Abstract
A numerical model was developed to simulate the non-steady-state behavior of biologically-active filters used for drinking water treatment. The biofilter simulation model called `BIOFILT' simulates the substrate (biodegradable organic matter or BOM) and biomass (both attached and suspended) profiles in a biofilter as a function of time. One of the innovative features of BIOFILT compared to previous biofilm models is the ability to simulate the effects of a sudden loss in attached biomass or biofilm due to filter backwash on substrate removal performance. A sensitivity analysis of the model input parameters indicated that the model simulations were most sensitive to the values of parameters that controlled substrate degradation and biofilm growth and accumulation including the substrate diffusion coefficient, the maximum rate of substrate degradation, the microbial yield coefficient, and a dimensionless shear loss coefficient. Variation of the hydraulic loading rate or other parameters that controlled the deposition of biomass via filtration did not significantly impact the simulation results.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 198-210 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Water Research |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2001 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) through the Abel Wolman Doctoral Fellowship Program and by the AWWA Research Foundation through Project 252.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords
- Backwashing
- Biofilm
- Biofiltration
- Rapid filter
- Sensitivity analysis
- Simulation model
