PARTECH Report

Carla Felix
Leanne Tan
 Contents of Report:

Gravity Sedimentation

Thickeners

Clarifiers
 GRAVITY
SEDIMENTATION
 Gravity Sedimentation
• Simple Gravity Settling Tank
 Gravity Sedimentation
• Two Types of Classification
Equipment:
– Simple Gravity Settling Classifier
– Spitzkasten Gravity Settling Chamber
• Principle: The slower the settling
velocity, the farther it will travel.
 Gravity Sedimentation
Simple Gravity Settling Classifier
 Gravity Sedimentation
Spitzkasten Gravity Settling Chamber
Adjustable flow rates
between vessels to
change degree of
separation
Gravity Sedimentation Equipment
Corrugated Plate Separator (CPS)
 Factors Affecting the Effectiveness
of Gravity Sedimentation
Floc which is too small or too large, is irregularly shaped, or has
a low density will not tend to settle out in the sedimentation
basin. 

Disintegration of floc

Short circuiting

Temperature Differences
 Disintegration of floc
sharp bends at the inlet high water velocity
 Short circuiting
occurs when water bypasses the normal flow
path through the basin and reaches the outlet in
less than the normal detention time

floc does not have enough time to settle out of

the water, influencing the economy of the plant
and the quality of the treated water

If areas of water in the basin do not appear to be

circulating, or if sludge build up on the bottom of
the basin is uneven
Short circuiting

a basin in which the water

is flowing primarily
through the left half of the
basin.  (Flowing water is
shown as green blobs.)
 Temperature Differences
Differences of temperature can cause
stratification of the water - separation of water
into bands of different temperature

Incoming water will tend to flow through the band

of water which corresponds to its own temperature,
and will not spread throughout the rest of the basin

Cold water prevents floc from settling, so that

longer settling times or larger doses of coagulant
chemicals are needed
Temperature Differences
THICKENERS
 Thickeners
• Concentrate suspended solids by gravity
settling.
• Rates of solids withdrawn and solids
supplied are equal.
• Inventory of pulp - maintained in order to
achieve the desired concentration. Used
for storage of solids when rates change.
 Thickeners
• Important consideration in plant design
since thickeners take up a large amount of
space.
• In plant design, there are usually more
than one thickener because if the
thickener is broken, the whole process will
stop since it cannot be by-passed.
Thickeners – Top View
Thickeners – Front View
Aerial View of Actual Thickener
Types of Thickeners based on
Rake driving mechanism

Bridge-Supported Thickeners

Center-Column-Supported
Thickeners

Traction Thickeners
 Bridge-Supported Thickeners
Give a denser and
Can transfer loads
Diameters up to 30 more consistent
to the tank
to 45 meters. underflow
peripherally.
concentration.

Fewer structural
Less complicated Access to drive
members subject
lifting device. from both ends.
to accumulation.

Lower cost for

smaller diameters.
Center-Column-Supported Thickeners

Mechanism is
20 meters or supported by a
more in diameter. single steel or
concrete column.

Raking arms are attached to driving

cage which rotates around the
column.
 Traction Thickeners

High installation
60 meters or
cost but low No lifting device
more in
maintenance can be used.
diameter.
cost.

More torque is required since the

Not suitable in
force comes from the periphery to
cold climates.
the center.
• Moves solids to withdrawal points
• Aids in thickening since the rakes break the solids to
mechanism
release any liquid trapped to escape.
Rake
• Design can be changed based on application.
• Where feed enters the tank. Feedwell
• The feed pipe is where the slurry passes through to and
get to the feed well.
• The feed well distributes the slurry to the tank.
Feed piping
• Contains the slurry.
• Sizes range from 2 to 150 meters. Tank
• Tank basins are constructed using steel, concrete
wood, compact earth, plastic sheeting or soil cement.
Components of Thickeners
• Provides force for the rakes and force to move
solids to the discharge. Assembly
• Supports rotating mechanism. Drive
• Has reserve capacity for temporary overloads.
• Protects mechanism during overloads.
• Lifts and lowers the rake based on the torque. Mechanism
• There is little lift in the center. Lifting
• It is difficult to return the rakes when the solids Rake-
are compact.
Components of Thickeners
• Uses centrifugal or gravity
displacement to remove thickened
solids.
Underflow
• Recycling underflow is used when the
solids are to be stored.
• Where clarified effluent is removed.
• Hydraulic capacity is taken into
Overflow
consideration to prevent flooding.
Components of Thickeners
 Feedwell and Feed piping

Feed
Flocculant

Using the Feedwell, the flow of the

slurry to the tank can become
more laminar.
Feedwell and Feed piping

The feed is diluted so that there is

high settling rates in the tank.
 Rake Mechanism

Rakes the entire tank floor twice per revolution.

