Experimental Study of Dynamic Effects of Iron Bacteria–Formed Biofilms on Pipeline Head Loss and Roughness
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 145, Issue 9
Abstract
This research investigated the dynamic effects of iron bacteria–formed biofilms and associated material accumulation on pipeline head loss and roughness for the Salt Interception Scheme (SIS) in South Australia. Two case studies were conducted in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipelines pumped with ground water that contained iron bacteria. The friction factor and equivalent pipe roughness were calibrated using the measured head loss and flow. The topological and microstructure of the material accumulation were studied, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis was used to reveal the bacteria that contributed to the material accumulation. The results showed that, for pipelines with various diameters but at similar initial flow velocity (Case study 1), the material accumulated faster and imposed more significant head loss in smaller pipes. For pipelines with the same size (Case study 2), the material accumulated faster and introduced higher head loss in pipes in which the flow velocities were higher. The conventional calibration approach that assumes a constant pipe diameter is not appropriate for pipes with excessive biofilm growth (as the case in this study). The approach that considers a 2-mm reduction in pipe effective diameter with every 1-mm increase in equivalent roughness produced friction factor and roughness results in reasonable physical ranges, and the calibrated equivalent roughness was generally consistent with the observed thickness of the accumulated material. The material accumulation was highly nonuniform, and comprised microbial iron nanowires. The nanowire had a helically coiled structure which was different from that of common brown compounds of oxidized iron. The bacteria Mariprofundus ferrooxydans were the producers of the iron nanowires. Overall, to limit the growth of iron biofilms and material accumulation in pipes used in the SIS, smaller pipes should be avoided, and use of the largest pipe diameter practical to achieve low flow velocity is recommended.
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Data Availability Statement
The pipe flow and head loss data measured and used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.
Acknowledgments
The research presented in this paper has been supported by the Australia Research Council through the Discovery Project Grant No. DP140100994. The authors thank Honor Year students Wei Chia, Michael McEvoy, Sarah Shelton, Thomas Bateman, Sophia Robertson, Adam Russo, Xuan Tran, Bharti Bhudia, Stephanie Catt, Margot Turner, and Amy Wood at the University of Adelaide for their contribution to the experimental work. The authors also thank SA Water for their support of this project.
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Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 145 • Issue 9 • September 2019
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©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 1, 2018
Accepted: Feb 14, 2019
Published online: Jul 10, 2019
Published in print: Sep 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Dec 10, 2019
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