Sedimentation

Lecture No.6 & 7

By
Dr. Zubair Ahmed

Partnering Universities:
 Objectives
– Compute settling velocities of particles based
on flow regime
– Show that surface overflow rate is design
parameter for a settling tank
– Calculate particle percentage removal in a
rectangular basin
– Use column test data to determine surface
overflow rate and detention time for a Type-II
settling
■ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPYXKHxDDsk
 Sedimentation
■ Objectives of the coagulation and flocculation processes
is to enhance the size of particles
– Settle in reasonable time period

■ Gravitational settling in a sedimentation basin

(also called a clarifier or settling tank ).

■ Other methods
– Direct filtration
– floatation
 Classification of Particles for Settling
1. Type I settling:
– discrete, non-flocculent particles in a dilute suspension
– settle as separate units, and there is no apparent flocculation or
interaction between the particles
– settling of sand particles in grit chambers

2. Type II settling:
– settling of flocculent particles in a dilute suspension
– flocculate during settling and increase in size and settle at a
faster velocity
– settling in primary clarifiers
 Relationship between settling type, concentration, and flocculent nature of
particles.
MWH's Water Treatment: Principles and Design, 3rd Edition
 Types of Settling
1. Type III settling :
– zone or hindered settling
– settling in an intermediate concentration
– the particles are so close together that interparticle forces hinder the
settling of neighboring particles
– settle at a constant velocity
– settling in secondary clarifiers (upper part)

2. Type IV settling :
– compression settling
– settling in a high concentration
– the particles touch each other and settling can occur only by
compression of the compacting mass
– settling in secondary clarifiers (lower part)
 Type –I Sedimentation
■ characterized by particles that settle discretely at a
constant settling velocity.
– settle as individual particles and do not flocculate during
settling.
• Grit, sand

– Pre-sedimentation for sand removal prior to coagulation in a

potable water plant
• settling of sand particles during cleaning of rapid sand filters,
• grit chambers.
 Type –I Sedimentation
■ Stokes’ Law drag force
density of particle, kg/m 3

volume of particle, m3

acceleration due to gravity, m/s 2

gravitational force
density of fluid, kg/m 3
drag coefficient velocity of particle, m/s

Newton’s equation
cross-sectional area of particle, m 2

Driving force for acceleration of the particle

buoyancy force

■ terminal settling velocity ( vs )

When the drag force is equal to the driving force, the particle velocity reaches a constant value
 Type –I Sedimentation
For spherical particles with a diameter d

Solve above equation and fo for v

terminal settling velocity Newton’s equation

Drag coefficient (CD) takes on different values depending on the flow

regime surrounding the particle laminar, turbulent, or transitional
 Type –I Sedimentation
■ Reynolds number

For R > 104 , CD = 0.4

At low R<0.5

For the transition region of R between 0.5 and 104

for spherical particles falling under laminar (quiescent) conditions,

Stokes’ law

Stokes’ law is valid for spherical particles and laminar flow (Reynolds numbers
1)
 Calculation for Type-I
■ Assume laminar conditions
■ Use Stokes’ law to calculate a settling velocity
■ Check Reynolds number using this velocity
– If R ≤ 1 ; calculation is complete
– If R > 1 ; appropriate equation for CD is selected
– Newton’s equation is used

– Check R using velocity calculated for Newton's eq.

■ The process is iterated until a convergent solution is achieved; that
is, the velocity yields a Reynolds number equal to that used in
estimating the settling velocity.
viscous
forces control
the drag force inertial forces
Example
What is the settling velocity of a grit particle with a radius of 0.10 mm
and a specific gravity of 2.65? The water temperature is 22oC.
■ at a temperature of 22oC
water density = 997.774 kg/m3 , use = 1000 kg/m3
viscosity ==0.955 mPa・ s = 9.55x10-4 Pa・ s
■ particle diameter of 2.0x 10-4 m
vs=[9.8((2.6*1000-1000)*(2x10-4)^2)]/(18* 9.55x10-4)
vs= 3.77x10-2 m/s
Check R
kinematic viscosity is 0.957x10-6 m2/s
= 7.88 >1

