PULSED AIR BIOLOGICAL FIXED FILM TREATMENT

A HIGH RATE DOWNFLOW SPARGED BIOLOGICAL FIXED FILM REACTOR DESIGN HAS BEEN PROPOSED. THIS SYSTEM OFFERS AN IMPROVEMENT OVER PREVIOUS DESIGNS IN THAT INSTEAD OF CONSTANT AIR S SPARGING, THE AIR SPARGING TO THE PACKED SEED IS PULSED TO OFFER MORE EFFICIENT OXYGEN UTILIZATION. ANOTHER IMPROVEMENTIS THAT BECAUSE OF THE PULSING AIR, THE AIR HEADER SUPPLY C CAN BE LOCATED BELOW THE MEDIA TO PERMIT FULL USE OF THEM MEDIA CAPACITY FOR BIOLOGICAL OXIDATION AND FILTRATION. THISAUTOMATED HIGH RATE SYSTEM PROVIDES SECONDARY TREATMENT AT LOADING AT LEAST FIVE TIMES OF ACTIVATED SLUDGE AND NO CLARIFIERS ARE NECESSARY. AN 8-10 GPM AUTOMATED PILOT PLANTCONTAINS TWO CELLS. ONE CELL WILL CONTAIN A VOCANIC ASH M MEDIA AND THE OTHER ACTIVATED CARBON. THE MEDIA EFFECTIVE SISIZE IS ABOUT 3.5 MM. ACTIVATED CARBON WILL BE INVESTIGATED BECAUSE OF ITS POTENTIAL FOR USE IN THE BIOLOGICAL DEGRAD ATION OF INDUSTRIAL OR HAZARDOUS WASTES. THE TREATMENT PE PERFORMANCE AND OXYGEN UTILIZATION EFFICIENCY WILL BE CO COMPARED FOR THE TWO MEDIA. THE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE AND OXYGEN TRANSFER EFFICIENCY WILL BE EVALUATED BY TREATING PRIMARY EFFLUENT WASTEWATER AT A MUNICIPAL FACILITY. THE AIRSPARGE RATE AND PULSING TIME INTERVAL WILL BE VARIED AND THELEVEL OF IMPROVEMENT IN OXYGEN TRANSFER EFFICIENCY AND E EFFECT ON TREATMENT PERFORMANCE WILL BE OBSERVED. INFLUENT AND INFLUENT TCOD. SCOD. TSS AND TURBIDITY MEASUREMENTS WILLBE USED TO DEFINE TREATMENT PERFORMANCE. REACTOR DISSOLVED OXYGEN MEASUREMENTS AND OFF-GAS ANALYSES WILL BE MADE TO EVALUATE THE OXYGEN TRANSFER EFFICIENCY AT EACH AIR RATE ANDAND PULSE INTERVAL.