Experimental and numerical analysis of the hydraulic performance of filtering cartridges for water treatment.

Water treatments are progressively increasing their importance nowadays due to the gradual deterioration of water quality as a consequence of the environmental pollution and of industrial processes. Among these treatments, filtration still represents a major solution. In this work some results of a laboratory experimental analysis of the hydraulic performances of commercial cartridges for water treatment with filtration are presented in comparison with the results obtained by numerical simulations of the same physical model performed through the EPANET software. Specifically, the performance of filter cartridges is evaluated in terms of the head losses that they produce in the hydraulic systems in which they are introduced. These losses can be particularly undesirable for low-pressure plants, where they can inhibit the normal operation of the installed apparatus. Head losses also increase significantly with a prolonged use over time, due to the clogging particles retained on the outer surface and inside the cartridge, with a consequent reduction in the filtration capacity which generates the necessity to replace the cartridge itself. The comparison between numerical and experimental results showed a good agreement. The analysis of the data permitted to highlight several features of the filtration process in these commercial cartridges and draw up different remarks for their design and production.