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Since foam filtration has been ruled out as a filtration method for an AguaClara plant, research will focus on developing a point of use unit that uses foam filtration. Additional experiments must be conducted, including determining the head loss across the foam, the head loss at which the foam fails (collapses), the optimal layering of foam porosities and the range of influent turbidities over which the filter performs successfully.
Since laboratory research has shown that horizontal flow foam filtration is not a feasible method for achieving the desired filtration performance, it is necessary to manipulate the geometry of the proposed foam filtration unit in another way. With a high velocity foam filter, the depth of the foam will be increased to accommodate the increased velocity. With an increased filtration velocity, the filtration unit will require less planned area, which reduces the associated construction and maintenance costs.
We would like to analyze the impact of the variation of parameters within our foam filtration experiment in order to determine the optimal set of parameters to design a filtration unit for, and the range conditions which the filter will be effective for. The parameters we will study are filter depth, filtration downflow velocity, influent turbidity, and presence the of an alum dose.
Foam Filtration Past Research
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After laboratory tests on the filtering capacity of the polyurethane foam material are concluded, we will continue to explore different research areas. This will include the effectiveness of an aluminum hydroxide wash to decrease the ripening time of the foam, and the effects of natural organic matter on the foam material and the most efficient way to clean the foam material.