DESIGN OF SEDIMENTATION UNITS SEDIMENTATION TANK DESIGN 1. General Considerations a.

Full Treatment

Flows up to 3 x DWF and infiltration are normally given full treatment. Unless special circumstances demand, full treatment consist of preliminary treatment, primary sedimentation, single-stage biological treatment and secondary sedimentation. Doublestage biological treatment, recirculation etc., are introduced if the wastes so re uire. !ertiary treatment is included as an additional stage if higher standards or effluent are re uired. Full treatment also incorporates sludge treatment on most schemes. b. Primar Sedimentation

"reliminary treatment will have removed gross floating solids, grit and, if special provisions have been made, grease and oil. the first stage of full treatment is to remove up to #$% of the remaining suspended solids in the sewage to reduce the strength of the li uid passing to the biological treatment process. "rimary sedimentation must be efficient if the following biological process is to wor& effectively and percolating filters are not to become bloc&ed or cho&ed. 'ertain sections of the treatment industry believe that the use of primary settlement tan&s is unnecessary. (ome managers of treatment plant consider that if sewage is ade uately screened and macerated it can be passed direct for biological treatment if an activated sludge plant is used. !his view is held strongly in some parts of the U() and a large number of plants of this type are operating. ) serious disadvantage of this treatment method is the large uantity of entirely activated sludge which is produced. !his is more difficult to treat than crude sludge which is discharged from primary sedimentation units. ) much higher load is also passed to the activated sludge units. *f a trade waste is discharged to the treatment wor&s which is toxic to the purifying bacteria in the biological sections no treatment will be given to the sewage. *f primary sedimentation tan&s are incorporated within a scheme a measure of treatment is given to the sewage even if the biological process has been put out of action by the discharge of a toxic waste. (ettlement is the cheapest and most satisfactory way of removing suspended solids from sewage. )ny li uid which contains heavy solid particles will become clarified if allowed to stand in a tan&. !he solids settle out and form a sludge at the bottom of the tan& from where they can be removed. *t is undoubtedly true that the efficient operation and maintenance of sedimentation tan&s will enable an ade uately si+ed biological plant to provide satisfactory treatment and give rise to a highly efficient wor&s. ,fficiently designed sedimentation tan&s should effect a reduction in suspended solids of up to #$%. !here is no reason why this figure should not be reached unless a high percentage of colloidal matter is present in the sewage. *n addition to the removal of suspended solids, a reduction in biochemical oxygen demand of about 3$% will also be achieved. !he following table gives a typical appreciation of the settleable elements in the treatment stages.

Description of Discharge Flows exceeding Formula .)/ (torm !an&s 03-12 x D.W.F "rimary settlement tan&s 3 x D.W.F. !. T"eor o# Continuous Flo$ Sedimentation

"ercentage of annual aggregate flow 3.4 1.1 5-

"ercentage of aggregate time for discharge 5 -66

if

7ecause flow in such an apparently simple unit as a sedimentation tan& is extremely complex, any theory of sedimentation is bound to be based on a grossly simplified model complex analysis is to be avoided. ). 8a+en proposed a theory of settlement based on (to&e/s law for the smaller particles, larger particles being assumed to be less affected by viscosity. ) detailed description of 8a+en/s theory is unnecessary, the important conclusion being that depth had little effect on sedimentation, and the smallest si+e of particle that could be settled depended on the surface area of the tan&. )s the larger particles tend to settle first, the smallest si+e of particle which can be settled is inversely proportional to the percentage removal of suspended solids and hence is an indication of the efficiency of removal. 8a+en/s conclusion can be explained as follows9 !o achieve a particular degree of solids removal the time of detention of a parcel of sewage must be such that all particles below a certain si+e can fall to the bottom of the tan& after entering at top water level9

!he tra:ectory of the particle is shown in the simplified diagram above. !ime of detention ;
dbl d = Q VS

which simplifies to9 therefore <( ; Q A

<( ;

Q bl

bl ; area, )

From which it can be seen that, for a high percentage removal <( will be small and hence ) must be large. ) similar conclusion can be reached where the influence enters other than at the surface. !he flow pattern in a sedimentation tan& is much more involved than that suggested by the diagram above, and hence design is based on general rules formulated from experience with existing tan&s and on empirical conclusions. )ctual flow conditions arising in tan&s ta&e the form of currents and eddies, the effects of which tend to reduce the effective capacity of the tan& and to scour the previously settled sludge.

%.

Desi&n Pro'edure %.1 General )s has been shown in our simplified example, settling efficiency is partly dependant upon surface area, and the theoretical concept of upward flow is used to assess the area, even though in the actual design, flow is predominantly hori+ontal. !heoretically the upward velocity relates to the settlement velocity of the smallest particles to be settled, i.e. <3 in the simple example previously discussed. Upward velocities used for designs are at pea& flow, i.e. 3 x dwf. ) typical upward velocity is -.3$ m=hr, from which a surface loading rate can be calculated. *n this instance the surface loading rate would be9 -.3$ x 34 m3=m3=day ; 36m3=m3=day

From the surface loading rate, the tan& area can be determined.

