Floating medium flocculator/filter: Is unsaturated flow regime superior to saturated flow regime?

Requirement for a filter that can achieve superior effluent quality and longer filter run time has led to the use of floating media in filters, especially for direct filtration (under the entire solid∕liquιd separation occurs λvithin the filter). This paper evaluates the performance of a floating medium flocculator/ filter that is operated under saturated and unsaturated flow conditions. From the results, it is found that the filter with floating media bed of shallow depth operated at a high rate of 30–40 m/h under unsaturated flow conditions can function as an excellent static flocculator.