Air/Water Oxygen Transfer in a Biological Aerated Filter
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 2
Abstract
The oxygen-transfer characteristics of an upflow biological aerated filter filled with angular clay media were determined over a wide range of gas and liquid flow rates. Liquid-side, oxygen-transfer coefficients were measured using a nitrogen gas stripping method under abiotic conditions and were found to increase as both gas and liquid superficial velocity increases, with values ranging from 12 to based on empty bed volume. The effect of gas and liquid velocity, wastewater to clean water ratio, and temperature dependence was correlated to within of the experimental value. Stagnant gas holdup is roughly double in wastewater compared to clean water, but the dynamic gas holdup is the same. The oxygen-transfer coefficient is directly proportional to the dynamic gas holdup. Stagnant gas holdup does not influence the rate of oxygen transfer. The results suggest that dynamic gas holdup largely determines the specific interfacial area , whereas the interstitial liquid velocity largely controls the oxygen-transfer coefficient .
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Acknowledgments
Funding was provided by Degremont North American Research and Development Center, Inc. (DENARD) and Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology. The writers acknowledge Julie Petruska, Jody Smiley, Brandon Flint, and Gregory Brazeau, all from Virginia Tech, for their valuable assistance with the experimental work. They also acknowledge the Blacksburg and VPI Sanitation Authority Lower Stroubles Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility in Blacksburg, Va., as well as the Roanoke Water Pollution Control Plant in Roanoke, Va., for their assistance in supplying secondary effluent for the study.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 132 • Issue 2 • February 2006
Pages: 181 - 189
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 28, 2003
Accepted: Apr 22, 2005
Published online: Feb 1, 2006
Published in print: Feb 2006
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