Design fundamentals of sedimentation tanks
Submitted by:
Keerti Upadhyay
4th yr. Civil engg.
Sedimentation :
Sedimentation is a process used for various stages within
a wastewater treatment plant to reduce the concentration
of settleable and suspended matter. Sedimentation tanks,
commonly referred to as clarifiers, are described as
primary, intermediate and final clarifiers dependent upon
the process stage. Primary clarifiers are installed to reduce
organic loadings and floatables to the downstream
treatment processes. Intermediate and/or final clarifiers are
utilized after biological treatment processes to separate
chemical and/or biological floc from the treatment process.
Types of settling patterns:
1. Discrete settling
2. Flocculent settling
3. Hindered or zone settling
4. Compression settling
General design consideration
1. Multiple units capable of independent operation shall be
provided for plants having an average design capacity greater than
0.1 MGD unless temporary removal of a single unit from service for
repairs will not result in an adverse effect to the quality of the
receiving stream.
2. Clarifiers shall be arranged to facilitate operating flexibility and
maintenance, assure continuity of treatment, and ease of installation
of future units.
Provision shall be made for dewatering and bypassing each unit
independently process units.
Effective flow measurement devices and controls shall be provided
to permit proper flow distribution to each unit.
The anticipated flow pattern should be considered in the selection
of clarifier configuration and location and type of inlets and outlets
Due consideration shall be given to the possible need for
hydrostatic pressure relief devices to prevent structure flotation.
Performance
Unless laboratory data are available, primary settling shall
be assumed to remove one- third of the influent BOD and
55 percent of the influent suspended solids. It is not
recommended to return waste activated sludge to the
primary clarifier.
Types of sedimentation tanks:
Classification based on nature of working:
Fill and draw type
Continuous flow type
Classification based on location
Primary tank
Secondary tank
Classification based on shape
Rectangular tank
Circular tank
Hopper bottom type
Design considerations
Detention time:
Flocculation proceeds through the coalescence of fine
particles at a rate which is function of concentration and
its ability to coalesce on collisions.
Detention time: 1.5 to 2.5 hrs(primary) 1.5 to 2 hrs(sec)
For cold climate safety factor is taken proper care.
Generally 1.38 times of detention time required at 20
degree celcius.
T=c/q where c= capacity of tank;(rec)
T=d^2(.011d+.785h)/q (circular)
T=h/sor
Detention time(factors affecting it)
Actual settling basins are affected by the dead spaces
in the basins, eddy currents, wind currents and thermal
currents.
Dead spaces and eddy currents have rotational flow
and do very little sedimentation since the inflow and
outflow from these spaces is very small. As a result,
the net volume available for settling is reduced and the
mean flow-through time for the fluid element is
decreased. Also, wind and thermal currents create
flows that pass directly from the inlet to the outlet of the
basin, which decreases the mean flow-through time
Flow velocity:
(camp formula)
V=(8Bg/f(s-1)d)^.5
S specific gravity of particles
B constant depending on type of material scoured
F Darcy Weisbach friction factor
V=k(g(s-1)d)^.5 , k=3 to 4.5 (Shield for)
Surface loading rate and depth consideration:
It represents hydraulic loading per unit surface area of
tank in unit time. Overflow rates must be checked for
average and peak flow
Surface-Loading Rates
a. Primary Clarifiers
Surface-loading rates for primary clarifiers should not exceed
1,000 gallons per day per square foot at average design flow
and shall not exceed 1,500 gallons per day per square foot at
peak hourly flow.
Surface-loading rates for secondary clarifiers following
fixed film reactors should not exceed 800 gallons per day
per square foot at average design flow and shall not exceed
1,200 gallons per day per square foot at peak hourly flow.
2) Surface-loading rates for final clarifiers following
activated sludge processes, such as: conventional, step
aeration, contact stabilization shall not exceed 1,200 gallons
per day per square foot at peak hourly flow.
3) Surface-loading rates for final clarifiers following an
extended aeration process shall not exceed 1,000 gallons per
day per square foot at peak hourly flow.
