MODULE-3

FILTRATION

Lavina E.J
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
IMPACT COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCE
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 FILTRATION

 After Removal Of Large Suspended Particles By

Screening & Sedimentation Still Some Impurities
And Fine Suspended Particles And Some Bacteria
Will Be Present.
 The Fine Suspended Particles, colloidal impurities
and Bacteria Which Are Not Removed, Further
Using Filtration Process Can Be Removed.
 “The process of passing the water through a thick
layer of sand and gravel which acts as strainer is
called filtration”.
FILTRATION MATERIALS

SAND
DIRTY WATER

GRAVEL
UNDER DRAINS
 THEORY OF FILTRATION

MECHANICAL STRAINING
SEDIMENTATION
ELECTROLYTIC ACTION
BIOLOGICAL ACTION
Filtration process
 Filter Media

Impure water

Sand

Gravel

Under drains

Clear water
 FILTER MEDIA

Sand
Anthracite
Garnet sand
gravel
 FILTER MEDIA
Sand : cheapest, widely used
Obtained from hard rocks such as basalt, trap & quartz
As a filter media it should be free from clay, silt, loam, suspended
matter & organic matter
Fairly uniform with proper size
When sand placed in HCl for 24hrs, weight reduction should not be
˃ 5%.
Specific gravity =2.55-2.65
Effect size= 0.3-0.55 ; uniformity co-efficient =1.3-1.75.
Ignition loss & wearing loss should not exceed 0.7% & 5%.
 FILTER MEDIA
• Depth of sand: 60cm-90cm
• Grading of sand bed used in Indian practice
Uniform grading is essential because it decreases the void
space & makes bottom & top of filter bed quality &
increases rate of filtration
Slow sand filters: effective size = 0.3 – 0.55
uniformity co-efficient = 1.75
Rapid sand filters: effective size = 0.4 – 0.7
uniformity co-efficient = 1.3-1.8
 FILTER MEDIA

• Anthracite : crushed anthracite, as a substitute for sand.

• Garnet sand : specific gravity = 4.2, dense material
high cost ; used as constituent in mixed - media filter.
• Gravel : clean, hard durable & rounded
It should be free from clay , loam, shells and foreign matter
It should not contain flat, thin or long pieces. Density= 1600
kg/m3
layers 5-6 ; finest is placed at top.
CLASSIFICATION OF FILTERS

Filters

Pressure
Gravity filters
filters

Slow sand Rapid sand

filters filters
 SLOW SAND FILTER

Best suited Small towns

Principle Water is allowed to
percolate slowly through
filtering media.

Filtering action Combination of straining,

absorption & biological
flocculation.
SLOW SAND FILTER
SLOW SAND FILTER
 RAPID SAND FILTER

Best suited Commonly used.

Principle Water is allowed to
percolate slowly through
filtering media.

Filtering Filtering, backwashing

operation Filtering to waste.
RAPID SAND FILTER
IMPORTANT TERMS

Head loss across the filter

Terminal head loss
Water head
Filter media
Filter media depth
Effective size of sand
Uniformity co-efficient
Bed particle shape factor
Filter support
Under drains
Filtration
Backwash
Bed porosity
 Operational problems in R.S.F

• Mud balls
• Cracking of filters
• Air binding
• Media break through
• Gravel mounding
• Media boils
 COMPARISON OF S.S.F & R.S.F
Sl. ITEM SLOW SAND FILTER RAPID SAND FILTER
No
1 Area Large area required Small area required
2 Coagulation Not required required
3 Sand Media Effective size 0.2mm- Effective size 0.35mm-
0.3mm 0.7mm
Uniformity coefficient 2-3 Uniformity coefficient
1.3-1.8

4 Rate of 100-200litres per hour per 5000-12000litres per hour

Filtration m2 of filter area per m2 of filter area

5 Under drainage To receive filtered water To receive filtered water

system + pass water from back
washing at a very high
rate.
 COMPARISON OF S.S.F & R.S.F

Sl. No ITEM SLOW SAND FILTER RAPID SAND FILTER

6 Loss of Head 15cm-75cm 2.00-4.0m

7 Supervision No skilled supervision is Skilled supervision is
required required.

8 Cleaning of filters Scraping of 2-3cm sand Agitation & backwashing

from surface replacing it with /without the help of
with new sand . compressed air.
Long and laborious Short & speedy method
method

9 Period of cleaning 1-3 months 2-3 days

10 Efficiency Removing bacteria (98- Removing bacteria (80-
99%) 90%)
Less efficient in colour Very efficient in colour
removal removal
Pressure filter
PRESSURE FILTER
DESIGN & PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS

• Filtration rate
• Unit filter run volume
• Flow rate & volume of water filtered
• Backwash rate
• Selection of filter sand / other media.