ENVE 302

Environmental Engineering Unit Processes

CHAPTER: 13

TRICKLING FILTERS
ROTATING BILOGICAL CONTACTORS (RBC)
Assist. Prof. Bilge Alpaslan Kocamemi
Marmara University
Department of Environmental Engineering
Istanbul, Turkey
1

TRICKLING FILTERS
Non-submerged fixed film biological reactor
A reactor in which randomly packed solid (rock or plastic) provide surface
area for biofilm growth

Ideal filter packing:

High surface area per unit volume
Low in cost
High durability

High enough porosity

2

Rock
low cost
Low void volume limits the space available for airflow and increases the

potential for plugging and flow short-circuiting

Plastic Packing
High hydraulic capacity
High void ratio
Resistance to plugging

Require less area due to ability to use higher organic loadings and taller
trickling filters
3

Ref: Metcalf & Eddy

PACKING MATERIALS

Distribution Systems
The application of wastewater onto the medium is accomplished by a rotating
distribution system
Distributor consists of two or more arms that are mounted on a pivot in the
center of the filter and revolve in a horizontal plane
The arms are hollow and contain nozzles through which the wastewater is
discharged over the filter bed

Nozzles are spaced unevenly so that greater flow per unit of length is achieved
near the periphery of the filter than at the center
For uniform distribution over the area of the filter, the flowrate per unit length
5

should be proportional to the radius from the center

Ref: Metcalf & Eddy

DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEMS
Figure 9-4
Typical distributers
used to apply
wastewater to trickling
filter packing: (a) view
of conventional rock
filter (b) view of early
rock filter with a fixed
distribution system (c)
view of top of tower
trickling filter with four-

arm rotary distributor

UNDERDRAIN
To catch the filtered wastewater and solids discharged from the filter
packing for conveyence to the final sedimentation tank
Precast blocks of vitrified clay
Fiberglass grating laid on a reinforced concrete subfloor

The floor and underdrains must have sufficient strength to suport the
packing, slime growth and the wastewater

 Underdrains may be open at both ends (so that they may be inspected
easily and flushed out if they become plugged)

The underdrains also allow ventilation of the filter, providing the air for
microorganisms

All underdrain systems should be designed so that forced air ventilation

can be added at a later date

10

AIRFLOW
An adequate air flow is of fundemental importanc to successful opertaion of a trickling
filter to provide efficient treatment and to prevent odor

Natural draft
Forced ventilation using low-pressure fans

In case of natural ir draft driving force for airflow:

temperature difference between the ambient air and air inside the pores
If wastewater is colder than the ambient air the pore air will be cold
direction of airflow will be downward

If the ambient air is colder than wastewater direction of air flow will be upward 11

Solids Seperation Facilities for Trickling Filters

differ from activated-sludge settling tanks
has a much lower SS content
sludge recirculation is not necessary

12

Effluent Recirculation
To dilute strong influent wastewater and supplement weak wastewater
To bring the filter effluent back in contact with the biological
population for further treatment
Almost always included in high-rate trickling filter systems
improves distribution over the surface of filters
Reduces the clogging tendency
If sufficiently high, aids in the control of filter flies
the increase in applied total flow increases wetting efficiency, thus
reducing short circuiting

13

Trickling Filters
Low rate filters
Intermediate-and high rate filters
Roughing filters

14

Classification of Trickling Filters

Low Rate Filters
Relatively simple
Low hydraulic loading
do not include recycling
produces an effluent of
consistent quality with an
influent of varying strength
only top 0.6-1.2 m of the filter
packing will have appreciable
biological slime
the lower portions of the
filter may be populated by
autotrophic nitrifying bacteria
can provide good BOD
removal and a highly nitrified
effluent

Intermediate and
High-rate Filters
(Biotowers)
recirculation of the filter effluent
or final effluent permit higher
organic loadings
either rock or plastic packing
recirculation = 1-3 times inflow
may be designed as single or
two stage processes
two filters in series operating at
the same hydraulic application
rate (m3/m2.hr) will typically
perform as if they were one unit
with the same total depth

Roughing
Filters
very high organic
and hydraulic
loading
plastic packing

Ref: Metcalf & Eddy

Ref: Metcalf & Eddy

Figure 9-2
Typical trickling filter process flow diagrams. Where used, the most common flow diagrams are the first two of each series

Single stage

Figure 9-2 (continued)

Typical trickling filter process flow diagrams. Where used, the most common flow diagrams are the first two of each series

Two-stage

Design of Trickling Filters

A) Single stage or two stage rock filters
NRC ( National Research Coancil) design model
For a single stage or 1st stage rock filter:
100

E1

1 0.4432

E1= BOD removal eff. for 1st stage filter at 200C including

W1
VF

recirculation (%)
W1= BOD loading to filter (kg/d) (not including recycle)
V= volume of filter packing m3

1 R
(1 R /10) 2

F= recirculation factor
F= recycle ratio
Frepresents the ave number of passes of the influent organic
matter through the filter

The factor R/10 accounts for the fact that the benefits of recirculation decreases as the number of passes
increase.
R=0-2 =QR/Q

Removal Efficiency of 2nd Stage for Two-stage Rock Filter

E2

100
0.4432 W2
1
1 E1 VF

E2=BOD removal efficieny for the 2nd stage at 200C (%)

E1=fraction of BOD removal in the 1st stage filter (%)
W2=BOD loading applied to the second stage filter kg/d (not
including recycyle)

The effect of ww temperature on the BOD removal efficiency:

ET E20 1.035 T

20

Example: Trickling filter sizing using NRC equation

A municipal ww having a BOD of 250 g/m3 is to be treated by a twostage trickling filter. The desired effluent quality is 25 g/m3 of BOD. If
both of the filter depths are to be 1.83 m and the recirculation ratio is
2:1 find the required filter diameters.

