2/8/2014 Sedimentation Tank Design

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Lecture
Quiz
Design Example
Settling
Purpose of Settling
Principle of Settling
Types of Settling
Type I Settling
Types of Settling Tanks
Inlet and Outlet Arrangement
Weir Overflow Rates
Settling Operations
Design Details
Settling
Solid liquid separation process in which a suspension is separated
into two phases
Clarified supernatant leaving the top of the sedimentation
tank (overflow).
Concentrated sludge leaving the bottom of the sedimentation
tank (underflow).
Purpose of Settling
To remove coarse dispersed phase.
To remove coagulated and flocculated impurities.
To remove precipitated impurities after chemical treatment.
To settle the sludge (biomass) after activated sludge process
/ tricking filters.
Principle of Settling
Suspended solids present in water having specific gravity
greater than that of water tend to settle down by gravity as
soon as the turbulence is retarded by offering storage.
Basin in which the flow is retarded is called settling tank.
Theoretical average time for which the water is detained in the
settling tank is called the detention period.
Types of Settling
Type I: Discrete particle settling - Particles settle individually
without interaction with neighboring particles.
Type II: Flocculent Particles Flocculation causes the particles to
increase in mass and settle at a faster rate.
Type III: Hindered or Zone settling The mass of particles tends
to settle as a unit with individual particles remaining in fixed
positions with respect to each other.
Type IV: Compression The concentration of particles is so high
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Type IV: Compression The concentration of particles is so high
that sedimentation can only occur through compaction of the
structure.
Type I Settling
Size, shape and specific gravity of the particles do not change
with time.
Settling velocity remains constant.
If a particle is suspended in water, it initially has two forces acting
upon it:
(1) force of gravity: F
g
=r
p
gV
p

(2) the buoyant force quantified by Archimedes as: F
b
=rgV
p
If the density of the particle differs from that of the water, a net
force is exerted and the particle is accelaratd in the direction of the
force:
F
net
=(r
p
-r)gV
p

This net force becomes the driving force.
Once the motion has been initiated, a third force is created due to
viscous friction. This force, called the drag force, is quantified by:
F
d
=C
D
A
p
rv
2
/2
C
D
= drag coefficient.
A
p
= projected area of the particle.
Because the drag force acts in the opposite direction to the driving
force and increases as the square of the velocity, accelaration
occurs at a decreasing rate until a steady velocity is reached at a
point where the drag force equals the driving force:
(r
p
-r)gV
p
= C
D
A
p
rv
2
/2
For spherical particles,
V
p
=pd
3
/6 and A
p
=pd
2
/4
Thus, v
2
= 4g(r
p
-r)d
3 C
D
r
Expressions for C
D
change with characteristics of different flow
regimes. For laminar, transition, and turbulent flow, the values of
C
D
are:
C
D
= 24 (laminar)
R
e

