Apparatus and Method for Sintered Glass Media Biofilter
A system for removing undesirable compounds from contaminated air includes a biofilter having sintered glass media. Hydrogen sulfide is removed from contaminated air by passing the contaminated air through the biofilter.
1 . A gas phase biofilter for the treatment of contaminated air, the biofilter comprising:
a contaminated air inlet;
a treated air outlet; and
a media bed including sintered glass media in fluid communication between the contaminated air inlet and the treated air outlet.
2 . The biofilter of claim 1 , wherein the sintered glass media comprises silicon dioxide.
3 . The biofilter of claim 2 , wherein the sintered glass media comprises silicon dioxide particles sintered to one another.
4 . The biofilter of claim 3 , wherein the sintered glass media has a packing factor of less than about 0.8.
5 . The biofilter of claim 4 , wherein the sintered glass media includes surface pores.
6 . The biofilter of claim 4 , wherein the sintered glass media includes voids between adjacent silicon dioxide particles.
7 . The biofilter of claim 1 , wherein individual pieces of the sintered glass media are formed in one of an approximately cylindrical shape and a gear-like shape, the individual pieces of the sintered glass media including a conduit extending from first surfaces of the individual pieces of the sintered glass media to second surfaces individual pieces of the sintered glass media.
8 . The biofilter of claim 1 , further comprising a population of hydrogen sulfide oxidizing bacteria disposed on the sintered glass media.
9 . The biofilter of claim 8 , operable to reduce a concentration of hydrogen sulfide in contaminated air by more than about 95% when the contaminated air is passed through the media bed of the biofilter at a flow rate of greater than about 250 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of media bed volume.
10 . The biofilter of claim 9 , operable to reduce the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air by more than about 95% when the contaminated air is passed through the media bed of the biofilter at a flow rate of greater than about 500 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of media bed volume.
11 . The biofilter of claim 9 , operable to reduce the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air by more than about 99% when the contaminated air is passed through the media bed of the biofilter at a flow rate of greater than about 250 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of media bed volume.
12 . The biofilter of claim 11 , operable to reduce the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air by more than about 99% when the contaminated air is passed through the media bed of the biofilter at a flow rate of greater than about 500 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of media bed volume.
13 . A method of removing an undesirable compound from contaminated air, the method comprising flowing the contaminated air through a gas phase biofilter including a sintered glass media.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising filling a media bed compartment of the biofilter at least partially with the sintered glass media prior to flowing the contaminated air through the biofilter.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising growing a population of hydrogen sulfide oxidizing bacteria on the sintered glass media.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising maintaining the population of hydrogen sulfide oxidizing bacteria on the sintered glass media.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
measuring one of a pH of a fluid within and exiting the biofilter; and
adjusting an amount of water added to the media bed compartment per unit of time responsive to the pH of the fluid being outside of a predetermined range.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the predetermined range is between about 0 and about 4.
19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
measuring a concentration of nutrient in one of a fluid within and exiting the biofilter; and
adjusting an amount of nutrient added to the media bed compartment per unit of time responsive to the concentration of the nutrient in the fluid being outside of a predetermined range.
20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein removing the undesirable compound from the contaminated air comprises removing hydrogen sulfide from the contaminated air.
21 . The method of claim 18 , wherein removing the hydrogen sulfide from the contaminated air comprises reducing a concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air by more than about 95% by passing the contaminated air at a flow rate of greater than about 250 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of a media bed of the biofilter including the sintered glass media through the media bed.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein reducing the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air comprises reducing the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air by more than about 99%.
23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein passing the contaminated air at a flow rate of greater than about 250 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of the media bed through the media bed comprises passing the contaminated air at a flow rate of greater than about 500 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of the media bed through the media bed.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein reducing the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air comprises reducing the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air by more than about 99%.