Type-III and Type-IV Sedimentation

Sedimentation
 Suspended growth system (biomass mobile)
 Design of secondary settling tank
 Concentrated suspensions (excess of 1000 mg/L)
 Upward displacement of water when particle settles
 Group of particles settles
 Velocity is inversely proportional to the concentration
(because of many variables)
 SST  solid concentration increased from reactor to the
clarifier underflow (XU)
 Settling velocity change and results in different zones
(called zone settling)
Zone settling Batch Analysis
Zone settling in Continuous clarifier

A Gt  GU  Gg
B

Downward velocity of solids in SST has two components:

1. Transport velocity due to withdrawal of sludge
2. Gravity settling of the solids relative to the water
Solid Flux Method – Coe & Clevenger (1916)
Design of Clarifiers
 A column analysis was run to determine the settling
characteristics of an activated-sludge suspension. The results
of the analysis are shown in the table below.

MLSS Conc. (mg/L) 1400 2200 3000 3700 4500 5200 6500 8200
Velocity (m/h) 3.0 1.85 1.21 0.76 0.45 0.28 0.13 0.089

The influent concentration of MLSS is 3000 mg/L and the flow

rate is 8000 m3/day. Determine the size of the clarifier that
will thicken the solids to 10,000 mg/L.
Solution to the problem
STEP 1. Calculate the solids flux, G = MLSS x Velocity