Stocks’ law is not valid

■ An iterative solution using Newton’s equation is
required.
■ Equation is used to estimate the drag
coefficient.
■ The Reynolds number of 7.88 is used for the starting
value of R , and a new velocity is calculated.
■ The resulting velocity is used to check the Reynolds
number.
■ The process is repeated until the value of the Reynolds
number used to calculate the velocity matches the check
of the Reynolds number.
 The Ideal Sedimentation Basin

1. The settling is type I

2. There is an even distribution of the

flow entering the basin

3. There is an even distribution of the

flow leaving the basin

4. There is three zones in the basin: (1)

the entering zone, (2) the outlet zone,
and (3) the sludge zone

5. There is uniform distribution of

particles throughout the depth of the
entering zone

6. Particles that enter the sludge zone

remain there, and particles that enter
the outlet zone are removed
■ Upflow clarifier
– at the bottom of the clarifier
the velocity of the rising
water > the settling
velocity of the particle.
– As the water rises,
the area through which it
passes is increasing
because of the cone shape
of the clarifier
velocity of the particle remains the same

■ Given a large enough cross-sectional area

– the upward water velocity vector will become
less than the downward velocity vector of the
particle.
– As a consequence, the particle will remain in
the tank and the clear water will leave.
 overflow rate
■ In the design of the upflow clarifier,
– the area of the top of the cone that achieves the
separation velocity sets the top of the cone and the
placement of the weirs for overflow of the clear water
– The upward water velocity that will enable the
separation of the water from the particle is called the
overflow rate (vo )
• hydraulic surface loading, or the surface loading,
because it has units of m3 /d ・ m 2
■ Efficiency of removal of discretely settling particles
– settling velocity of the particles and the overflow rate

■ For an upflow clarifier,

– 100 percent of the particles having a settling velocity greater
than or equal to the overflow rate will remain in the
settling tank

– no particles with a settling velocity less than the overflow rate

will be captured.
■ horizontal flow settling tank

volume of tank, m 3
detention time

Which is overflow rate ( v o )

■ percentage of particles removed, P
– with a settling velocity of vs in a horizontal flow sedimentation
tank designed with an overflow rate of vo
 EX In-class activity
Sleepy Hollow has an existing
horizontal-flow sedimentation tank
with an overflow rate of 17 m3/d ・m 2 .
What percentage removal should be
expected for each of the following
particle settling velocities in an ideal
sedimentation tank: 0.1 mm/s, 0.2
mm/s, and 1 mm/s?
Solution
 Type II Sedimentation
■ characterized by particles that flocculate during
sedimentation
– alum or iron coagulation,
– wastewater primary sedimentation, and
– settling tanks in trickling filtration

■ No adequate mathematical relationship

– Stokes equation cannot be used
• flocculating particles are continually changing in size and
shape
• water is entrapped in the floc,
– specific gravity also changes
 ■ Settling Column Model
– Not practical for the design of new settling tanks

– Evaluating of existing settling tanks and in

– Developing data for plant expansion or
– Modification of existing plants

percent removal at one depth and time

concentration at time, t, and given depth, mg/L
D

initial concentration, mg/L

H
0.5 m
H0 Port 1 to 7

D= 15-20 cm
H= 2-4 m
H0= Design side water depth
 isoconcentration lines

𝐻
𝑣𝑜 =
𝑡𝑖
time defined by intersection of isoconcentration line and
bottom of column ( x -axis) where the subscript, i, refers to
the first, second, third, and so on intersection points

The midpoints between

isoconcentration lines define heights
H 1,H 2, H3
 Example
The city of Stillwater is planning to install a new settling
tank as an upgrade to their existing water treatment plant.
Design a settling tank to remove 65% of the influent
suspended solids from their design flow of 0.5 m 3 /s. A
batch-settling test using a 2.0 m column and coagulated
water from their existing plant yielded the following data:
For
65%
remo
val

Applying the
scale-up factors
yields
For
65%
remo
val
■ Assignment
– Solve example (uploaded on google drive)
– Assignment #2 (to be given in after next class)
■ Reading assignment
– Section 10-14 to 10-17 of Water and Wastewater Engineering by
Mackenzie L. Davis