Abstract

This study investigates the potential improvement in the hydraulic disinfection efficiency and the possible energy loss as a result of the presence of random packing material (RPM) in a laboratory-scale chlorine contactor. Tracer tests were conducted on a 55-gal drum tank filled with RPM in varying amounts in different configurations to measure the efficiency of each setup in terms of baffling factor (BF). The bulk pressure drop was measured to determine the energy loss for each configuration. The results of this study show that securing RPM near the inlet, in any amount, improves the BF by 300% to more than 900%. The amount of RPM begins to have an impact at or above an inlet jet Reynolds number of ~27,700. Also, changes in head loss due to the presence of RPM (in any amount, configuration, and/or flow rate) were generally considered to be negligible. Article Impact Statement: This study highlights the practical utility of random packing material for enhancing baffling factors of contactors in small water systems.

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Publication Status

Full Access

Comments

California State University, Grant None

Keywords and Phrases

baffling factor; disinfection; energy loss; random packing material

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2577-8161

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2025 John Wiley & Sons, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jul 2021

Download

Full Text Link

Share

 
COinS