Environmental transport processes of bio-granular filtration

• Main Author: Huang, Trevor Xianhong
• Other Authors: Law Wing-Keung, Adrian
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Environmental engineering::Water treatment
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/78805
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

With the rise of technological advancements, reverse osmosis has turned into an economical method of acquiring potable water from the sea. Marine subsurface intake systems reportedly exhibit the ability to improve intake water quality as compared to open-sea intake systems, helping lower overall treatment costs. This study aimed to model the quality of water collected from subsurface intake systems, in order to provide better predictions and to engineer the control of intake water quality entering the desalination systems. Understanding the processes in the biological system is key to modelling, as well as subsequent prediction attempts. Past modelling attempts of biofilter systems have mostly consisted of numerical models ofengineered freshwater biofilter treatment systems. Limited research has been conducted, attempting to model the processes in subsurface marine systems. An analytical model was therefore developed and tested, aimed to predict the performance of biofilter systems, based on its key parameters. A sensitivity analysis was performed on the model, which highlighted the importance of biological activity and the dispersion coefficient to removal efficacy. Model application was demonstrated by predicting changes according to alterations of its parameters, as well as its use to adjust chemical usage in desalination plants according to its forecasts.