Heating up trickling filters to tackle cold weather conditions

• Published in: Water Science & Technology Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 163 - 166
• Main Authors: GEBERT, W, WILDERER, P. A
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London IWA 2000; IWA Publishing
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biofilms; Biological and medical sciences; Biological treatment of waters; Biotechnology; Capacity; Cold weather; Environment and pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Filter media; Filters; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Germany; Heat exchangers; Heat pipes; Heating; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Mass transfer; Metabolic rate; Nitrification; Other wastewaters; Oxygen; Pollution; Sewage treatment plants; Sewerage works: sewers, sewage treatment plants, outfalls; Solubility; Temperature; Trickling filters; Waste heat recovery; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment; Wastewater treatment plants; Wastewaters; Water; Water treatment and pollution; Weather; Europe; Germany; Ingolstadt; Heating; Cold weather; Urban waste water; Waste water purification; Trickling filter; Sewage treatment plant; Biological purification
• ISBN: 1900222205; 9781900222204
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2000.0025

The investigated effects of heating the filling material in trickling filters were carried out at the Ingolstadt wastewater treatment plant, Germany. Two pilot scale trickling filters were set up. Heat exchanger pipings were embedded in the filter media of one of these trickling filters, and the temperature in the trickling filter was raised. The other trickling filter was operated under normal temperature conditions, and was used as a control. The results clearly demonstrate that the performance of trickling filters cannot be constantly improved by heating the biofilm support media. A sustained increase of the metabolic rates did not occur. The decrease of the solubility of oxgen in water and mass transfer limitations caused by an increase of the biofilm thickness are the main reasons for that. Thus, the heating of trickling filters (e.g. by waste heat utilization) in order to increase the capacity of trickling filters under cold weather conditions cannot be recommended.