CEE 6560

Answer Key
Prob. Set No. 8
Nov. 11, 2009

1) a) Consider a cross-section of the filter occupied by 4 spheres of radius = d. The total area
of the cross-section is A = 4d2. The area occupied by the 4 spheres is (see figure below):

2
d
As  4      Void volume = A-As
2

2
2 d
4  d  4    
A  As  2   1 
  2
A 4d 4

This implies that diameter of the particle has nothing to do with the porosity. To verify this use
the same cross-sectional area but this time fill the area with twice as many spheres with 1/2 the
diameter (see figure below).

2
Then A =  4    4  d 2
d
 2

2
And As  16         d 2
d
4

4  d2    d2 
 2
 1 Same answer as with 4 spheres. Diameter doesn't influence porosity
4d 4
but it does influence the size of the pores.

1
 b) First do the clean filter head loss calculations. For each layer use the geometric mean of
particle diameter as the effective diameter for each layer:

dp1= (0.6 x 0.75)0.5 = 0.671 mm (2.201 x 10-3 ft)

dp2= (0.75 x 0.85)0.5 = 0.798 mm (2.62 x 10-3 ft)

gpm
V = Q/A = 5 =0.688 ft/min = 0.011 ft/sec
ft 2

Use the Carmen-Kozeny equation for each filter layer.

2
n ( 1 )
2
�ss �
h f1  J � � 3 � V�� �� L1  0.776 m (2.548 ft)
g  �dp1 �
similarly for layer two:

h f 2  0.274 m (0.899 ft)

Total head loss = sum of head loss through each layer.

hftotal = 1.051 m (3.447 ft)

Now determine the solids loading to the filter (on volumetric basis)

Volume of suspended solids per liter of suspension = (50 mg/L)/(1.15gm/cm3) = 4.348x 10-8
m3/liter.
Q = (5 gpm/ft2)(21.53 ft2) = 1.55 gal/day =586.74 m3/day (to each filter).

Rate of void volume reduction for filter bed = Q x 4.348 x 10-8m3/liter = 0.026 m3/day.

Initial void volume of filter bed (top layer) = (2 m2)(depth of layer)() = (2 m2)(0.4m) () =
0.28 m3

Void volume of top layer after 1 day = 0.28 m3- 0.026 m3 = 0.254 m3

Porosity of top layer after 1 day = 0.254 m3/ 0.4 m x 2m2 = 0.3175

2
Porosity of 2nd layer doesn't change, so we need to calculate the new head loss in only in layer
1. Again using the Carmen-Kozeny equation, assuming effective diameter of porous media
remains constant we get.

hf1 = 1.138 m (3.734 ft)

hf2 = 0.274 m (0.899 ft)

Total head loss = hf1 + hf2 = 1.412 m (4.633 ft)

c) i. The three filters left on line will split the flow that previously was handled by the filter
that is being backwashed. So the flow to each filter is 1.33 (5 gpm/ft2). Assume the porosity of
the 3 on-line filters is the same as calculated above for 1 day. Head loss calculations proceed as
above except that the flow rate (or V in the Carmen-Kozeny equation) is increased by a factor of
1.33. Since the velocity term is linear in the Carmen -Kozeny eqn. we just need to multiply the
previously calculated head loss term by 1.33.
Then:
hf1 = 1.518 m (4.979 ft). hf2 = 0.365 m (1.199 ft).

Total head loss = 1.883 m (6.18 ft)

ii) After the backwashed filter is returned to line the flow is split between 3 dirty and 1 clean
filter. The dirty filters have the “1 day” porosity. The clean filter has the initial or clean
porosity. If the total flow to the filters is maintained at a constant 2.347 x 103 m3/day through a
common influent manifold the flow will distribute itself so that the head loss is equal in all
filters. For a constant porosity head loss is a linear function of velocity or flow rate. The head
loss calculation from the Carmen-Kozeny equation can be written in a simplified form:

hf
Constant =
Q
or
hf
Q
Constant

For the dirty filters the constant is 207.93 sec/m2

For the clean filter the constant is 154.77 sec/m2

m3
Q total  234.7 �
10 �  3 �
3
Qdirty + Qclean
day

hf hf
 3� +
sec sec
207.93 2 154.77 2
m m

3
solve for h = 1.3 m

1.3m �2m 2 m3 gal

Qdirty  .  540.17  1.427 �
105
415.85 �
sec day day

1.3m �2m 2 m3 gal

Qclean   725.75  1.917 �
105
309.53 �
sec day day

(Check: 3x 540.17 + 725.75 = 2347 m3/day)

2)

D = 1.969 ft (0.6 m) De = 1.2 D, initial porosity = 0.48, effective size = 0.8 mm, uniformity
coefficient = 1.7

d 60  ( uniformity coeff.) x ( effective size )  1.7 �

0.8 mm  1.36 mm
D
  1 ( 1   )  0.567
�
De

To calculate the minimum (incipient) fluidization velocity use the empirical relationship:

60 { ws ( wm  ws ) }
0.94
d1.82
0.00381 � gpm
Vf  0.88
 9.847
m ft 2

lb lb
wm  1.66 �
62.4 3
 103.63 3
ft ft

Now need to solve the coefficients of the empirical relationship for fluidization velocity :

V  K e (  )ne

4
 d 60
Ref  rl �
Vf
m
gm
m  0.011 poise  0.011
cm �
sec
gm gal m
rl  1 d 60  1.36 mm Vf  9.847  0.401
cm3 min�
ft 2
min
d 60
Ref  rl �
Vf  8.268 (Ref < 10 therefore no correction needed)
m

ne =3.59Ref -0.1

ne = 2.91

Vf ft gpm
Ke  ne
 11.11 = 83.13 2
 min ft

For   0.567
gpm
0.5672.91  15.95
V  83.13 �
ft 2

Pressure drop calculation:

w w
( 1   ) � m s  0.206 m (0.676 ft)
Dp  D �
ws

3) For a 400 ft2 filter total backwash flow = (15.95 gpm/ft2)(400 ft2) = 14.22 ft3/sec = 0.403
m3/sec

Number of gutters is selected by trial and error. For example select 3 gutters. Spaced evenly
across the filter surface area this would give 5 ft 2in spacing between each gutter plus 2 ft 7 in.
between the gutters and the wall of the filter bed. This meets the criterion that the horizontal
travel distance for backwash water to reach a gutter is less than 3 ft. The bottom of the gutters
should be located 12" above the top of the expanded bed.

Depth of the gutters can be determined from:

5
Q  2.5  W  (D u )1.5

or
1
 Q 1.5
Du   
 2.5  W 

Select W = 18 " = 1.5 ft

For 3 gutters Q = (14.22 ft3/sec)/3 = 4. 74 ft3/sec

Du = 1.42 ft (17.04 in)

Total depth = 17.04 + 2 = 19.48 in (round up to 20 in). (need 2” – 3” freeboard).

Gutter size = 20” x 18”