Optimizing Sustainable Biofilter Performance by Modeling Velocity Profiles Through a 3D-Printed Porous Media

Faculty Mentor

Francisco Cubas Suazo

Location

Russell Union Room 2052

Type of Research

Proposed

Session Format

Oral Presentation

College

Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Computing

Department

Civil Engineering

Abstract

As low-impact development tools, biofilters rely on biological and physical processes to retain and degrade pollutants from diffuse nonpoint source pollution, which makes routine maintenance essential to sustain their treatment efficiency over time. In practice, current biofilters require routine monitoring and maintenance to sustain optimal flow through the filtration media, often leading to high operational costs or even costly replacement of clogged and failed filters. To address this limitation, this research focuses on sustainable biofilters that require low intervention while still maintaining treatment efficiency of the filter by using a novel 3D-printed media that can be reused and whose accumulated biomass can be recovered for future applications. Unfortunately, there is no current information on the resulting flow regimes and their impact on the performance of 3D printed media filters. To overcome this uncertainty, this study will first determine velocity profiles through the filter media using digital modeling to decide the minimum and maximum velocities needed to maintain an adequate flow. Results, combined with velocity percentage reduction calculations, will then produce an outcome of optimized design criteria for the biofilters. Additionally, by correlating porous media buildup to biofilter geometry, velocity profiles will define optimal parameters of operation leading to higher performance outcomes. Results from this approach will help determine media replacement timelines by minimizing operational costs. Overall, this work demonstrates that integrating digital modeling with percentage reduction analysis yields a clear velocity window for reliable biofilter operation, thus advancing the design of low maintenance, self-sustaining filtration systems for long-term environmental calculations.

Program Description

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Start Date

4-23-2026 10:00 AM

End Date

4-23-2026 10:15 AM

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Apr 23rd, 10:00 AM Apr 23rd, 10:15 AM

Optimizing Sustainable Biofilter Performance by Modeling Velocity Profiles Through a 3D-Printed Porous Media

Russell Union Room 2052

As low-impact development tools, biofilters rely on biological and physical processes to retain and degrade pollutants from diffuse nonpoint source pollution, which makes routine maintenance essential to sustain their treatment efficiency over time. In practice, current biofilters require routine monitoring and maintenance to sustain optimal flow through the filtration media, often leading to high operational costs or even costly replacement of clogged and failed filters. To address this limitation, this research focuses on sustainable biofilters that require low intervention while still maintaining treatment efficiency of the filter by using a novel 3D-printed media that can be reused and whose accumulated biomass can be recovered for future applications. Unfortunately, there is no current information on the resulting flow regimes and their impact on the performance of 3D printed media filters. To overcome this uncertainty, this study will first determine velocity profiles through the filter media using digital modeling to decide the minimum and maximum velocities needed to maintain an adequate flow. Results, combined with velocity percentage reduction calculations, will then produce an outcome of optimized design criteria for the biofilters. Additionally, by correlating porous media buildup to biofilter geometry, velocity profiles will define optimal parameters of operation leading to higher performance outcomes. Results from this approach will help determine media replacement timelines by minimizing operational costs. Overall, this work demonstrates that integrating digital modeling with percentage reduction analysis yields a clear velocity window for reliable biofilter operation, thus advancing the design of low maintenance, self-sustaining filtration systems for long-term environmental calculations.