title: Scaling up adsorption media reactors for copper removal with the aid of dimensionless numbers.
abstract: Adsorption media may be used to sorb copper in an aquatic environment for pollution control. Effective design of adsorption media reactors is highly dependent on selection of the hydraulic residence time when scaling up a pilot-scale reactor to a field-scale reactor. This paper seeks to improve scaling-up technique of the reactor design process through the use of the Damköhler and Péclet numbers via a dimensional analysis. A new scaling-up theory is developed in this study through a joint consideration of the Damköhler and Péclet numbers for a constant media particle size such that a balance between transport control and reaction control can be harmonized. A series of column breakthrough tests at varying hydraulic residence times revealed a clear peak adsorption capacity at a Damköhler number of 2.74. The Péclet numbers for the column breakthrough tests indicated that mechanical dispersion is an important effect that requires further consideration in the scaling-up process. However, perfect similitude of the Damköhler number cannot be maintained for a constant media particle size, and relaxation of hydrodynamic similitude through variation of the Péclet number must occur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA. Electronic address: nchang@ucf.edu.
authors.forename: Ni-Bin
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA. Electronic address: cameronhoumann@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Houmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA. Electronic address: Martin.Wanielista@ucf.edu.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wanielista
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D003300:Copper / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004867:Equipment Design; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D007700:Kinetics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010316:Particle Size; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003300:Copper
keywords: Adsorption media; Damköhler number; Dimensional analysis; Péclet number; Stormwater best management practice