SEDIMENTATION

Dr. Leonardo C. Medina Jr.

Dean, College of Engineering
Lyceum of the Philippines University
 Perry’s Chemical
Engineers Handbook
8th Edition 7th Edition

Section 6 Section 6
Pages 6-51 to 6-56 Pages 6-50 to 6-54

Section 18 Section 18
Pages 18-66 to 18-82 Pages 18-59 to 18-73
Sedimentation – separation of dilute slurry
(solid suspended in fluid) into a clear fluid
and dense slurry (higher solid content) by
gravity setting.
MECHANISM OF PARTICLE MOTION THROUGH A
FLUID
FE

(+) g body FD

FB
Newton’s Law:
 F  Ma :
m du
FE  FB  FD 
g c dt
ma e
Where: External Force, F E 
gc
m ae
Buoyant Force, FB 
gc
Drag Force, C D u  Ap
2
FD 
2gc
Substituting and re-arranging
du  p    C D u 2 A p
 ae  
dt  p  2 m
 

If external force is due to gravity

ae  g
If external force is due to centrifugal action

ae  r 2
TERMINAL VELOCITY FOR FREE SETTLING

When the velocity of the particle attains the

maximum (or terminal) velocity,

 2g p    m 2  2r  p    m
du/dt = 0, thus 1

ut      
 Ap  p  CD   Ap  p  CD 

For spherical particles: 1

m   Dp p
3
6
1 2
and Ap   Dp
4
 
4g Dp p 1
  2 
Dp p 
1
  2
ut      
 3 CD   3 CD 
Experimental determination of CD in terms
of Dput  yields a curve that can be
NRep

reduced to three straight lines which is
dependent on the range of NRep. The
general form of the equation is:
b1
CD  n
N Rep
Sphericity, Φ
surface area of sphere of
same volume as particle
 
surface area of particle
Volume of particle  Volume of sphere
Ds 3
Volume of particle 
6
Ds 2

surface area of particle
Shape Factors (Sphericity) of
Some Materials
Material Shape Factor (Sphericity) , s
Spheres 1.0

Cubes 0.81

Cylinders 0.87
Dp = h (length)
Berl Saddles 0.3

Raschig Rings 0.3

Coal Dust, Pulverized 0.73

Sand, average 0.75

Crushed Glass 0.65

Drag Coefficient as a Function of Reynolds
Number
  b1 Dput 
n 2n 1n

FD 
8 gc
RANGE of NRep b1
Motion
n
Stoke’s <2 24 1
Law
Intermediate 2 to 500 18.5 0.6
Law
Newton’s > 500 0.44 0
Law
Stoke’s Law Range:
g D  p     rD  p   
2 2 2

ut  
p p

18 18
Intermediate Law Range:

ut 
0153 g 0.71
D 1.14
p p  
0.71

 
0.29 0.43

Newton’s Law Range

gDp (  p   )
u t  1 . 75

To determine the range of motion if NRep is
not known,


 ae   p  
K  Dp 
 1
 3

  2

If K < 3.3, Stoke’s Law applies
3.3 < K < 44, Intermediate Law; and
K > 44, Newton’s Law.
 TERMINAL VELOCITY FOR
HINDERED SETTLING

 
1
4 aeD1pn 2n   n p  m 3
ut   1n n

 3b1m  
where: ɛ = porosity and ρm = density of
mixture
For spheres under Stoke’s law range:
4.19 1 
    e
 Hindered Settling
2 
g D        2
p p 
u 
t 18 
1

1 . 82 ( 1   )
10
   liquid
D  m
N RE 
 m
 Non-Spherical Particle
K
CD 
N RE 2
3
4 gDp  (  p   )
K 
3 2
 BATCH SEDIMENTATION
For free Settling: Zo  Zc
c 
ut
dZ
For Hindered Settling: d  K Z  Z  
 dZ
 Kd  
Z
Integrating: c Zc
Z  Z
1 Z  Z
   c  ln
K Zc  Z
Batch Sedimentation
Equal Settling Particles
Batch Settling of a Limestone
Slurry , Co = 236 g/l
CONTINUOUS SEDIMENTATION (AREA OF A
DORR THICKENER)
CF

V
v
CL

Cu
Gravity Thickener
Assuming that the concentration of solids is
small,
F  U  v  
Solid Balance: FCF  LCL  UCu
Water Balance: V  L 1 CL  U 1 Cu 
Which may be written in the form:
 1 1 
V  LC L   
 C L Cu 
Dividing by the thickener Area, A:
V FC F  1 1 
   
A A  C L Cu 
For the particles to be separated,
V
 ut
A
Therefore:

FCF  1 1 
A   
ut  C L CU 
Thus the minimum thickener area, A, should
be the maximum obtained using various
values of ut versus CL

To get approximate values of ut versus CL

from a data of Z vs  use KYNCH Method or
TAMADGE and FITCH Method.
 Z 0 C F  Z i Cpi
Z0 Zi
Slope  u1 
i
Zi

i

 Fluxes for Continuous Thickening of a
Limestone Slurry
(a) Settling Flux
(b) Transport Flux and Total Flux for u = 0.05 m./h
Concentration Profiles in a
Continuous Thickener