ROTATING BIOLOGICAL

CONTACTOR (RBC)
PROCESS
 ROTATING
BIOLOGICAL
CONTACTORS
Contactors
Primary Secondary
Treatment Clarifier

Influent Effluent

Solids Removal
 RBC Secondary Treatment
Rotating Plastic Media
1.6 rpm Provides Large Surface Area

40 %
Submerged

Microorganisms Treat the Wastewater by Using Organics

 Oxygen
Organics

Liquid Film

Biomass

Media
(disc) Oxygen
 RBC Flow Scheme
INFLUENT
Primary
Treatment
Rotating
Biological
Pretreatment
Contactors

Disinfection

Secondary
Clarifiers EFFLUENT
Solids Handling
 ADVANTAGES OF RBC PROCESS
Simple Operation
Low Energy Requirements
Nitrification
Few Nuisances
Wide Flow Range
Large Biological Population
Low Head Loss
RBC COMPONENTS

CONTACTOR

TANK

CLARIFIER
RBC COMPONENTS
CONTACTOR

Discs

Shaft
Individual Disc
Media High Density Polyethylene

Carbon
Black
 Media

25 mm
BIOMASS
 Train

RBC Systems Usually More Than One

Contactor with Flow Progressing in Series in
a Train
Train Small Systems Train May be One
Contactor with Separations and Baffles

Influent

Effluent

Baffles
 Larger Systems Contactors are Set in Series
in Separate Tanks or in One Tank With

Enclosure

Effluent
Influent

Baffles
Baffles
 Train
Baffles

Baffles Separate Each Contactor,

Dividing the Flow in the Train Into Separate
Complete Mix Zones of Treatment
 Train
Baffles

Each Zone of Treatment is Called a

Stage
 Train
Baffles

5
Stages
(Zones of Treatment)
 2 Trains
Influent
5 Stages

1st Stage

Effluent
When a System Has More Than One Train, Each Zone in
the System That Receives the Same Loading is Considered
One Stage
 STAGING

100
BOD, mg/L
60

39

25

18

Staging Results in Significantly More

Efficient Treatment
 STAGING

This Especially Important for Facilities that are

Required Nitrify Ammonia
 RBC Flow Scheme
INFLUENT
Primary
Treatment
Rotating
Biological
Pretreatment
Contactors

Disinfection

Secondary
Clarifiers EFFLUENT
Solids Handling
Secondary Clarifier
Scum Removal

Sludge
Removal
Clarifier

30 to 33 m3 / m2.d
Chemical Phosphorus Removal
Sludge Removal
Enclosures
Protect Contactors
Ultraviolet Light
Hard Rains
Freezing
Algae
Equipment
Security
Enclosures
Types of Structures

Roof Only

Prefabricated Covers

Permanent Building
Enclosures Prefabricated
Covers
Enclosures Permanent Building
Enclosures Permanent Building
Enclosures
Operational Considerations
Ventilation
Humidity Control
Heat Loss
Observation
Maintenance
 Basic Principles of Process

Primary Contactors Secondary

Treatment Clarifier

Solids Removal
LOADING
Amount Applied to the Treatment Process

(Related to the SIZE of the System)

Hydraulic Loading
Amount of Liquid
Volume (m3)
Organic Loading
Amount of BOD
Mass (kg)
(Calculation of Loading is Specific for Each
Type of Treatment Process)
 RBC LOADINGS
HYDRAULIC
Liquid Volume -
Applied to the Media surface

Use Plant Flow - No Recirculation

Complete Available Surface Area

Area is Not Calculated - from Manufacturer

 RBC LOADINGS
HYDRAULIC
Liquid Volume -
Applied to the Media surface

CUBIC METER PER DAY PER SQUARE METER

M3 / D / M2
 RBC LOADINGS
HYDRAULIC
FORMULA:
Flow Rate, m3/d
Hydraulic Loading, m3/d/m2 = Media Surface Area, m2

EXAMPLE:

Plant Flow 10,000 m3 /d

Trains in Service 2
Contactors in Each Train 5
Baffles Between All Contactors
Each Contactor Surface Area 9300 m2 (from manufacturer)
Primary Effluent Soluble BOD 55 mg/L
 2 Trains
Influent
5 Stages

1st Stage

Effluent
When a System Has More Than One Train, Each Zone in
the System That Receives the Same Loading is Considered
One Stage
 Train
Baffles

5
Stages
(Zones of Treatment)
 RBC LOADINGS
HYDRAULIC
FORMULA:
Hydraulic Loading, m3 /d /m2 =
Media Surface Area, m2
EXAMPLE:
Plant Flow 10,000 m3 /d
Trains in Service 2
Contactors in Each Train 5
Baffles Between All Contactors
Each Contactor Surface Area 9300 m2 (from manufacturer)
Primary Effluent Soluble BOD 55 mg/L
Total Surface Area =
2 trains X 5 contactors/train X 9300 m2/contactor
= 93,000 m2
 RBC LOADINGS
HYDRAULIC

