Sedimentation by David Gavin

Download as docx, pdf, or txt
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 7

Name: David Gavin Student number: C18345896

Title: Experiment 3 – Sedimentation Date: 12/03/21

Sedimentation Lab
Abstract:
The process of water treatment is particularly important when it comes to monitoring and
preserving clean water sources for human health, industrial processes and for the biological and
chemical systems. In this experiment, the process of sedimentation is focused on and the effect of
different factors were observed to find out why the rate of sedimentation changes throughout the
whole experiment.

Introduction.
Wastewater treatment consists of applying known technology to improve or upgrade the quality of a
wastewater. Wastewater treatment involves collecting the wastewater in a central, segregated
location and subjecting the wastewater to various treatment processes [1]. The principal objective of
wastewater treatment is to allow human and industrial effluents to be disposed of without danger to
human health or unacceptable damage to the natural environment. With the current emphasis on
environmental health and water pollution issues, there is an increasing awareness of the need to
dispose of these wastewaters safely and beneficially. Conventional wastewater treatment consists of
a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes and operations to remove solids,
organic matter and sometimes, nutrients from wastewater. General terms used to describe different
degrees of treatment, in order of increasing treatment level, are preliminary, primary, secondary,
and tertiary and/or advanced wastewater treatment [2]. The objective of preliminary treatment is
the removal of coarse solids and other large materials often found in raw wastewater. The purpose
of secondary treatment is the further treatment of the effluent from primary treatment to remove
the residual organics and suspended solids and tertiary and/or advanced wastewater treatment is
employed when specific wastewater constituents which cannot be removed by secondary treatment
must be removed. Gravity separation of solids from liquid, producing a clarified overflow and a
thickened solids underflow, has long been used in the wastewater treatment industry. Often, the
terms clarification and thickening or sedimentation are used to describe gravity separation unit
operations, depending on if the process focus, or objective, is on the clarified liquid or the thickened
solids, respectively [3]. In the practice of water management, studying the phenomenon of solid
particles sedimentation in water provides particularly important experimental data, both for the
proper design and exploitation of decanted impurities separation equipment or sludge thickeners
from wastewater treatment plants and for the efficient administration of natural water courses.
Sedimentation is the oldest and most widely used operation in the effective treatment of
wastewater. The operation consists of removing sediment, turbidity and floating material from raw
wastewater, operation performed by settler tanks. The process of sedimentation of solids in water is
used in both the primary stage and the secondary stage to the waste [4].

Sedimentation basins, also called settling tanks or clarifiers, are large tanks in which water is made to
flow very slowly to promote the sedimentation of particles or flocs. In water and wastewater
treatment plants, these are so large that they are situated outdoor and usually have an open
surface. Sedimentation basins come in two shapes, rectangular and circular. Longitudinal horizontal
decanters concrete basins are characterized by their rectangular shape plan and horizontal direction
of water flow [5]. The lengths of these separators are an average of up to 30 m and 100 m; the
average depth is 3 m and 4 m maximum. With round sedimentation tanks the wastewater is fed into
the middle and is discharged through a trough on the outer periphery. The last step, known as
secondary clarification, allows wastewater to settle before it is reintroduced into the environment or
sent for further treatment, which is often referred to as tertiary treatment [6]. The study of solid
particles sedimentation in water is done both for stationary systems (stationary columns) and for
dynamical systems (currents with different flow directions). For stationary columns, if in a glass tube
there is introduced a certain amount of diluted suspension composed of water and solid particles
and let it rest, it can be observed after a period of time the appearance of distinct areas, such as:
clear liquid zone at the top of the tube, a zone with water in which solids are in the sedimentation
process at the middle of the tube and a zone with concentrated sludge settled at the bottom of the
column [5].

