FILTRATION

Water Treatment Course

FILTRATION
Filtration: Removal of colloidal (usually destabilized)
and suspended material from water by passage
through layers of porous media.

2
FILTRATION
 Filtration involves the removal of suspended
particles from the water by passing it through a
layer or bed of a porous granular material, such as
sand.
 Filtration Spectrum
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE OPTICAL MICROSCOPE VISIBLE TO NAKED EYE

IONS MOLECULES MACRO MOLECULES MICRO PARTICLES MACRO PARTICLES

MICRON

Angström
Molecular
weight
Sugars Viruses
Algae and protozoans
Dissolved salts
Bacteria
Pesticides
Colloids
Metal ions Sands
Humic acids

Reverse Osmosis Microfiltration

Nanofiltration
Ultrafiltration CONVENTIONAL FILTRATION

Note : 1 Angström = 10-10 meter = 10-4 micron

4
Membrane filtration Granular filtration
CLASSIFICATION OF FILTERS
 Based on the filter media
 Sand filters, e.g. natural silica sand
 Anthracite filters, e.g. crushed anthracitic coal
 Diatomaceous earth filters, e.g. diatomaceous earth
 Metal fabric filters (microstrainers), e.g. stainless
steel fabric filter.
 Based on the depth of filter media
 Deep granular filters, e.g. sand, dual-media and
multi-media (combination of two or more media),
granular activated carbon
 Precoat filters, e.g. diatomaceous earth, and
powdered activated carbon, filters
CLASSIFICATION OF FILTERS
 Based on the rate of filtration, sand filters can
be further classified as
 Gravity filters
 Slow sand filters
 rapid sand filters
 high-rate sand filters
 Pressure filters.
RATE OF FILTRATION
 Rate of filtration (loading rate) is the flow rate
of water applied per unit area of the filter. It is the
velocity of the water approaching the face of the
filter:
Q
va 
As
where va = face velocity, m/d = loading rate, m3/d.m2
Q = flow rate onto filter surface, m3/d
As = surface are of filter, m2
EXAMPLE
 A city is to install rapid sand filters downstream of
the clarifiers. The design loading rate is selected to
be 160 m3/(m2 d). The design capacity of the water
works is 0.35 m3/s. The maximum surface per filter
is limited to 50 m2. Design the number and size of
filters and calculate the normal filtration rate.
SOLUTION
MECHANISM OF FILTRATION
 The theory of filtration basically involves, transport mechanisms,
and attachment mechanisms.
 The transport mechanism brings small particles from the bulk
solution to the surface of the media.
 (a) gravitational settling,
 (b) diffusion,
 (c) interception and
 (d) hydrodynamics.
 These are affected by physical characteristics such as size of
the filter medium, filtration rate, fluid temperature, size and
density of suspended solids.
 As the particles reach the surface of the filter media, an
attachment mechanism is required to retain it. This occurs due
to
 (i) electrostatic interactions
 (ii) chemical bridging or specific adsorption.
SLOW SAND FILTERS
 In slow sand filters water is allowed at a slow rate through a
bed of sand, so that coarse suspended solids are retained on
or near the surface of the bed.
 loading rate of 2.9 to 7.6 m3/d.m2
 The raw water turbidity has be < 50 NTU.
 The filtering action is a combination of straining, adsorption,
and biological flocculation.
 Gelatinous slimes of bacterial growth called ‘schmutzdecke’
form on the surface and in the upper sand layer, consists of
bacteria, fungi, protozoa, rotifera and a range of aquatic
insect larvae.
 The underlying sand provides the support medium for this
biological treatment layer.
CLEANING OF SLOW SAND FILTERS
 Slow sand filters slowly lose their performance as the
Schmutzdecke grows and thereby reduces the rate of
flow through the filter.  refurbishing
 the top few millimetres of fine sand is very carefully scraped
off using mechanical plant and this exposes a new layer of
clean sand. Water is then decanted back into the filter and re-
circulated for a few hours to allow a new Schmutzedecke to
develop. The filter is then filled to full depth and brought back
into service.
 wet harrowing, involves lowering the water level to just
above the Schmutzdecke, stirring the sand and thereby
suspending any solids held in that layer and then running the
water to waste. The filter is then filled to full depth and
brought back into service.
TYPICAL SLOW SAND FILTER