 Rake Mechanism

Rakes the entire tank floor twice and the

inner circle four times per revolution.
Raking Mechanism
 Rake Lifting Device

Thickeners

Bridge Column
Type Type

Centrally Platform Telescopic Telescopic

mounted mounted Cage Column
 Rake Lifting Device
Centrally Mounted Lifting Device
• Drive head is fixed to the bridge.
• A screw attached to the shaft of the arms lifts and lowers
the arms depending on the torque.
Platform Mounted Lifting Device
• A lower platform carries the drive head and moves up or
down and an stationary upper platform and carries the
lifting motor. 
• The platforms are connected by screws that move the
lower platform up or down.
 Rake Lifting Device
Telescopic Cage Type
• Drive head remains stationary on the column.
• Internal cage is bolted to the rotating drive rim.
• External cage is lifted with raking arms by
screws.
Telescopic Column
• Drive head is mounted on a base raised and
lowered by screws using electric motor.
 Drive Assembly

Used for Used for Used for

Bridge Type Bridge Type Column Type
Thickener Thickener Thickener
Basic Underflow Arrangements
Pump Adjacent to Thickener with
Buried Piping
• Cheap but is susceptible to plugging.
• More than one pipes are installed and valves
are used to remove blockage.

Tunnel

• More expensive but has operational and

maintenance advantage.
• Used when slurry is known to plug the pipes.
Basic Underflow Arrangements
Peripheral Discharge

• Used for reduced installation cost for flat-bottom

tanks.
• Not suitable for coarse solids or solids that become
non-fluid at high concentration.

Center-Column Piping

• Alternative to tunnel.
• Pump selection is important.
• Most common: bridge-mounted pump with suction line
through a wet or dry center column.
 Types of Thickeners
High-Rate or
Conventional Thickeners
• The use of flocculant results to
a greater capacity

High-Density Thickeners

• Produces high viscosity

underflow
 Discharge

Actual Bridge Column

discharge type type
from the thickener thickener
tank discharge discharge
cone trench
CLARIFIERS
 Clarifiers
Remove relatively
small quantities of Primary purpose
suspended is to produce a
particles and relatively clear
produce a clear overflow.
effluent.
 Coagulation
Coagulation, the first
step in complete Most of the smaller
clarification, is the suspended solids in
neutralization of the surface waters carry
electrostatic charges a negative
on colloidal electrostatic charge,
particles.
 Coagulation
Inorganic Coagulants
The most common inorganic coagulants are:
1. Alum-aluminum sulfate-Al2(SO4)3

2. Ferric sulfate-Fe2(SO4)3

3. Ferric chloride-FeCl3

4. Sodium aluminate-Na2AI204
 Coagulation
The positive charge
of the metals serves The metal salts also
to neutralize the form insoluble metal
negative charges on hydroxides
the turbidity particles

Iron salts, on the

Aluminum salts are
other hand, are most
most effective as
effective as
coagulants in a 5.5-
coagulants at higher
8.0 pH range
pH ranges (8-10)
 Flocculation

Charge reduction increases the

occurrence of particle-particle
collisions, promoting particle
agglomeration
 Clarifying Equipments
Conventional Clarifying Equipments
• An initial period of turbulent mixing is necessary
for contact between the coagulant and the
suspended matter, followed by a period of gentle
stirring to increase collisions between particles
and increase floc size.
• Typical retention times are 3-5 minutes for rapid
mix, 15 to 30 minutes for flocculation. and 4-6
hours for settling
 Clarifying Equipments
Conventional Clarifying Equipments
The coagulant is added to the waste water in the
rapid mix chamber or just upstream

Water passes through the mix chambers into the

settling basin

Flocculated particles settle to the bottom and are

scraped into a sludge collection basin for removal
and disposal
 Clarifying Equipments
Rectangular Clarifiers
 Clarifying Equipments
Rectangular Clarifiers

Series of chain-driven scrapers are used

The sludge is collected in a hopper in the

end of the tank, where it may be removed
by screw conveyors or pumped out
 Clarifying Equipments
Rectangular Clarifiers

Raking mechanism consists of a chaintype drag

Drag moves the deposited pulp to a sludge hopper

located on one end by means of scrapers fixed to
endless chains

Skimming devices for removal of surface scum

 Clarifying Equipments
Circular Clarifiers
 Clarifying Equipments
Circular Clarifiers

Used for mechanical removal of settleable solids from waste

Often equipped with a surface-skimming device, which

includes a rotating skimmer, scum baffle, and scum-box
assembly

Floating matter is skimmed by a skimmer arm that is supported

by the sludge rake and rotates with it around the tank
 Clarifying Equipments
Circular Clarifiers

