Sedimentation

Lecture No.8&9

By
Dr. Zubair Ahmed

Partnering Universities:
 Type II Sedimentation
■ characterized by particles that flocculate during
sedimentation
– alum or iron coagulation,
– wastewater primary sedimentation, and
– settling tanks in trickling filtration

■ No adequate mathematical relationship

– Stokes equation cannot be used
• flocculating particles are continually changing in size and
shape
• water is entrapped in the floc,
– specific gravity also changes
 ■ Settling Column Model
– Not practical for the design of new settling tanks

– Evaluating of existing settling tanks and in

– Developing data for plant expansion or
– Modification of existing plants

percent removal at one depth and time

concentration at time, t, and given depth, mg/L
D

initial concentration, mg/L

H
0.5 m
H0 Port 1 to 7

D= 15-20 cm
H= 2-4 m
H0= Design side water depth
 isoconcentration lines

The midpoints between

isoconcentration lines define heights
H 1,H 2, H3
 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 m 3 /s. A
batch-settling test using a 2.0 m column and coagulated
water from their existing plant yielded the following data:
For 65%
removal

Applying the scale-up

factors yields

For 65%
removal
 Type III and Type IV Sedimentation

■ High concentration of particles

– (for example, greater than 1,000 mg/L)
– Type III ( hindered settling or zone settling) and Type IV (
compression settling)
• occur along with discrete and flocculant settling.

– lime-softening sedimentation,
– Activated sludge sedimentation, and
– sludge thickeners
Video
High rate clarifier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdqcqmGh0Js
 High-rate settling
■ Acceleration of clarification process
– Increasing the particles density
• Addition of a ballast (sand)
– Microsized sand 20 to 200 m diameter
– specific gravity 2.5- 2.65
– sand is recovered and reused

– reducing the distance a particle must fall prior to removal

• a series of inclined plates or tubes are placed in a rectangular
horizontal flow settling basin
Lamella plates

inflow Tube module Collection channel for clarified water

Outlet

Sludge Preferential flow distribution

waste
 (a) countercurrent, (b) cocurrent (c) cross
flow
 High-rate clarifier
■ Countercurrent settlers
settling time for a particle to
move between countercurrent
parallel distance between two parallel
settling time, s plates (perpendicular to plates),
m
inclination angle of plates from horizon, deg

particle settling velocity, m/s

particle travel time spent in the plates (uniform

velocity)
particle travel time length of plate, m
spent in plates, s
fluid velocity in channel, m/s

if t =settling time t
p (trajectory of a particle shown on
Fig)

All of the particles with settling velocity

vs are removed
■ All of the particles with settling
velocity v are removed
s

And t=tp

solving
 All of the particles with settling velocity vs are
removed (trajectory of a particle shown on
Fig)
particle travel time spent in plates tp =settling time t
Particles with a larger settling
velocity are also removed,

fluid velocity v fθ
flow rate
dw=distance between two parallel plates
number of channels (perpendicular to plates), m

vfθ is also related to the overflow rate of the basin

A = top area of basin, m2
 ■ Co-current settlers
settling time for a particle to move between two parallel
plates
distance between two parallel
settling time, s plates (perpendicular to plates),
m
inclination angle of plates from horizon, deg

particle settling velocity, m/s

time that particles moving with the fluid spend in the plates
particle travel length of plate, m
time spent in
plates, s

If tp is equal to settling time t

 ■ Cross-current settlers
settling time for a particle to move between two parallel
plates distance between two parallel
settling time, s plates (perpendicular to plates),
m
inclination angle of plates from horizon, deg

The time that particles moving with the fluid spend in the
plates

If tp is equal to settling time t

 Ex 10-7 (MHW’s Water treatment Principles and design, 3rd edition)

A sedimentation basin has been retrofitted with

2.0-m (6.6-ft) square inclined plates spaced 50mm
(2.0 in.) apart. The angle of inclination of the
plates can be altered from 0◦ to 80◦. Assuming that
the sedimentation basin can be used for
countercurrent, co-current, or cross-flow
sedimentation, determine which flow pattern is the
most efficient for particle removal, ignoring any
hydraulic problems that may arise as a result of
flow distribution and sludge resuspension
(adapted from Gregory et al., 1999).
 solution
■ compare the ratio of settling velocity to the fluid velocity
for the three flow types
– Concurrent settlers

– Co-current settlers

– Cross-flow settlers
 solution
■ Calculate the settling velocity–fluid velocity ratio for
various plate angles for all flow types.