FORMULA:

Hydraulic Loading = Media Surface Area, m2

10,000 m3 /d
Hydraulic Loading =
93000 m2

= 0.11 m3 /d/m2
 RBC LOADINGS
ORGANIC
Organic Matter - BOD
Applied to the Media Surface
Soluble BOD

Media Surface Area (Not Volume)

Area in 93 m2
 RBC LOADINGS
ORGANIC
Organic Matter -
Applied to the Media surface

Soluble BOD per Day per 93 m2

#Sol. BOD/Day/93 m 2
 RBC LOADINGS
ORGANIC

FORMULA:
Organic Loading, # Sol. BOD/Day/93 m2 =

Soluble BOD Applied, # Sol. BOD/Day

Media Surface Area in 93 m2
 RBC LOADINGS
ORGANIC
FORMULA:
Soluble BOD Applied, # sBOD/Day
Organic Loading, # sBOD/Day/93 m2 = Media Surface Area in 93 m2

EXAMPLE:

Plant Flow 10,000 m3 /d

Trains in Service 2
Contactors in Each Train 5
Baffles Between All Contactors
Each Contactor Surface Area 9300 m2 (from manufacturer)
Primary Effluent Soluble BOD 55 mg/L

Soluble BOD/Day = 55 mg/L x 10,000 m3 /d

= 550 # Sol. BOD/Day

 RBC LOADINGS
ORGANIC
Total Surface Area =
2 trains X 5 contactors/train X 9300 m2/contactor
= 93,000 m2

Surface Area in 93 m2 = Total Surface Area m2

93

93,000 m2 = 1000 (93 m2)

= 93
 RBC LOADINGS
ORGANIC
FORMULA:
Organic Loading, # Sol. BOD/Day/93 m2 =

Soluble BOD applied, # Sol. BOD/Day

Media Surface Area in 93 m2

550 # Sol. BOD/Day

Total System Org. Ld. = 1000 (93 m2)

= 0.55 # Sol. BOD/Day/93 m2

 RBC LOADINGS
FIRST STAGE ORGANIC
EXAMPLE:

Plant Flow 10,000 m3 /d

Trains in Service 2
Contactors in Each Train 5
Baffles Between All Contactors
Each Contactor Surface Area 9300 m2 (from manufacturer)
Primary Effluent Soluble BOD 55 mg/L

Soluble BOD/Day = 55 mg/L x 10,000 m3 /d

= 550 # Sol. BOD/Day

 2 Trains
Influent
5 Stages

1st Stage

Effluent
When a System Has More Than One Train, Each Zone in
the System That Receives the Same Loading is Considered
One Stage
 RBC LOADINGS
FIRST STAGE ORGANIC
First Stage Surface Area =
2 contactors X 9300 m2/contactor

= 18,600 m2
First Stage Surface Area in 93 m2 =
First Stage Surface Area m2
93

18,600 m2 = 200 (93 m2)

= 93
 RBC LOADINGS
ORGANIC
FORMULA:
Organic Loading, # Sol. BOD/Day/93 m2 =

Soluble BOD applied, # Sol. BOD/Day

Media Surface Area in 93 m2
1320 # Sol. BOD/Day
First Stage Org. Ld. = 200 (93 m2)

= 6.6 # Sol. BOD/Day/93 m2

Typical design information for rotating biological
contractors
BOD removal
The equation that can be used to design the
sBOD concentration in stage n has the
following form:

Where, Sn = sBOD concentration in stage n, mg/L

As = disk surface area on stage n, m2
Q = flowrate, m3/d
Computation procedure for the design of a rotating
biological contractor (RBC) process:
1. Determine influent and effluent sBOD concentration
and wastewater flowrate.
2. Determine the RBC disk area for first stage based on
a maximum sBOD of 12 to 15 g sBOD/ m3.d
3. Determine the number of RBC shafts using a
standard disk density of 9300 m2/shaft
4. Select the number of trains for the design, flow per
train, number of stages, and disk area/shaft in each
stage. For the lower loaded stages a higher disk
density may be used.
5. Based on the design assumptions made in step 4,
calculate the sBOD concentration in each stage.
Determine if the effluent sBOD concentration will be
achieved. If not, modify the number of stages,
number of shafts per stage, and/or disk area per
stage. If the effluent sBOD concentration is met,
evaluate alternatives so further optimize the design.
6. Develop the secondary clarifier design.
EXAMPLE: Stages RBC Design for BOD Removal
Given the following conditions, develop a process
design for a staged RBC system

Parameter Unit Primary effluent Target effluent

Flowrate m3/d 4000

BOD g/m3 140 20
sBOD g/m3 90 10
TSS g/m3 70 20

Assume 1 st-stage sBOD = 15 g/m2.d and standard

disk density of 9300 m2/shaft.
Thank you for
attention