Floating matter is pushed over the beach plate

by the wipers attached to the skimmer arm and
into a scum box attached to the tank wall

Scum baffle prevents floating matter from

reaching the effluent launder
 Clarifying Equipments
Circular Clarifiers
Appropriately sized V-notch weir assures
uniform laminar flow throughout the
clarifier

Upflow Clarification - water flows upward

through the clarifier as the solids settle to
the bottom
 Clarifying Equipments
Vertical/Lamella Clarifiers
 Clarifying Equipments
Vertical/Lamella Clarifiers

Plates inclined at 45 to 60° from the horizontal

Influent passes into each inclined channel at about one-

third of the vertical height from the bottom

The clarified liquid passes in the opposite direction

beneath the ceiling of each channel to the overflow
connection
 Clarifying Equipments
Vertical/Lamella Clarifiers

The influent enters the lower area of the

laminar plate sections from the channels
through side slots.

The waste liquid is then distributed across

the entire width of the plates, and flows
upward under laminar flow conditions
 Clarifying Equipments
Vertical/Lamella Clarifiers

Principal advantage of the tilted-plate clarifier

is the increased capacity per unit of plane area

Disadvantages are an underflow solids

concentration that generally is lower than in
other gravity clarifiers and difficulty of cleaning
when scaling or deposition occurs
 Clarifying Equipments
Vertical/Lamella
Clarifiers
• Lamella plates
increase the settling
efficiency and speed
in sedimentation
basins
 Clarifying Equipments
Solids Contact Clarifiers
 Clarifying Equipments
Solids Contact Clarifiers
The influent is contacted with previously settled solids in a
recirculation draft tube within the reaction well

All chemical reactions are more rapid and more nearly complete, and
flocculation is improved.

The mixture passes out of the contacting and reaction well into the
clarification area, where the flocculated particles settle out.

They are raked to the center to be used again in the recirculation

process, with a small amount being discharged through the sludge
pump
 Clarifying Equipments
Solids Contact Clarifiers
 Clarifying Equipments
Sludge Blanket Clarifier
 Clarifying Equipments
Sludge Blanket Clarifier
The inverted cone within the clarifier produces an
increasing cross-sectional area from bottom to top

Upward velocity of the water decreases as it approaches

the top

As the water containing flocculated solids passes up through

this blanket, the particles are absorbed onto the larger floc,
which increases the floc size and drops it down to a lower level.

It eventually falls to the bottom of the clarifier to be

recirculated or drawn off
 Parts of a Clarifier
Inlet Zone

Settling Zone

Outlet Zone

Sludge Zone
Parts of a Clarifier
Parts of a Clarifier
 Inlet Zone

distributes the water

and to control the prevent turbulence of
water's velocity as it the water
enters the basin

If the water velocity is

inlets control the greater than 0.5 ft/sec,
velocity of the then floc in the water
incoming flow. will break up due to
agitation of the water.
 Inlet Zone
stilling wall (perforated
baffle wall)
• Water leaves the inlet and enters the
settling zone of the sedimentation
basin by flowing through the holes
evenly spaced across the stilling wall.

Channel

• allows water to enter the basin by first

flowing through the holes evenly
spaced across the bottom of the
channel
 Settling Zone

where water velocity is greatly

reduced and actual
sedimentation occurs
 Outlet Zone

controls the water flowing out of

the sedimentation basin and can
also be used to control the water
level in the basin

designed to ensure that the water

flowing out of the sedimentation
basin has the minimum amount of
An effluent structure
floc suspended in it
 Outlet Zone

The best quality water is usually found at

the very top of the sedimentation basin, so
outlets are usually designed to skim this
water off the sedimentation basin. 

A typical outlet zone begins with a baffle in

front of the effluent and then comes the
effluent structure
 Outlet Zone
Effluent launder

• A trough which collects the water flowing

out of the sedimentation basin and directs it
to the effluent piping.

Weirs

• Walls preventing water from flowing

uncontrolled into the launder and serve to
skim the water evenly off the tank. 
 Sludge Zone

Found across the bottom of the

sedimentation basin where the
sludge collects temporarily

Velocity in this zone should be

very slow to prevent
resuspension of sludge
 Sludge Zone

If sludge is not removed

the effective sludge built up on
sludge may also
(useable) volume the bottom of the
become
of the tank will tank may become
resuspended in
decrease, septic, meaning
the water and be
reducing the that it has begun
carried over to
efficiency of to decay
the filters
sedimentation anaerobically
 Sources
• www.solidliquid-separation.com
• Perry’s Chemical Engineering Handbook