Results and Calculations:


Part A

5w/w% CaCO3 5w/w% silica gel


Time height of constant composition zone
(min) mm mm
0 880 980
1 860 970
2 850 870
3 840 780
4 835 720
5 820 670
6 800 580
7 780 530
8 740 470
9 720 440
10 700 400
Table 1. Two different suspension solids with the same concentration and different particle sizes

Height (mm) vs Time (s)


1200

1000
f(x) = − 1.04 x + 985.45

f(x)==0.99
− 0.29 x + 890.68 5 w/w% of CaCO3
800
Height (mm)

R² = 0.95 Linear (5 w/w% of CaCO3)


600 Linear (5 w/w% of CaCO3)
5 w/w% silica gel
400 Linear (5 w/w% silica gel)
Linear (5 w/w% silica gel)
200

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Time (s)

Fig.1 The graph of height (mm) vs time (s) regarding to the particle size of two different suspension solids.
y = -0.2947x + 890.68 (5% w/w CaCO3) Average rate of sedimentation = -0.2947 mm/s
y = -1.0394x + 985.45 (5% w/w silica gel) Average rate of sedimentation = -1.0394 mm/s

Part B

5% CaCO3 5 cm diameter 2 cm diameter 1 cm diameter


Time (min) height of constant composition zone
mm mm mm
1 963 649 604
2 958 645 600
3 953 642 598
4 950 632 596
5 947 630 592
6 942 627 585
7 940 622 581
8 938 619 577
9 931 616 573
10 930 610 570
Table 2. The data observed for three different tube diameters with the suspension solid CaCO 3.

Height (mm) vs Time (s)


1200

1000
f(x) = − 0.06 x + 965.07 5cm diameter
R² = 0.99 Linear (5cm diameter)
800 Linear (5cm diameter)
Height (mm)

2cm diameter
Linear (2cm diameter)
600 f(x) = − 0.07 x + 652.6
f(x)
R² ==0.98
− 0.07 x + 609.33 Linear (2cm diameter)
R² = 0.99 1cm diameter
400 Linear (1cm diameter)
Linear (1cm diameter)

200

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Time (s)

Fig.2 The graph of height (mm) vs time (s) with three different tube diameters filled with CaCO 3 solution.

y = -0.0602x + 965.07 (5 cm) Average rate of sedimentation = -0.0602 mm/s


y = -0.0709x + 652.60 (2 cm) Average rate of sedimentation = -0.0709 mm/s
y = -0.0659x + 609.33 (1 cm) Average rate of sedimentation = -0.0659 mm/s
Part C

5w% 7.5w% 10w%


5w% 7.5w% 10w%
CaCO3 CaCO3 CaCO3
sg sg sg
t height of constant composition zone
(min) (mm)
0 880 930 935 980 980 970
1 860 925 930 970 930 930
2 850 920 925 870 850 880
3 840 905 920 780 760 820
4 835 890 915 720 680 770
5 820 880 910 670 620 710
6 800 865 900 580 550 650
7 780 845 890 530 480 600
8 740 830 880 470 420 560
9 720 815 870 440 340 510
10 700 810 860 400 270 470
Table 3. The data for CaCO3 and silica gel with different particle concentrations.

Height (mm) vs Time (s) 5w%


CaCO3
1200 Linear
(5w%
CaCO3)
1000 Linear
f(x) = − 1.04 (5w%
0.86x x++984.09
1.2 985.45
974.55 CaCO3)
f(x)
R² ==0.99
1− 0.22
0.13 x + 940.23
940.68
f(x) = − 0.29
0.97
R² = 0.98 x + 890.68 7.5 w%
800 R² = 0.95 CaCO3
Height (mm)

Linear
(7.5 w%
600 CaCO3)
Linear
(7.5 w%
400 CaCO3)
10 w%
CaCO3
Linear
200 (10 w%
CaCO3)
Linear
0 (10 w%
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 CaCO3)
Time (s)

Fig.4 The graph of height (mm) vs time (s) with different concentrations of CaCO3 and silica gel.

