10-12

WATER AND WASTEWATER ENGINEERING

d. For the 1 mm/s particles P 1 mm/s (100%) 500% 0.2 mm/s

But the particle removal cannot be greater than 100%, so the particle removal is 100% for the particles settling at 1 mm/s.

Type II Sedimentation
Type II sedimentation is characterized by particles that flocculate during sedimentation. These types of particles occur in alum or iron coagulation, in wastewater primary sedimentation, and in settling tanks in trickling filtration. There is no adequate mathematical relationship that can be used to describe Type II settling. The Stokes equation cannot be used because the flocculating particles are continually changing in size and shape. In addition, as water is entrapped in the floc, the specific gravity also changes. Settling Column Model. Laboratory tests with settling columns serve as a model of the behavior of flocculant settling. These have value in evaluating of existing settling tanks and in developing data for plant expansion or modification of existing plants, but are not practical for the design of new settling tanks because of the difficulty in replicating the properties and concentrations of particles coming from the coagulation/flocculation process. The following discussion illustrates both the method of analyzing the column data and the behavior of the flocculant suspension. A settling column is filled with the suspension to be analyzed. The suspension is allowed to settle. Samples are withdrawn from sample ports at different elevations at selected time intervals. The concentration of suspended solids is determined for each sample and the percent removal is calculated: C R% 1 t (100 %) C0 where R% percent removal at one depth and time, % Ct concentration at time, t, and given depth, mg/L C0 initial concentration, mg/L Percent removal versus depth is then plotted as shown in Figure 10-8. The circled numbers are the calculated percentages. Interpolations are made between these plotted points to construct curves of equal concentration at reasonable percentages, that is, 5 or 10 percent increments. Each intersection point of an isoconcentration line and the bottom of the column defines an overflow rate (vo): vo H ti (10-21) (10-20)

where H height of column, m ti time defined by intersection of isoconcentration line and bottom of column (x-axis) where the subscript, i, refers to the first, second, third, and so on intersection points

SEDIMENTATION

10-13

0.0 75% 0.5 41 50 Ra Depth, m 1.0 19 33 H3 H2 Rb 45 Rc 50% 58 55% 62 60% 70 65% 74 60 67 72 73

100% 76

74 70%

1.5

30% 40% H1

2.0

15

31

ta

38

54

59

63

71

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

120

Sampling time, min

FIGURE 10-8
Isoconcentration lines for Type II settling test using a 2-m-deep column.

A vertical line is drawn from ti to intersect all the isoconcentration lines crossing the ti time. The midpoints between isoconcentration lines define heights H1, H2, H3, and so on used to calculate the fraction of solids removed. For each time, ti, defined by the intersection of the isoconcentration line and the bottom of the column (x-axis), a vertical line is constructed and the fraction of solids removal is calculated: RT0 Ra H1 H ( Rb Ra ) 2 ( Rc Rb ) H H (10-22)

where RT0 total fraction removed for settling time, ta Ra, Rb, Rc isoconcentration fractions a, b, c, etc. The series of overflow rates and removal fractions are used to plot two curves. One of suspended solids removal versus detention time and one of suspended solids removal versus overflow rate. These can be used to size the settling tank. Eckenfelder (1980) recommends that scale-up factors of 0.65 for overflow rate and 1.75 for detention time be used to design the tank. Example 10-3. The city of Stillwater is planning to install a new settling tank as an upgrade to their existing water treatment plant. Design a settling tank to remove 65% of the influent suspended solids from their design flow of 0.5 m3/s. A batch-settling test using a 2.0 m column and coagulated water from their existing plant yielded the following data:
Percent removal as a function of time and depth Sampling time, min Depth, m 0.5 1.0 2.0 5 41 19 15 10 50 33 31 20 60 45 38 40 67 58 54 60 72 62 59 90 73 70 63 120 76 74 71

10-14

WATER AND WASTEWATER ENGINEERING

Solution.

The plot is shown in Figure 10-8.

a. Calculate the overflow rate for each intersection point. For example, for the 50% line, vo 2.0 m (1, 440 min/d) 82.3 m 35min

b. The corresponding removal percentage is RT 50 50 1.5 0 . 85 (55 50) (60 55) 2.0 2.0 0 . 60 0 . 40 (65 60) (70 65) 2.0 2.0 0 . 20 0.05 (75 70) (100 75) 2.0 2.0 59 . 5 or 60 %

c. The corresponding detention time is taken from the intersection of the isoconcentration line and the x-axis used to define the overflow rate, that is, 35 minutes for the 50% line. d. This calculation is repeated for each isoconcentration line that intersects the x-axis, except the last ones for which data are too sparse, that is, 30, 40, 50, 55, 60, and 65%, but not 70 or 75%. e. Two graphs are then constructed (see Figures 10-9 and 10-10). From these graphs the bench-scale detention time and overflow rate for 65% removal are found to be 54 minutes and 50 m/d.
80

70 Suspended solids removal, %

60

50

40

30

0.5

1.0 Detention time, h

1.5

2.0

FIGURE 10-9
Suspended solids removal versus detention time. (Source: Davis and Cornwell, 2008.)

SEDIMENTATION

10-15

80

70 Suspended solids removal, %

60

50

40

30

50

100 Overflow rate, m/d

150

200

FIGURE 10-10
Suspended solids removal versus overflow rate. (Source: Davis & Cornwell, 2008.)

f.

Applying the scale-up factors yields to (54 min)(1 .75) 94 .5 or 95 min vo (50 m/d)(0 .65) 32 .5 m/d

Comments: 1. As implied by the shape of the isoconcentration lines, and, conceptually, the trajectory of the particles, the settling velocity increases as the particles travel through the tank. 2. The depth of the tank is important because flocculant particles tend to grow in size. Thus, a greater depth facilitates the growth process.

Type III and Type IV Sedimentation

When the water contains a high concentration of particles (for example, greater than 1,000 mg/L) both Type III (hindered settling or zone settling) and Type IV (compression settling) occur along with discrete and flocculant settling. Zone settling occurs in lime-softening sedimentation, activatedsludge sedimentation, and sludge thickeners. When a concentrated suspension of uniform concentration is placed in a column or graduated cylinder, Type II, III, and IV take place over time as illustrated in Figure 10-11. With a high particle concentration the free area between the particles is reduced. This causes greater interparticle fluid velocities that reduce the settling velocity below that of the individual particles. Because of the high concentration of particles, the liquid tends to move up through the interstices between the particles. As a result, the particles that are in contact with one another tend to settle as a zone or blanket. The particles in contact tend to maintain the same relative position. This results in a relatively clear layer above the settling mass of settling particles. This phenomenon is known as