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Important parameters for the final design of the filtration and backwash system for an actual AguaClara plant and for bench-scale or pilot plant-scale testing are in the following MATHCAD file.
MATHCAD File and description.
Bench scale modeling tests the effectiveness of a filtration design by shrinking the design parameters of the system (filter bed depth, filter bed surface area, and etc) to a smaller scale that is easier to test. For example, we would simulated a filter bed of 50 cm of sand with 5 cm of sand with the porosity and specific gravity of the sand being constant. This would also enable us to test the validity of the empirical equations that are behind our design.
The accuracy of our MATHCAD generated design parameters is based upon empirical fluidization velocity equations. We developed a bench-scale model of our filtration system and conducted an experiment measuring the expansion of a filter bed as backwash velocity is varied. We then compared the empirically calculated fluidization velocities with the actual fluidization velocities required.
Fluidization Velocity Experiment.
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