Q= 7570 m3/d
ww temp=200C

Bioremoval in primary sedimentation tank =20%

E1=E2

B) Trickling filters with Plastic Packing

for trickling filters w/plastic packing BOD removal is related to the hydraulic
application rate

Se
So

kD/ qn
e

GERMAIN eqn

Se= BOD conc of settled filter effluent (mg/L)

So= influent BOD conc (mg/L)
k= ww treatability and packing coeff (L/s)0.5 /m2 (based on n=0.5)
D=packing depth, m
Q=hydraulic application rate of primary effluent, excluding recirculation (L/m2sec)
n= characteristic of packing used
n normally assumed to be 0.5
Temp correction for k

kT k20 1.035T 20

k 2 k1

D1
D2

0.5

S1
S2

0.5

k2= normalized value of k for the site specific packing

depth and influent BOD conc
k1= k value at depth of 6.1m and influent BOD of 150
mg/L (L/s)0.5/m2
Table 9.6 (Metcalf & Eddy, 2004) k1 values at
200C from pilot plant studies for different

vastewaters

S1= 150 mg/L

S2= site-specific influent BOD conc (mg/L)

D1=6.1m packing depth (m)
D2= site-specific packing depth (m)

Another Approach ( Modified eqn)

Includes a factor for the specific surface area of packing & for recirculation
flow

Se
R 1 exp

So
k20AsDQT 20
qR 1 n

So= influent BOD (mg/L)

Se= effluent BOD (mg/L)
R= recirculation ratio (QR/Q)
k20= filter treatability constant at 200C (L/s)0.5/m2
As= clean packing specific surface area m2/m3
D= packing depth, m
Q= temp correction factor (1.035)
q= hydraulic application rate (L/m2s)
n= constant characteristic of packing used

Example: Design of trickling filter with plastic packing

Given the following design flowrates and primary effluent wastewater
characteristics, determine the following design parameters for a trickling filter

design assuming 2 towers at 6.1m depth, cross flow plastic packing with a specific
surface area of 90m2/m3 , a packing coefficient n value of 0.5
The required min wetting rate = 0.5 L/m2 sec
Q= 15140 m3/d

BODinf= 125 mg/L

BODeff= 20 mg/L

Min temp=140C

a) Diameter of tower trickling filter , m?

b) Volume of packing required , m3
c) Recirculation rate required , if any

Major Operational Problems of Trickling Filters

Cold weather operation
Freezing may cause partial plugging of the filter medium
Filter flies

High hydraulic loading rates and maintanance of a thin biological film asist in
washing the fly larvae from fitler before they can mature

Recirculation- increases hydraulic loading

The larvae look like small worms to the naked eye

Removed easily from the flow in secondary clarifiers which are provided with
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skimmers

Snails

In some areas, snails create problems in rock filters.

The snails feed on the slime growth, which is probabaly not harmfull
itself.

The difficulty lies in the snail shells which remain behind when the
snails die and which are gradually fill the void spaces of the bed,
interfering with the flow of both water and air

Removing shells

requires removing of medium

(very expensive, time consuming)

Control of problem flooding the bed several days

The snails will drown

As they decay the gases produced will buoy the shells to the surface
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where they can be skimmed by hand

Odor

Produced by anaeorobic activity within the slime layer

is reduced by high recirculation rates which thin the film and supply
additional oxygen

28

ROTATING BIOLOGICAL REACTORS (RBCs)

consists of a series closely spaced circular disks of polystyrene or polyvinyl

chloride that are submerged in wastewater and rotated through it

the cylindrical plastic disks are attached to a horizontal shaft and are
provided at standard unit sizes of approx. 3.5 m in diameter and 7.5 m in
length

The RBC unit is partially submerged (typically %40) in a tank containing

the wastewater

Disc rotatiom slow (1-1.6 rpm)

As the RBC disks rotate out of the wastewater, aeration is accomplished by

exposure to the atmosphere

seperate baffled basins are needed to develop the benefits of a staged

biological reactor design

Staging compartmentalization of the RBC disks to form a series

independent cells

2-4 stages for BOD removal

6-more stages for nitrification

stages can be accomplished

by using baffles in a single tank
by using seperate tanks in series

the complexity in the physical and hydrodynamic characteristics

require that;

design of the RBC process is based on fundemental information

from pilot-plant and field installations

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Conventional RBC in enclosed reactor

Conventional RBC with mechanical drive

and optional air input

Figure 9-11. Typical RBC units

(Ref: Metcalf & Eddy, 2004)

Typical submerged RBC equipped with air

capture cups

Submerged-type RBC equipped with air

capture cups (air is used both to rotate
and to aerate the biodisks)

Figure 9-11. Typical RBC units

(Ref: Metcalf & Eddy, 2004)

Ref: Metcalf & Eddy

Flow parallel to shaft

Flow perpendicular to shaft

Figure 9-12. Typical RBC arrangements

(Ref: Metcalf & Eddy, 2004)

View of RBCs with flow perpendicular to shaft

Step-feed flow

Figure 9-12 (continued) . Typical RBC staging arrangements

Tapered feed flow parallel to shaft

Figure 9-12 (continued). Typical RBC staging arrangements

37

38

RBC disks :
high density polyethylene
corrugated pattern (to increase available surface area)
partially submerged in wastewater ( typically 40%)
disk rotation slow (about 1-1.6 rpm)
Drive System:
Most RBC units are rotated by direct mechanical drive units attached
directly to the central shaft
Tank Dimensions:
Typical sidewater depth : 1.5 m
Enclosure:
In some cases, units have been housed in a building
protection against cold weather
aesthetic reasons

Ref: Metcalf & Eddy