■ Compare the settling velocity–fluid velocity ratios calculated in step

2.
■ For angles less than 60◦, there is very little difference in the
calculated ratios between the various flow arrangements. However,
above 60◦ countercurrent flow provides the most efficient
operation as particles with the smallest settling velocity are removed
Non-Ideal Behavior of Settling
Tanks
Sedimentation practice
 Rectangular Sedimentation Basins

Rectangular, horizontal-flow sedimentation basin with various outlet types: (a) inboard
effluent launders, (b) submerged orifice withdrawal and (c) overflow weir and launder.
MWH's Water Treatment: Principles and Design, 3rd Edition
High-Rate Settler Modules

Sedimentation tanks with tube settler modules: ( a )

plan
 Ballasted Sedimentation
■ proprietary units
surface loading rate ranges from 35 to 62 m/h.

floc settling velocities

are 20 to 60 times
greater than
conventional
sedimentation
reduction in detention time
■ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvjbcPQJuRY
SEDIMENTATION BASIN DESIGN
 Rectangular Sedimentation Basins

■ Inlet Zone
– Uniform hydraulic loading to each basin
– direct connection between the flocculation basin and the settling
tank (preferred)
– diffuser wall between the two tanks
• enough head loss to establish a uniform discharge profile
• must not create turbulence that will shear floc

– a permeable baffle wall with a head loss of approximately 3 to 4

mm can be effective
Figure 9-32 Typical design of diffuser wall

MHW’S
■ Settling Zone
 Rectangular Sedimentation Basins

■ Settling zone
– sedimentation basin depth [side water depth (SWD)] should not
be a design parameter

– a practical minimum depth required for sludge removal

equipment

– a controlling parameter to limit flow-through velocities and/or

scour of particles from the sludge blanket

– 3 and 5 m deep (MWH, 2005, and Willis, 2005)

■ a minimum length to width ratio (L:W)
– 4:1 is recommended
– 6:1 preferred (Kawamura, 2000)
■ For longer tanks (greater than 30m)
– Place wave breakers (launders or baffles) at 30 m intervals

■ undue turbulence, backmixing, and scour of particles

from the sludge
Velocity < 0.15 m/min GLUMRB (2003)
Velocities of 0.6 to 1.2 m/min for basin depths of 2 to 4.3 m
(Willis, 2005).
Reynolds and Froude numbers can be used to check on
turbulence and backmixing
average horizontal
fluid velocity in tank,cross sectional area, m2
m/s hydraulic radius, m =As/Pw
wetted perimeter, m
kinematic viscosity,m2 /s = / acceleration due to gravity, 9.81 m/s 2
= dynamic viscosity, Pa ・ s
= density of fluid, kg/m3

Recommended values
R < 20, 0000 A large Reynolds number - a high degree of turbulence

F> 10-5 low Froude number - water flow is not dominated by horizontal
flow, and backmixing may occur. (Kawamura, 2000)

Froude number is very sensitive to the shape of the tank and

difficult to achieve under flow 40,000 m3/d
 Reynolds
■ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmjFdBxbV08

■ Watch a video for Froude number

– Describe and submit in next class
■ Outlet Zone
– Launders
• running parallel to the length of the tank or
• a simple weir at the end of the tank

• Long weirs
(1) a gradual reduction of flow velocity toward the end of
the tank
(2) minimization of wave action from wind, and
(3) collection of clarified water located in the middle of the
tank when a distinct density flow occurs in the basin.
Launders in horizontal-flow rectangular sedimentation tanks.
 permeable baffle at the tank outlet

Baffle at the tank outlet: Past design

an adverse effect on basin performance due to floc
carryover
■ SLUDGE ZONE
– the bottom of the basin is typically sloped toward a sludge
hopper
• bottom slope at least 1:300 (gravity sludge movement)
• bottom slope at least 1:600 (mechanical sludge scraper
equipment)
– mechanical collectors
1. chain-and-flight (plastic material) collectors
chain-and-flight collector
flow ≥40,000 m 3 /d
 Example 10-4
Design the settling tank(s) for the city
of Stillwater’s water treatment plant
expansion using the design overflow
rate found in Example 10-3 . The
maximum day design flow is 0.5 m 3 /s.
Assume a water temperature of 10o C.
 Solution

(a) Find the surface area

Surface overflow rate = 32.5 m3/d.m2 from Example 10-3

b. Select the number of tanks
For this flow rate make trial calculations (2 in min)

using six tanks

c. Select a trial width for calculation

The maximum width for the chain-and-flight sludge collector is 6 m increments

Assume a width of 4 m
d. Check length-to-width ratio
L = [222 m2/tank]/[4 m/tank] = 55.5 m
L/W = 55.5/4 m = 13.87:1 = 13:9:1

Larger than the ratio of 6:1, acceptable

e. Select a trial depth

the column depth used to calculate the overflow rate = 2 m Ex3-10

allowance for the sludge depth = 1 m

freeboard =0.6 m
Total = 2+1+0.6 = 3.6 m
Side water depth (SWD) 3.0 m ok
f. Check the length-to-depth ratios

ok

g. Check the velocity and then check the Reynolds and

Froude numbers.

>10-5, acceptable.
h. Design the launders.

i. Check the weir loading rate.

Example
10.5
 Group discussion

Describe design remedies for

the following problems in a
settling tank: jetting of the
influent, density currents from
cooler or warmer water, waves
on the settling basin.
 Group discussion

What design alternative is

available to increase the
Froude number of a
horizontal flow rectangular
sedimentation basin?
 Reading assignment
■ Section 10-33
■ Example 10-5