title: Optimising design, operation and energy consumption of biological aerated filters (BAF) for nitrogen removal of municipal wastewater.
abstract: The Biofiltration process in wastewater treatment combines filtration and biological processes in one reactor. In Europe it is meanwhile an accepted technology in advanced wastewater treatment, whenever space is scarce and a virtually suspended solids-free effluent is demanded. Although more than 500 plants are in operation world-wide there is still a lack of published operational experiences to help planners and operators to identify potentials for optimisation, e.g. energy consumption or the vulnerability against peakloads. Examples from pilot trials are given how the nitrification and denitrification can be optimised. Nitrification can be quickly increased by adjusting DO content of the water. Furthermore carrier materials like zeolites can store surplus ammonia during peak loads and release afterwards. Pre-denitrification in biofilters is normally limited by the amount of easily degradable organic substrate, resulting in relatively high requirements for external carbon. The combination of pre-DN, N and post-DN filters is much more advisable for most municipal wastewaters, because the recycle rate can be reduced and external carbon can be saved. Exemplarily it is shown for a full scale preanoxic-DN/N/postanoxic-DN plant of 130,000 p.e. how 15% energy could be saved by optimising internal recycling and some control strategies.
authors.affiliation: Technische Universität Darmstadt, Institute WAR (Water Supply and Groundwater Protection, Wastewater Technology, Waste Management, Industrial Material Cycles, Environmental Planning), Section Wastewater Technology, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rother
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cornel
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D019149:Bioreactors; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D002947:Cities; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005374:Filtration; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism; D009573:Nitrites / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013997:Time Factors; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D009573:Nitrites; D002244:Carbon; D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen