON FILTER PROBLEM
COMMON FILTER PROBLEM
5.8 Pressure Filters
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH (PRECOAT FILTRATION)
DIATOMS: THE SKELETAL REMAINS OF TINY
AQUATIC PLANTS
FLOW DIAGRAM OF A DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
FILTRATION SYSTEM
DE FILTER OPERATION
DE FILTER OPERATION