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Oxygen Transfer in a Full‐Depth Biological Aerated Filter
Author(s) -
Stenstrom Michael K.,
Rosso Diego,
Melcer Henryk,
Appleton Ron,
Occiano Victor,
Langworthy Alan,
Wong Pete
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/106143008x268452
Subject(s) - aeration , oxygen , wastewater , mass transfer , chemical oxygen demand , environmental science , filter (signal processing) , bubble , pilot plant , environmental engineering , chemistry , pulp and paper industry , environmental chemistry , waste management , chromatography , engineering , computer science , electrical engineering , organic chemistry , parallel computing
The City of San Diego, California, evaluated the performance capabilities of biological aerated filters (BAFs) at the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant. The City conducted a 1‐year pilot‐plant evaluation of BAF technology supplied by two BAF manufacturers. This paper reports on the first independent oxygen‐transfer test of BAFs at full depth using the offgas method. The tests showed process‐water oxygen‐transfer efficiencies of 1.6 to 5.8%/m (0.5 to 1.8%/ft) and 3.9 to 7.9%/m (1.2 to 2.4%/ft) for the two different pilot plants, at their nominal design conditions. Mass balances using chemical oxygen demand and dissolved organic carbon corroborated the transfer rates. Rates are higher than expected from fine‐pore diffusers for similar process conditions and depths and clean‐water conditions for the same column and are mostly attributed to extended bubble retention time resulting from interactions with the media and biofilm.