Design and Experimental Evaluation of a BLDC Motor– Magnetic Gear Drive for a Rotating Biological Contactor

Rotating biological contactors (RBCs) are recognized for their small footprint, reliability, and low energy demand. RBCs are a potential option for compact decentralized wastewater treatment systems, but pose scalability challenges and mechanical constraints. We present, as a proof of concept, design modifications to the RBC drive system that use an inner-rotor brushless direct current (BLDC) motor and a waterproof magnetic gearbox (MG) to drive rotating disks at low speeds (