*n practice however, study has shown that the settling behaviour of organic sewage particles is not only dependant on surface loading as 8a+ens classical theory indicates but is also dependant on detention period. !he particles agglomerate 0called flocculation2 during the sedimentation process by chance collision, particle attraction 0because of differential rates of settling2 and electro-molecular forces. !hese processes are time related and it has been shown that rapid settling ta&es place in the first hour followed by a period of more gradual clarification. Fluctuations in influent concentration will not affect effluent uality in a tan& where detention period is a dominant parameter. Detention periods in excess of two hours at the maximum rate of flow is not economically sound and this is the figure generally adopted in the U> although some designers use detention periods in the range - - -? hours for primary tan&s prior to aeration tan&s. )lthough detention periods should always be referred to in terms of capacity at the maximum flowrate they are sometimes given in terms of dry weather flows9 as the pea& flow for full treatment is approximately 3 dwf the detention may be referred to as 1 hours at dwf i.e. 3 hours x 3 dwf ; 1 dwf. %.! Cir'ular and (e'tan&ular Tan)s

*n a rectangular tan& the hori+ontal velocity is .linear/ as sewage enters at one end and overflows at the other. *n a circular tan& sewage enters at the centre and overflows at the perimeter. !he merits and details of each type of tan& will be discussed later. !he length=breadth ratio for a rectangular tan& is generally ta&en as between 3 and 4. !he third parameter is sedimentation tan& design is the weir overflow rate calculated by dividing maximum treatment flow by total weir length. !oo high a weir overflow rate may result in solids being carried over. !he weir overflow rate is generally &ept between -$6 m3=m=day and 366 m3=m=day, though the *W"' @anual on 7ritish "ractice allows up to 4$6 m3=m=day. !hus the design procedure can be summarised as follows9

A*<,B9 @)C*@U@ D)!, EF FFEW G !)B> !H",

Decide Detention !ime

'alculate <olume

Decide (urface Foading Date

'alculate )rea

Decide on Bo. of !an&s

Decide on 'ritical "roportion Dimensions

'alculate Dimensions of !an&s

)mend, or 'hange no. of !an&s

)re Dimensions Deasonable

BE

H,(

'hec& Weir Everflow Date

H,( "DE',,D W*!8 D,!)*F,D D,(*AB

!he (edimentation tan&s discussed previously are tan&s in which the flow is nominally hori+ontal. !his type utilises upward flow such that particles of sewage whose settling velocities are less than the upward velocity would be carried upwards, and would meet larger particles settling. !he settling particles coalesce with the rising particles and the resulting flocculants solids continue to settle, entrapping other rising particles being carried upwards. !he upward velocity referred to in connection with hori+ontal flow tan&s is a theoretical concept, but in the case of the upward flow type tan& is the actual velocity of flow. *f the settling velocity of the smallest particle to be settled is &nown 0<s2 then the area of tan& is Q ); Vs

Table 1

'ircular sedimentation tan&s9 diameter and surface loading related to population e uivalents. !an& dia. 0m2 I -6 -3.$ -$ -#.$ 36 33.$ 3$ 3#.$ 36 "opulation e uivalents 0x -632 for surface loadings of9 -.$ m3=m3.h 3.4 3.I $.5 I.$ --.$ -$.-5.6 33.$ 3I.$ 33.5 3.6 m3=m3.h 3.3 $.6 #.5 --.3 -$.4 36.3$.4 3-.4 3I.6 4$.3

Table ! *nternal tan& dia. 0m2 I.6 -6.6 -3.$ -$.6 -#.$ 36.6 33.$ 3$.6 3#.$ 36.6

'ircular sedimentation tan&s9 sidewall depths

(idewall depth 0incl. 166 mm freeboard2 for 3 h retention and -.$ m3=m3. h surface loading Floor gradient - in 3 - in $ - in -6 - in $6 )ctual "referred )ctual "referred )ctual "referred )ctual "referred 3.53 3.6 3.33 3.$ 3.4# 3.$ 3.$$ 3.$ 3.## 3.6 3.3# 3.$ 3.43 3.$ 3.$3 3.$ 3.$# 3.$ 3.-5 3.6 3.46 3.$ 3.$6 3.$ 3.3$ 3.$ 3.-6 3.6 3.3$ 3.$ 3.4I 3.$ 3.-4 3.6 3.63 3.6 3.33.$ 4.4I 3.$ -.53 3.6 3.53 3.6 3.3# 3.$ 3.4# 3.$ 3.I$ 3.6 3.33 3.6 3.4$ 3.$ 3.## 3.6 3.-I 3.6 3.43 3.$ 3.1I 3.$ 3.-4 3.6 3.43 3.$ 3.16 3.$ 3.-6 3.6 3.46 3.$