Trickling filter

Process Description
• TF consists of a bed of highly permeable media to which
micro organisms are attached and through which
wastewater is percolated.
• Air circulation in the void space, by either natural draft or
blowers, provides oxygen for the microorganisms growing
as an attached biofilm.
• During operation, the organic material present in the
wastewater is metabolised by the biomass attached to the
medium. The biological slime grows in thickness as the
organic matter abstracted from the flowing wastewater is
synthesized into new cellular material.
• The thickness of the aerobic layer is limited by the depth of
penetration of oxygen into the microbial layer.
 Trickling Filter (TF)- side view
– Trickling filter is an attached
growth process in which
rotating distributor arms
microorganisms responsible for
treatment are attached to an inert
packing material.
– TF consists of:
Packing
media • A rotating arm that sprays
wastewater over a filter
medium.
• Filter medium: rocks, plastic,
or other material.
Underdrain • The water is collected at the
bottom of the filter for further
Wastewater treatment.
 Types of Trickling Filters
1. Conventional trickling filters or standard
rate or low rate trickling filters
2. High rate filters or High rate trickling filters

Design of Trickling Filters

Involves:
1. the design of the diameter of the circular filter
tank and its depth
2. the design of the rotary distributors and under-
drainage system
 Design consideration
• Influent wastewater characteristics
• Degree of treatment anticipated (BOD & TSS
removal).
• Temperature range of applied wastewater
• Pretreatment processes
• Type of filter media
• Recirculation rate
• Hydraulic and organic loadings applied to the filter
• Under drainage and ventilation systems
 Filter media
• Crushed rock
– Free from dust and small pieces
– Size 25 to 75mm
– Durable & insoluble
– Locally available
• Plastic media
– Random packing media
– Modular packing media
 Flow Diagram for Trickling Filters
Recirculation= A portion of the TF effluent recycled through the filter
Recirculation ratio (R) = returned flow (Qr)/ influent flow (Q)

Recycle Qr
Final
clarifier

Q Final
Influent effluent

Primary Waste
clarifier sludge
Trickling
filter
Design consideration - Recirculation
• Why is recirculation required?
– maintain constant wetting rate
– dilute toxic wastes
– increase air flow
– recirculation flow dilutes the strength of raw
wastewater & allows untreated wastewater to be
passes through the filter more than once.
• A common range for recirculation ratio
– 0.5 - 3.0
 Single stage

a. PC TF SC

b. PC TF SC

c. PC TF SC
 Two stage

PC TF TF SC

PC TF SC TF SC

PC TF SC TF SC
Stone media filter
 Stone media TF design

• The design of the filter size is based upon the values of the
filter-loadings adopted for the design.
1. Organic loading rate
2. Hydraulic loading rate
1. Organic (BOD) loading rate:
– Is the mass application rate of organic matter per unit
volume of reactor.
– Expressed as kg of BOD/m3/d
– Typically, 0.320 - 0.640 kg/m3/d for single-stage filters
– Typically, 0.640 -0.960 kg/m3/d for two-stage filters
 Stone media TF design
2. Hydraulic loading rate:
– Flow per unit area (m3 wastewater/m2 filter*d)
– the rate of total influent flow is applied to the
surface of the filter media
– Total influent flow = the raw WW + re circulated
flow
– Typically, 9.4 m3/m2/d
– Maximum, 28 m3/m2/d
 Stone media TF design
• Filter diameter and depth is designed for:
- average value of sewage flow
• Rotary distributors, under-drainage system, and
other connected pipe lines etc. are designed for:
- peak flow and checked for the average flow
 Stone media TF design
• Efficiency of a conventional filter plant:
National Research Council:

• Where,  = Efficiency of the filter and its secondary

clarifier, in terms of percentage of
applied BOD removed
u = Organic loading in kg/ha-m/day applied
to the filter (called unit organic loading)
 Stone media TF design

• NRC (national research council) formula

100
E1  First stage or single stage
w1
1  0.4432
VF
where:

E1 = BOD removal efficiency for first-stage filter at 20oC, %

w1 = BOD load applied, kg/day
V = volume of filter media, m3
F = recirculation factor
 Stone media TF design

• Efficiency of High Rate Filters

• NRC formula
100
E2 
0.4432 w2 Second stage
1
1  E1 VF
Where:
E2 = BOD removal efficiency for second-stage filter at 20oC, %
E1 = fraction of BOD removal in the first-stage filter
w2 = BOD load applied, kg/day
V = volume of filter media, m3
F = recirculation factor
 Stone media TF design

• NRC formula
1 R
F
(1  R / 10) 2

where:
F = recirculation factor
R = recycle ratio(volume of sewage circulated
to volume of raw sewage)
 Stone media TF design

• The effect of temperature on the BOD removal

efficiency

T  20
ET  E20 (1.035)

where:
ET = BOD removal efficiency at ToC, %
E20 = BOD removal efficiency at 20oC, %
 Stone media TF design
Example 1 Conventional TF
i. Design suitable dimensions of circular trickling filter
units for treating 5 million liters of sewage per day. The
BOD of sewage is 150mg/l.

ii. Design suitable dimensions for its rotary distribution

system, as well as the under-drainage system.
 Stone media TF design
Example 2
– Calculate the BOD loading, hydraulic loading, BOD
removal efficiency, and effluent BOD concentration of a
single-stage trickling filter based on the following data:

Design assumptions:
• Influent flow =1530 m3/d
• Recirculation ratio = 0.5
• Primary effluent BOD = 130 mg/L
• Diameter of filter = 18m
• Depth of media = 2.1m
• Water temperature = 18oC
 Stone media TF design
Example 3
– A municipal wastewater having a BOD of 200mg/L is to
be treated by a two-stage trickling filter. The desired
effluent quality is 25 mg/L of BOD. If both of the filter
depths are to be 1.83 m and the recirculation ratio is 2:1,
find the required filter diameters.
Assume the following design assumptions:
• Influent flow = 7570 m3/d
• Recirculation ratio = 2
• Depth of media = 1.83 m
• Water temperature = 20oC
• BOD removal in primary sedimentation = 35%
• E1 = E2 = 0.65
 Stone media TF design
• Example 3

BOD=200mg/L Primary Secondary BOD=25mg/L

Clarifier TF1 TF2 Clarifier

100 100
E1  E2 
w1 0.4432 w2
1  0.4432 1
VF 1  E1 VF