Type
Primary settling tank
Over flow
rate(m^3/d/m^2)
Depth
(m)
average
peak
25-30
50-60
3-3.5
Primary settling after secondary 35-50
treatment
80-125 3-3.5
Primary settling with activated
sludge return
25-35
50-60
3.5-4.5
Secondary settling for trickling
filter
10-25
40-50
3-3.5
Secondary settling for activated 15-35
sludge
40-50
3.5-4.5
Secondary settling for extended 8-15
aeration
35
3.5-4.5
Inlets
Inlets should be designed to dissipate the inlet velocity,
to distribute the flow uniformly and to prevent shortcircuiting. Provisions shall be made for removal of
floating materials in inlet structures having submerged
ports. Orifices placed in walls at the inlets should be
sized to produce velocities from 0.5 to 1.0 fps. Orifices
passing wastewater containing floc should not be
smaller than 0.3 to 0.5 inches, to minimize floc breakup.
Weir loading:
Outlet weirs draw effluent without disturbing quiescent
condition of tank particularly secondary ones.for all
tanks except secondary tank of activated sludge
process it is 100 m3/d/m otherwise it is 150m3/d/m.
To achieve these parameters long weirs are
avoided,regular indentation are made to have
distributed flow.a free fall of .05 to.15 is arranged on
total head available.
Proportioning of tank
The minimum distance from the influent inlet to
effluent weirs shall be at least 10 feet for all clarifier
configurations unless special provisions are made to
prevent short-circuiting.
Circular tanks:
Dia varies from 3 to 60 m common being 12 to 30m.
Depth is 2.5 for primary and 3.5 for secondary
tank.floors are sloped from periphery to centre @7.5
to 10%.
It is preferable that the sludge collector scraping mechanism
be at least 6 feet below the water level.
The length-to-width ratio for rectangular clarifiers should be
equal to or greater than 4 to 1.
Length to depth ratio 5 to 1, 25 to 1
The maximum horizontal velocity in a rectangular clarifier
shall not exceed 1.5mph near the sludge layer in a primary
clarifier and 2 feet per minute in a final clarifier.
The side water depth (SWD) of mechanically cleaned
clarifiers shall not be less than 7 feet for primary clarifiers and
those following fixed film reactors.
Free board
The outer walls of clarifiers shall extend at least 6 inches
above the surrounding terrain and shall provide at least 12
inches of freeboard to the water surface. Where clarifier
walls do not extend 4 feet above the surrounding terrain, a
cover, fence, wind screen or suitable barrier shall be
provided to prevent high wind currents and debris from
entering the clarifier and ice buildup which inhibits scum
removal and settling
Removal efficiency of tank
Eddy currents
Surface currents
Vertical convection currents
Density currents
Y/y0=1-(1+nV/(q/a))^-(1/n)
n=0 best,n=1 very poor
Y/y0= efficiency of removal
n= tank performance coefficient
V= sor for ideal tank
q/a=required sor to get needed efficiency
SLUDGE HANDLING AND WITHDRAWAL
1. Mechanical sludge collection and withdrawal equipment is
required and shall provide complete and continuous removal of
settled sludge for intermediate and final clarifiers. The sludge
collection equipment and the drive assembly shall be designed
to withstand the maximum anticipated loads of transporting
sludge to a hopper.
2.The floors of circular clarifiers shall be sloped at one-inch
per foot (1:12) to form an inverted cone to a central sludge
hopper.
3.The floor of a rectangular clarifier should be sloped at
approximately 1 percent (1:100) toward the cross collectors or
sludge hopper(s) located at the influent end.
4.Sludge draw-off pipes located on the side or bottom, shall
be flush with the hopper bottom. Each sludge hopper shall
have an individually valved sludge draw-off line that is at
least 6 inches in diameter, if gravity flow, and, if pumped, 4
inches in diameter. The static head available for withdrawal
of sludge shall be at least 30 inches to maintain a three foot
per second (3 fps) velocity when removal is dependent upon
gravity flow.
Thank u…