Design of Sedimentation

Basins
Prof. Dr. Jabbar H.
Al-Baidhani
Design of Sedimentation Basins

Sedimentation basins , as noted, will

always have a detention time
somewhat less than the nominal value
and a surface overflow rate somewhat
higher than nominal as a result of
nonideality of the of the flow pattern.
Design of sedimentation basins is
directed toward reducing the degree
of nonideality.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

Sedimentation tanks may be

rectangular or square. In
rectangular basins, the is
directed along the long axis.
This flow pattern minimizes the
effect of inlet and outlet
disturbances
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

Sludge removal equipment in such basins

consists of horizontal scrapers which drag the
solids to the hopper at one end, from which
they are removed intermittently or continuously
by gravity or augers. Typical designs are shown
in Figures below. Vacuum or siphon devices may
be used to remove sludge from clarifiers, but
such devices are best suited for very light
flocculent sludges such as those encountered in
biological wastewater treatment processes.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

. Rectangular basins offer certain economies in

construction if common wall design is used.
Square basins are occasionally used for clarifiers.
Their flow pattern is not as desirable as that in
rectangular designs, and the sludge removal
equipment is more complicated. Square basins
generally employ rotating scrapers similar to
those in circular clarifiers with an additional
corner sweep mechanisms similar to that shown
in figure below.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

In circular basins, the flow may

enter around the perimeter, as
shown in the figure below or at the
center as shown in the figure
below. The flow pattern is more
complicated than in rectangular
basins, and there is more
opportunity for short circuiting.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

Studies of the flow pattern

in circular clarifiers have
indicated that the average
detention time is greater in
peripherally fed basins than
in those in which the flow
enters in the centers.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins
Clean equipment in circular basins
usually consists of scraper blades
mounted on redial arms. The bottom of
the basin is sloped toward the center
hopper, and the rotating blades push
the sludge into a series of windrows
which are gradually worked to the
center. Circular basins have smaller wall
area for a given plan area but not
permit common wall construction.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins
Careful design of inlets and outlets is
very important to the proper
operation of clarifiers.The ideal inlet
reduces the entrance velocity to
prevent development of currents
toward the outlet, distributes the
water as uniformly as possible across
the basin, and mixes it with water
already in the tank to prevent density
currents.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

Some typical designs which

offer a compromise between
simplicity and function are
illustrated in figure below.
Poorly designed inlets are the
most common cause of poor
clarifier performance.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

Outlets of clarifiers usually consist of

weirs which skim the clarified water
from the surface and are sufficiently
long to reduce the local velocity in
their vicinity to levels which will not
resuspend solids. The design of weirs
is based on a weir loading or weir
overflow rate expressed in flow per
unit length.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins
Effluent weirs are placed as far from the
inlet as possible – at the opposite end of
rectangular basins, around the perimeter
of center – fed circular tanks, and toward
the center and along the radii of
peripherally fed basins. The weirs with
their associated effluent channels may
cover a substaintial portion of the area of
the basin. The area so covered is still an
effective part of the clarifier and is not
subtracted in determining the SOR.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

Typical weirs consist of 90◦ V notches.

The length calculated from the weir
overflow rate is the total length, not
the length over which flow occurs.
A compilation of typical surface
overflow rates, weir overflow rates,
and detention times which have been
used in water treatment are presented
in table below.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

These values are provided for

purposes of comparison, not as
recommended design standards.
Design of water treatment systems
should be based on laboratory
evaluation of the systems which
are proposed.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

Table (1):Typical water treatment clarifier design details

Type of basi Detention time, h Weir overflow rate, Surface overflow rate,
(m3/m.day) (m/d)

Presedimentation 3-8

Standard basin following:

Coagulation and flocculation 2-8 250 20- 33

Softening 4-8 250 20-40

Upflow clarifier following:

Coagulation and flocculation 2 175 55

Softening 1 350 100

Tube settler following:

Coagulation and flocculation 0.2

Design of Sedimentation Basins

Example: Designing a long-rectangular

settling basin for type -2 settling:
A city must treat about 15000 m3/d of
water. Flocculating particles are produced
by coagulation, and a column analysis
indicates that an overflow rate of 20 m/d
will produce satisfactory removal at a
depth of 3.5 m. Determine the size of the
required tank.
 Design of Sedimentation Basins
SOLUTION:
1- Compute surface area (provide two tanks at
7500 m3/d each)
Q= vs . As
7500 m3/d =As × 20 m/d
As =7500/2= 375 m2
2-Select a length- to-width ratio of 3/1,
calculate surface dimensions:
w× 3w= 375 m2
Width=11.18 say 11 m
Length= 33.54 say 34 m
 Design of Sedimentation Basins
3- Check the retention time:
T=volume/flow rate=11m× 34m×
3.5m /(7500 m3/d × 1 d/24h)
=4.19 h
4-Check horizontal velocity:
Vh =Q/As =(7500 m3/d×
d/24h)/11m× 3.5m = 8.1 m/h
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

5-Check weir overflow rate. If

simple weir is placed across end of
tank, overflow length will 11 m
and overflow rate would be:
7500m3/d× 1d/24h× 1/11m
=28.4 m3/h.m
Five times this length will be
needed
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

Example:Designing a circular settling

basin:
Using the data in above example,
determine the diameter required for
settling basins.
Solution:
1- Again providing two tanks, the
surface area is calculated as before
As =375 m2
 Design of Sedimentation Basins

2- The diameter is
calculated by
πd2/4 = 375 m2
d=21.85 say 22 m
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