Drum Biofilter

[haitischool]

I looked at your drum filter for grey water. I am trying to apply the design to the orphan school in Haiti. I am trying to figure out how to do it without using electrical pumps. I figured how to handle the transfer from tank 1 to tank 2. But not 2 to 3 and adding the gulp of air. If tank one were placed higher than tank 2, so that the height of a series of small holes would be the minimum height that you want tank 1 to be. These holes would be the size needed for the proper flow going into the desired water height of tank 2. The holes in tank one would be drilled so they fit in the diameter of the pipe size needed to go to tank 2. The height of tank 3 would be such that the desired height needed in tank 2 would be reached. The pump in tank three can be eliminated by the trickle filter being filtered from the bottom of the trickle filtering up rather than down. The exit of the trickle filter height would be such that the pipe going from the the trickle filter to tank 2 would allow the water height in tank 3 would push it into the side of tank 2. Tough to describe in words. I think by applying Bowells Law (i think its his) water would want to be at the desired height to equalize presures. think about it.

If pumps are needed could they be powered by a solar water heater system which also circulates the water in the solar heater without a pump? Having no power available stinks.

If I installed a couple filters after tank 3 would it be clear enough to drink? If so what kind? How often do you think the filters would have to be filled.

[Bob]

I am trying to figure out how to do it without using electrical pumps.

I also tried to figure out some way to eliminate pumps, but could find no way to achieve the present functions without them. Even moving water from tank 1 to tank 2 by gravity would create a difficult maintenance problem, and it would be impossible to regulate the flow to the velocities necessary to create the quiescent zone in the bottom of drum 2.

If pumps are needed could they be powered by a solar water heater system which also circulates the water in the solar heater without a pump?

Yes. Each pump draws only 6 watts, and both could easily be powered by solar or other small alternative energy sources. (But it wouldn't be a solar water heater system, but a solar PV system.)

If I installed a couple filters after tank 3 would it be clear enough to drink?

Well, there are filters (and UV sterilizers, etc.) that could make it safe to drink, but they would require pressures that you would probably need more power to produce than you have available.

[blimpyway]

hi,
regarding drinking water power requirements - if 2gal/person/day is enough for drinking and cooking, then there-s litle reason to pump and filter more than that. A slow sand filter followed by a ceramic filter (e.g. Berkey filter black cartridge) should do the job, without requiring high head or even a pump.. Everything can be assembled with 3-4 buckets flowing into each other, and the top bucket can be filled daily, manually, with whatever almost-clean water is available.

[Bob]

regarding drinking water power requirements

Thanks for the pointer to the Berkey filter, blimpyway. Interesting.

(In case there is any confusion, the drum biofilter described here is not just for drinking water, but will handle up to 50-60 GPD.)

[Ice Czar]

several ideas come to mind to eliminate the electrical component of the percolator pumps
what is basically required is a low tech energy storage system employing either pressure or positional energy or both

while gravity feed itself may not work (well a large enough water tower could)
a hydraulic accumulator can easily serve
or an air cylinder, the "energy" is put in manually\kinetically and slowly released / metered with a valve

old school Victorian dead weight hydraulic accumulators are pretty interesting as are gas holders

The dead weight wouldn't be the feed tank do to fouling of the flow control orifice, so it would need to run a hydraulic pump of its own, if it was the finished product tank it offers the advantage of pressurized distribution given excess energy input. The drawback would be the need to come up with an appropriate technology piston and seal.

The gas holder would likely be simpler with its water seal.

Both offer the advantage of simply adding weight manually to them increases the pressure available.
They could be unloaded, recharged and reweighted manually. Or simply pumped up by hand\foot\donkey\treadmill. They could also store low density to time energy for a much denser but brief energy release.

(a water wheel \ windmill \ ect attached to a hydraulic pump incrementally raises a weight over the course of a few weeks \ days \ hours, the total energy is released in a few minutes \ seconds)

[nathan_lamothe]

Good to see some posting here!

There is a project from the University of Alberta using clay pots with organic temper materials that are burnt off to make a filter capable of straining microbes and other contaminants from water....very little info on the actual website, but there is more kicking around the internet.

http://kenyanceramics.org/index.php

[Bob]

Most interesting, Nathan. Thanks for the pointer.
(Nice to see you here!)