y = -0.2947x + 890.68 (5% w/v CaCO3) Average rate of sedimentation = -0.2947 mm/s
y = -0.2205x + 940.23 (7.5% w/v CaCO3) Average rate of sedimentation = -0.2205 mm/s
y = -0.125x + 940.68 (10% w/v CaCO3) Average rate of sedimentation = -0.125 mm/s
y = -1.0394x + 985.45 (5% w/v silica gel) Average rate of sedimentation = -1.0394 mm/s
y = -1.1955x + 984.09 (7.5% w/v silica gel) Average rate of sedimentation = -1.1955 mm/s
y = -0.8636x + 974.55 (10% w/v silica gel) Average rate of sedimentation = -0.8636 mm/s
Discussion and Answers to Questions:
For the graph in Fig.1, the rate of sedimentation was observed for two different suspensions. The
suspensions that were used was 5% w/w calcium carbonate (CaCO 3) and 5% w/w silica gel. Silica gel
settles faster than CaCO3, because silica gel has a spherical shape which means the particle will settle
faster. CaCO3 have smaller and non-uniformed particles than silica gel which means it will stay
suspended in the fluid longer. From the graph on Fig.1, the average sedimentation rate for CaCO 3 is
0.2947 mm/s while the rate for silica gel is 1.0394 mm/s. It is evident that silica gel has a higher
settling rate than CaCO3.

The 5 cm tube has a larger diameter compared to the two other tubes, while having the lowest rate
of sedimentation (0.0602 mm/s). This means that the particles will be in the constant composition
zone a lot longer before it settles to the bottom. The 2 cm tube had the fastest sedimentation rate of
0.0709 mm/s which means that the particles settled to the bottom of the tube with ease. The 1 cm
tube has a sedimentation rate of 0.0659 mm/s, which is faster compared to the 5 cm tube but
significantly slower than the rate for the 2 cm tube. This is because the particles in the 1 cm tube will
be too clumped together which restricts access for the velocity of fluid to flow upwards, which
decreases the rate of sedimentation. For this part of the experiment, from the graph in Fig.2, the
diameter size of the tube does affect the sedimentation rate.

From the graph in Fig.3, as the concentration of the particles increased the rate of sedimentation
decreased. This is because the more concentration there is in the particles, the more it will have
particle-particle interactions or coagulation [7]. In the case of CaCO 3, the sedimentation rate
decreased as the concentration increased. The higher the concentration it enhanced the coagulation
of the particles, these clumps will slowly settle due to interference with each other.

The type of settling that occurred in this experiment is hindered settling. This is because the particles
are settling at a low sedimentation rate due to high concentrations of suspension. The factors that
affect the sedimentation rate are fluid viscosity, density, velocity, particle concentration and particle
size.

For Part A of the experiment, the main factor that affected the rate of sedimentation is the particle
size and shape. From the data shown in Table 1, it was observed that silica gel (1.0394 mm/s) had a
faster sedimentation rate than CaCO3 (1.0394 mm/s), yet silica gel is lighter than CaCO 3. Silica gel
may be lighter but due to its uniform spherical shape the particles will settle faster. CaCO 3 does not
have a uniform shape nor size, it will have edges, thus it will be suspended in the fluid longer.

The Part B of the experiment, the factors that affected the rate were the velocity and the diameter
of the tube. The larger the diameter of the tube the slower the rate of sedimentation due to the
increase of the velocity of the fluid. In the case of the 2 cm and 1 cm tubes, 1 cm had a slower rate
than the 2 cm one. This may be due to large clumps of CaCO 3 particles forming in the 1 cm tube
which would hit the container walls and disturb the flow of settling. For the 2 cm, it had a faster rate,
this may be due to the particles being near enough to coagulate but far enough from the container
walls to hinder its rate of sedimentation.