Raw water Weir

Supernatant
water

Schmutzecke
Sand filter
bed

Grave
l Finished
System of underdrains water
TYPICAL SLOW SAND FILTER
TYPICAL SLOW SAND FILTER CONSTRUCTION
DETAILS
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
 Advantages
 Simple to construct and supervise
 Suitable where sand is readily available
 Effective in bacterial removal
 Preferable for uniform quality of treated water
 Disadvantages
 Large area is required
 Unsuitable for treating highly turbid waters
 Less flexibility in operation due to seasonal
variations in raw water quality
DESIGN CRITERIA FOR SLOW SAND FILTERS
Parameter Recommended level (UK experience)
Design life 10-15 year
Period of operation 24 h/day
Filtration rate 0.1 – 0.2 m/h
Filter bed area 5-200 m2/filter (minimum of two filters)
Height of filter bed
Initial 0.8-0.9 m
Minimum 0.5-0.6 m
Effective size 0.15-0.3 mm
Uniformity coefficient <3
Height of under drains 0.3-0.5 m
including gravel layer
Height of supernatant water 1m
EXAMPLE. SLOW SAND FILTER DESIGN.
 Design a slow sand filter to treat a flow of 800 m3/day.
 Solution:
 assuming a filtration rate of 0.15 m/h,
 Required tank area = (800/24) x (1/0.15) = 222 m2
 Use a tank 23 m long x 10 m wide.
 From Table 6.1, the height of the tank require is:
 System under drain + gravel ≈ 0.5 m
 Filter bed ≈ 0.9 m
 Supernatant water ≈ 1 m
 Therefore, total tank height = 2.4 m and tank
dimension becomes 23 m long x 10 m wide x 2.4 m
high
RAPID SAND FILTERS
 The most common type of filter for treating
municipal water supplies.
 During filtration, the water flows downward
through the bed under the force of gravity.
 When the filter is washed, clean water is
forced upward, expanding the filter bed
slightly and carrying away the accumulated
impurities. This process is called
backwashing.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
 Advantages
 Turbid water may be treated
 Land required is less compared to slow sand filter
 Operation is continuous.
 Disadvantages
 Requires skilled personnel for operation and
maintenance
 Less effective in bacteria removal
 Operational troubles
TYPICAL GRADATION OF RSF

after backwashing, the larger

sand grains settle to the bottom
first, leaving the smaller sand
grains at the filter surface.

Allows in-depth filtration:

provides more storage space for
the solids, offer less resistance to
flow, and allows longer filter runs.
TYPES OF RSF
 Based on filter material rapid filters may be of
three types:
 Single-media filters: these have one type of media,
usually sand or crushed anthracite coal
 Dual-media filters: these have two types of media,
usually crushed anthracite coal and sand.
 Multi-media filters: these have three types of
media, usually crushed anthracite coal, sand, and
garnet.
 OPERATION OF A RSF

Terminal head loss.

Constant rate
filtration
GRAIN SIZE CHARACTERISTICS
 Sieve analysis  a plot on semi-log paper of the
cumulative frequency distribution,
 Geometric mean (Xg) and
 Geometric standard deviation (Sg)
 Effective size, E, or 10 percentile, P10,
 E = P10 = (Xg/Sg)-1.282
 Uniformity coefficient, U, or ratio of the 60 percentile
to the 10 percentile, P60/P10.
 U = P60/P10 = (Sg)1.535
 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF FILTER MEDIA USED IN
RAPID FILTERS

ANTHRACIT
PROPERTY UNIT GARNET LMENITE SAND GAC
E
Effective Size,
ES
mm 0.2 - 0.4 0.2 - 0.4 0.4 - 0.8 0.8 - 2.0 0.8 - 2.0

Uniformity
Coefficient, UC
UC 1.3 - 1.7 1.3 - 1.7 1.3 - 1.7 1.3 - 1.7 1.3 - 2.4

Density, ρρ g/mL 3.6 - 4.2 4.5 - 5.0 2.65 1.4 - 1.8 1.3 - 1.7

Not Not
Porosity, ε % 45 - 58 40 - 43 47 - 52
available available
Hardness Moh 6.5 -7.5 5.6 7 2-3 Low
 FILTER HYDRAULICS
 The loss of pressure (head loss) through a clean
stratified-sand filter with uniform porosity was
described by Rose in the following form:

where hL = frictional head loss through the filter, m

va = approach velocity, m/s
D = depth of filter sand, m
CD = drag force coefficient
f = mass fraction of sand particles of diameter d
d = diameter of sand grains, m
ϕ = shape factor and = porosity
FILTER HYDRAULICS
FILTER HYDRAULICS…
 The hydraulic head loss that occurs during
backwashing is calculated to determine the
placement of the backwash troughs above the filter
bed.

where De = depth of the expanded bed, m

 = porosity of the bed and s= porosity of the expanded
bed
f = mass fraction of sand with expanded porosity

Laminar Turbulent
EXAMPLE
 A dual medium filter is composed of 0.3 m
anthracite (mean size of 2.0 mm) that is placed over
a 0.6 m layer of sand (mean size of 0.7 mm) with
filtration rate of 9.78 m/h. Assume the grain
sphericity is = 0.75 and a porosity for both is 0.40.
Estimate the head loss of the filter at 15oC.
SOLUTION
 Calculate head loss for anthracite

 Calculate head loss for sand

Any Questions?