4-98 Determine the detention time and overflow rate for a settling tank that will reduce the

influent suspended solids concentration from 33.0 mg/ L to 15.0 mg/ L. The following
batch settling column data are available. The data given are percent removals at the
sample times and depths shown.

Time Depths, *m
(min) 0.5 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5
10 50 32 20 18 15
20 75 45 35 30 25
40 85 65 48 43 40
55 90 75 60 50 46
85 95 87 75 65 60
95 95 88 80 70 63
*Depths from top of column, column depth = 4.5 m.

Plot isoconcentration lines

Required removal is
mg mg
33.0 −15.0
L L
%Removal= =54.54 %
mg
33.0
L

Calculate overflow rate, % removal and detention time for 40%

 For Overflow rate (Note: time is where 40% line intersects bottom of settling column, i.e.
4.5 m)
4.5 m min m
V 0=
40.5min (
1440
d )
=160.0
d

 For % removal (from vertical lines at 40.5 min)

3.4 2.0 1.0 0.35
% R T 40=40+ ( 50−40 )+ ( 70−60 )+ ( 80−70 ) + (100−80)
3.5 4.5 4.5 4.5
% R T 40=40+7.56+ 4.56+3.33+2.22+1.56
% R T 40=59.11%
(Note: this exceeds the 54.54% required, so calculate next lower %R and interpolate)

 Detention time¿ θ=40.5 min

At 30% removal line

 For overflow rate (Note: time is where 30% line intersects bottom of settling column, i.e
4.5 m)
4.5 m min m
V 0=
25 min (1440
d )
=259.2
d

 % removal (vertical line at 25min)

 3.5 1.9 1.2 0.95
% R T 40=30+ ( 40−30 ) + (50−40 )+ ( 60−50 ) + (70−60)
4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5

 Detention time¿ θ=25 min

Plot % Removal versus detention time and % Removal versus overflow rate. Assume linear
between points and use 54.54% removal to find,
θ=33 min
m
V 0=204
d

Applying Scale-up factors

θ=( 33 min )( 1.75 )=57.75∨60 min
m m
(
V 0= 204
d ) ( 0.65 )=132.6∨130
d