FAB Media

The Fluidized Aeration Bed Reactor (FAB) system is an advanced high-rate wastewater treatment process utilizing free-floating media, which houses active biological cells. Essentially, the FAB Media is a hybrid process where attached growth and suspended growth treatment processes functions simultaneously. Arguably, the most important part of the FAB Media is the specially designed floating media, which provides large surface area for bacterial growth. Hence, these carrier elements (media) are in continuous movement, available surface area is constantly exposed to the waste water; hence uniform biological growth takes place over entire area of the media. 'Continuous Movement' of this carrier element is driven by air bubbles supplied inside the reactor by means on air diffusers.
COOLFLOAT Random Media for FAB is a 'Non/Low Clog' type, designed in view of various factors that influence the plant performance. Our pilot plant trials helped us on concluding the design parameters required with FAB. An important thrust was given to maintain the same active surface area even after plant stabilization period. Many moving bed reactor designers gave little importance to 'specific area lost' over a period of time thus led failures of similar installations. Either the system consumes a large amount of energy (as they eventually use coarse bubble aeration system to flush out the entrapped bio solids inside the media) or are forced to excess media in-order to overcome the 'lost area'.
The design of these small cylinders is crucial as it provides the optimum conditions for the growth and to flourish the bacterial culture and simultaneously facilitates the mass transfer of substrate and dissolved oxygen from the liquid effluent to the attached bio-film. The COOLFLOAT media is generally made of polypropylene with specific density less than 0.97 gm/cc. This helps in easy movement of the carrier material in the completely mixed tanks.

The unique concentric configuration of FAB Media permits lower air quantity by encouraging fine bubble diffused aeration system. All this result in increased contact time between the mixed liquor and the biology, thinner and more active biofilm and improved mixing in the tank. The biofilm that is created around each carrier element protects the bacterial cultures from operating excursions to yield a very robust system. The shape of the elements prevents "nesting" and significantly increases their oxygenation and trickling capability.
Advantages :

• Void ratio of more than 90% - ensures minimal or no clog of biomass inside the individual media element.
• Higher ratio of PSA/TSA (protected surface area / total surface area) ensures maximum active surface area for biological activity.
• Configuration of media permits lower air quantity by encouraging fine bubble diffused aeration system.
• Media configuration ensures thinner and active biofilm over it.
• Higher values of PSA/TSA ratio indicate lesser area is exposed for wear tear. This ensures biomass utilizes complete surface area available