C
D
= 24 + 3 +0.34 (transition)
R
e
R
e
1/2
C
D
= 0.4 (turbulent)
where Re is the Reynolds number:
R
e
=rvd
m
Reynolds number less than 1.0 indicate laminar flow, while values
greater than 10 indicate turbulent flow. Intermediate values
indicate transitional flow.
Stokes Flow
For laminar flow, terminal settling velocity equation becomes:
v= (r
p
-r)gd
2
18m
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which is known as the stokes equation.
Transition Flow
Need to solve non-linear equations:
v
2
= 4g(r
p
-r)d
3 C
D
r
C
D
= 24 + 3 +0.34
R
e
R
e
1/2
R
e
=rvd
m
Calculate velocity using Stokes law or turbulent expression.
Calculate and check Reynolds number.
Calculate C
D
.
Use general formula.
Repeat from step 2 until convergence.
Types of Settling Tanks
Sedimentation tanks may function either intermittently or
continuously.The intermittent tanks also called quiescent type
tanks are those which store water for a certain period and
keep it in complete rest. In a continuous flow type tank, the
flow velocity is only reduced and the water is not brought to
complete rest as is done in an intermittent type.
Settling basins may be either long rectangular or circular in
plan. Long narrow rectangular tanks with horizontal flow are
generally preferred to the circular tanks with radial or spiral
flow.
Long Rectangular Settling Basin
Long rectangular basins are hydraulically more stable, and flow
control for large volumes is easier with this configuration.
A typical long rectangular tank have length ranging from 2 to 4
times their width. The bottom is slightly sloped to facilitate
sludge scraping. A slow moving mechanical sludge scraper
continuously pulls the settled material into a sludge hopper
from where it is pumped out periodically.
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A long rectangular settling tank can be divided into four different
functional zones:
Inlet zone: Region in which the flow is uniformly distributed over
the cross section such that the flow through settling zone follows
horizontal path.
Settling zone: Settling occurs under quiescent conditions.
Outlet zone: Clarified effluent is collected and discharge through
outlet weir.
Sludge zone: For collection of sludge below settling zone.
Inlet and Outlet Arrangement
Inlet devices: Inlets shall be designed to distribute the water
equally and at uniform velocities. A baffle should be constructed
across the basin close to the inlet and should project several feet
below the water surface to dissipate inlet velocities and provide
uniform flow;
Outlet Devices: Outlet weirs or submerged orifices shall be
designed to maintain velocities suitable for settling in the basin
and to minimize short-circuiting. Weirs shall be adjustable, and at
least equivalent in length to the perimeter of the tank. However,
peripheral weirs are not acceptable as they tend to cause excessive
short-circuiting.
Weir Overflow Rates
Large weir overflow rates result in excessive velocities at the
outlet. These velocities extend backward into the settling zone,
causing particles and flocs to be drawn into the outlet. Weir
loadings are generally used upto 300 m
3
/d/m. It may be necessary
to provide special inboard weir designs as shown to lower the weir
overflow rates.
Inboard Weir Arrangement to Increase Weir Length
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Circular Basins
Circular settling basins have the same functional zones as
the long rectangular basin, but the flow regime is different.
When the flow enters at the center and is baffled to flow
radially towards the perimeter, the horizontal velocity of the
water is continuously decreasing as the distance from the
center increases. Thus, the particle path in a circular basin is a
parabola as opposed to the straight line path in the long
rectangular tank.
Sludge removal mechanisms in circular tanks are simpler
and require less maintenance.

Settling Operations
Particles falling through the settling basin have two
components of velocity:
1) Vertical component: v
t
=(r
p
-r)gd
2

18m
2) Horizontal component: v
h
=Q/A
The path of the particle is given by the vector sum of
horizontal velocity v
h
and vertical settling velocity v
t
.
Assume that a settling column is suspended in the flow of the
settling zone and that the column travels with the flow across
the settling zone. Consider the particle in the batch analysis
for type-1 settling which was initially at the surface and
settled through the depth of the column Z
0
, in the time t
0
. If
t
0
also corresponds to the time required for the column to be
carried horizontally across the settling zone, then the particle
will fall into the sludge zone and be removed from the

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will fall into the sludge zone and be removed from the
suspension at the point at which the column reaches the end
of the settling zone.
All particles with v
t
>v
0
will be removed from suspension at
some point along the settling zone.
Now consider the particle with settling velocity < v
0
. If the
initial depth of this particle was such that Z
p
/v
t
=t
0
, this
particle will also be removed. Therefore, the removal of
suspended particles passing through the settling zone will be
in proportion to the ratio of the individual settling velocities to
the settling velocity v
0
.
The time t
0
corresponds to the retention time in the settling
zone. t= V = LZ
0
W
Q Q
Also, t
0
= Z
0

v
0

Therefore, Z
0
= LZ
0
W and v
0
= Q
v
0
Q LW
or v
0
= Q
A
S
Thus, the depth of the basin is not a factor in determining the size
particle that can be removed completely in the settling zone. The
determining factor is the quantity Q/A
s
, which has the units of
velocity and is referred to as the overflow rate q
0
. This overflow
rate is the design factor for settling basins and corresponds to the
terminal setting velocity of the particle that is 100% removed.
Design Details
1. Detention period: for plain sedimentation: 3 to 4 h, and for
coagulated sedimentation: 2 to 2.5 h.
2. Velocity of flow: Not greater than 30 cm/min (horizontal flow).
3. Tank dimensions: L:B = 3 to 5:1. Generally L= 30 m (common)
maximum 100 m. Breadth= 6 m to 10 m. Circular: Diameter
not greater than 60 m. generally 20 to 40 m.
4. Depth 2.5 to 5.0 m (3 m).
5. Surface Overflow Rate: For plain sedimentation 12000 to
18000 L/d/m2 tank area; for thoroughly flocculated water
24000 to 30000 L/d/m2 tank area.
6. Slopes: Rectangular 1% towards inlet and circular 8%.
Worked-out Example