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Turbidity Alum Model

Two students in CEE 453 (Kim Wilson and Morgan Rog, 2005) measured the optimal alum dose for kaolin suspensions in Cornell tap water. They found
the following relationship.

The relationship for turbidities less than 100 NTU can also be expressed as

alum dose (mg/L) = a + b*log(turbidity).

The constants a and b both have values of approximately 15 mg/L. Thus when the turbidity is 1 the dose is 15 mg/L, when it is 10 the dose is 30 mg/L
and when it is 100 the dose is 45 mg/L.

Code that implements this relationship is available in N:\Software\Process Controller methods\alum dose as f(turbidity). You can open the Process
Controller method and see how it is set up and then add this ability to your Process Method.

An alternative relationship is given by this "rule of thumb" from the Cornell University Water Treatment Plant:

Temperature > 10°C Temperature < 10°C

NTU Alum dose in mg/L Alum dose in mg/L
1 17 10
10 27 20
50 43 34
100 60 46
200 77 60

A plot of the data in the table gives the following graph.

The shape of the curve suggests an equation of the form

alum dose (mg/L) = a+ b(Turbidity)0.5

The constants a and b are:

Coefficient Temperature > 10°C Temperature < 10°C

a 12. 7.2
b 4.6 3.8

Code that implements this simple formula is available in N:\Software\Process Controller methods\alum dose as f(turbidity). You can open the Process
Controller method and see how it is set up and then add this ability to your Process Method.

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