Optimization of the cleaning process on a pilot filtration setup for waste water treatment accompanied by flow visualization

• Main Authors: Bílek Petr, Hrůza Jakub
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: EDP Sciences 2018-01-01
• Series: EPJ Web of Conferences
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201818002007

This paper deals with an optimization of the cleaning process on a liquid flat-sheet filter accompanied by visualization of the inlet side of a filter. The cleaning process has a crucial impact on the hydrodynamic properties of flat-sheet filters. Cleaning methods avoid depositing of particles on the filter surface and forming a filtration cake. Visualization significantly helps to optimize the cleaning methods, because it brings new overall view on the filtration process in time. The optical method, described in the article, enables to see flow behaviour in a thin laser sheet on the inlet side of a tested filter during the cleaning process. Visualization is a strong tool for investigation of the processes on filters in details and it is also possible to determine concentration of particles after an image analysis. The impact of air flow rate, inverse pressure drop and duration on the cleaning mechanism is investigated in the article. Images of the cleaning process are compared to the hydrodynamic data. The tests are carried out on a pilot filtration setup for waste water treatment.