Upgrading DA Trickling-Filter Sewage Treatment Plants.
Abstract
This report provides information, case histories, and design guidelines that will help Department of the Army (DA) personnel decide whether to use rotating biological contactors (RBCs) to upgrade their installations' trickling-filter sewage treatment plants. RBC technology is compared in terms of energy consumption, O&M requirements, efficiency, and reliability under various environmental and loading conditions. This report answers the questions most commonly asked about RBCs by DA personnel who must compare various upgrading alternatives. A stepwise approach has been provided to enable a more intelligent comparison of alternatives; this approach includes example calculations useful for estimating surface media, land, and energy requirements. Several independent studies were reviewed that have compared actual RBC performance data with the design claims of RBC manufacturers; discrepancies are pointed out and reasons offered for why the manufacturers' criteria should be accepted. Structural integrity problems (failure of media and/or shafts) have been documented for particular design vintage and certain proprietary RBCs. This report discusses these problems to ensure that DA personnel responsible for selection of pollution abatement technologies are aware of significant and provided to ensure that any selection of RBC technology by the Army is not plagued with medium/shaft failure incidents. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA100953
Entities
People
- C. P. Poon
- E. D. Smith
- R. D. Miller
Organizations
- Construction Engineering Research Laboratory