Pioneer industrial air purification

The issue of air treatment concerns not only sewage treatment plants and biogas plants, but also many industrial plants. In this sector, the most effective and cost-effective solutions are particularly needed. The EnergoUtil plant from Ełk, thanks to the modernization of the biofilters set in 2017, has become a pioneer in this area in Poland.

In 2017, the plant looked for ways to improve the functioning of its process air treatment system. The knowledge of the technologies available on the market and their analysis in literature sources allowed for the selection of the optimal solution.

"The mixture of a composted material and bark chips used previously as a media did not meet our expectations. Due to the natural caking and collapse of the material, the biofilter would lose its permeability generating high flow resistance. This forced frequent substitutions of the filter bed. Thanks to the advantages of Filtralite® Air expanded clay, we have achieved stable performance of our biofilters." says plant technologist.

 

Operation parameters are stabilized with Filtralite Air

A total of 400 m3 of  Filtralite Air 10-20 has been implemented in biofilters, which is about half of the entire bed. In addition, a birch bark was used in the upper layer. Media is sprinkled with technological water 3 times a day during 20 minutes. This allows to maintain the necessary humidity in the entire volume of the biofilter. Thanks to the retention properties of expanded clay, there is no risk of the bed drying out. Maintaining proper humidity is crucial for the proper functioning of the biological process in which sulfur compounds are removed.

"After using the expanded clay fill, we managed to overcome the operational problems we experienced with the previous media. However, the most important thing is that we get stable parameters of biofilters and satisfactory efficiency "- emphasizes the technologist.

 

Filtralite Air: a sustainable and efficient solution

The modernization of the air treatment line focuses both on pro-ecological activities and on the effective elimination of odors in and around the plant. Currently, the construction of another biofilter is being planned. It will be filled with Filtralite® Air expanded clay as well. The effectiveness of this technology is confirmed by the existing biofilters.