Alison Valibuena, Liz Cantlebary, Dylan Vu
ABSTRACT:
Sand filters have historically been used to lower the turbidity of water and are still used in conventional filtration systems. The research in this report is based on the hypothesis that flocs are captured in rings created by filter grains, which implies there is an active filtration zone where empty pores become clogged by the flocs. This active zone moves throughout the bed until there is no remaining space for particles to clog. This research examines the factors that influence the time it takes for the filter to clog. Several key factors affect the failure time including size and density of flocs and were explored through experiments with different coagulant doses and with a constriction placed before the filter.