For Part C of the experiment, the factor that affected the rate was the particle concentration. From
the graph in Fig.3, the data showed that as the concentration of the particles increased the rate of
sedimentation decreases. In general, particles with lower concentrations will settle faster to the
bottom of the tube while in higher concentrations the particles will coagulate more and will hinder
and interfere with each other. Because of this, the rate of sedimentation decreases.
Stokes' law describes the settling of spheres in a Newtonian fluid [8]. A spherical particle placed in a
Newtonian fluid will sink if the buoyant force does not match or exceed the gravitational force on
the sphere [8].

The particle size of the silica gel (100 μm) is larger than the size of CaCO 3 (45 μm). Normally, the
larger the particle size the heavier it is, and it would settle faster. However, the abnormality here is
that silica gel is lighter, having a density of 0.7 g/cm 3, while CaCO3 is heavier with a density of 2.71
g/cm3. Silica gel sinks faster because of its uniform spherical shape.

Before the sedimentation process, the coagulation and flocculation are done beforehand. The
coagulants contain opposite charges to the suspended solids, which are added into the untreated
water to neutralise the non-settled solids. The smaller will then stick together and will be ready for
flocculation. For this process, it is a gentle mixing stage with an addition of inorganic or organic
polymers. These polymers will help bind the “flocs” until it reaches its optimum size and strength
ready for sedimentation.

After the sedimentation process is done, the next step to optimise settling is clarification. The use of
a clarifier which is a continuous sedimentation process, will help clear the water. The water enters
the tank under the level of water to avoid the bubbling effect. The skimmers are located at the top
of the tank to catch any floating particles. The tank has a large surface area to allow a longer time for
the particles to settle. The sludge concentrator will force the sludge to draw-off the tank, which then
the effluent will come out of the tank which clarifies the liquid.

Conclusion:

The factors that were observed in hindered settling, affected the rate of sedimentation. In this
experiment, the rate of sedimentation was dependent on the particle’s size and its shape. CaCO 3
would be significantly heavier than silica gel due to their respective densities: 2.71 g/cm 3 and 0.7
g/cm3. However, due to silica gel being a uniformed sphere it gives it the advantage to easily pass
through the Newtonian fluid with ease. CaCO 3 having a rougher shape, stayed suspended in the fluid
for longer. The other factor that affected the rate of sedimentation was the velocity and size of the
tube diameter. The tube that had the fastest rate (0.0709 mm/s) was the 2 cm tube, the particles are
close enough to clump together and settle faster but also far enough from the container walls from
being hindered. Lastly, the concentration of particles affected the sedimentation rate. The higher the
particle concentration there was a decrease in the sedimentation rate. The particles clumped more
which interfered with the settlement flow for the particles.
References:
[1] Wastewater Treatment Plant Curreta Gmbh & co. ohg, Germany

[2] McGraw Hill, 2003 - Metcalf & Eddy, Wastewater Engineering. Treatment and Reuse, 4th ed.
New York (USA), 2003.

[3] Zăbavă B. ȘT, Voicu Gh., Safta V.V., Ungureanu N., Dincă M., Ionescu M., Munteanu M., 2016 -
Types of clarifiers used in wastewater treatment plants – A Review. ISB-INMA TEH 2016 International
Symposium. Bucharest, Romania.

[4] Templeton M.R., Butler D. - An introduction to wastewater treatment. Bookboon.com

[5] “W2 Sedimentation Studies Apparatus – Instruction Manual”, ARMFIELD Limited, England, UK,
Issue 4, 1995. [7] Wastewater Treatment Plant Curreta Gmbh & co. ohg, Germany.

[6] Alessandro SPAGNI, 2012 - Lectures for the course of “Wastewater Treatment” Second Cycle
Degree (MSc Level) in Environmental Engineering University of Padua, ITALY

[7] http://www.mrwa.com/WaterWorksMnl/Chapter%2012%20Coagulation.pdf
[8] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/stokes-law

You might also like