down through the liquid which is relatively stagnant, although actually moving slowly (and) radially and

upward and arising from compacting sludge. The sludge is compressed or thickened in the lower part of
the cylindrical tank and is moved toward the bottom center by slowly rotating rakes. The action of these
rakes in pushing the sludge to the outlet is to compress or thicken the sludge to a greater extent than is
accomplished in simple or batch sedimentation.

A major difference between the continuous and batch sedimentations is the complete absence of any
zone B of the same composition as the feed, useless such conditions are approximated directly below the feed
well when the horizontal interface between the clear fluid and sludge is well below the bottom of the feed well.
Under these conditions the feed slurry appears to settle in a cylindrical column directly below the feed well.
When the feed rate is not excessive and a properly clarified effluent is produce, the upper or clarification zone
in the continuous process is a region where the solids are present at such a low concentration that the
mechanism approaches that of free settling. Immediately below this clear zone is the zone of sludge
compaction.

The capacity of continuous thickeners or sedimentation equipment is based on their ability to perform two
functions: to clarify the liquid overflow by the elimination of suspended solids, and to thicken the sludge or
underflow by the elimination of liquid. The area of sedimentation equipment controls the time allowed for
settling particles out of a liquid for a given rate of feed of liquid and is important in determining the clarification
capacity. The depth of the thickener controls the time allowed for thickening the sludge for a given rate of feed
of solid and is important in determining the thickening capacity.
The clarification capacity of the thickener is determined by the settling rate of the suspended solids. This rate
may be estimated from the rate of settling of the upper interface in a batch sedimentation test. By a material
balance, the total quantity of fluid in the speed is equal to the sum of the fluid removed as a clear overflow plus
the fluid in the thick sludge removed from the bottom. The vertical velocity if the fluid at any height in the
thickener is equal to the volume of fluid passing upward at that level divided by the area of the thickener. For
successful clarification, the settling velocity of the particles must be somewhat greater than the vertical velocity
of fluid at that level. If the settling velocity is less than the upward fluid velocity, the particles will be pass out
in the overflow and there will be little clarification. If the settling velocity equals the upward fluid velocity,
particles will neither rise nor fall and the concentration of solids in the clarification zone will increase, thereby
reducing the settling velocity until the particles are carried out in the overflow. Therefore, the settling velocity
of particles must be sufficiently greater than the upward fluid velocity to prevent any increase in concentration
in the clarification zone.

Usually the constant rate of settling observed in a batch sedimentation test of the feed slurry may be used as a
reasonably conservative value for the settling rate in the less concentrated clarification zone for purposes of
design. But under some conditions at a lower level in the thickener where the concentration of solids is so high
as to greatly retard the rate of settling, the upward velocity of the liquid may exceed the rate of settling of solids,
even when this condition is not encountered in the upper zone. In making design calculations it is therefore
necessary to consider the rates of settling at different concentrations and the corresponding vertical velocity of
the water or fluid to be certain that the area of the thickener is adequate for satisfactory clarification.
When the feed rate to a continuous thickener exceeds the maximum which the thickener can handle and produce
a clear overflow, the solid particles are unable to settle down out of the normal clarification zone and therefore
build up a higher concentration therein. This causes hindered settling, with corresponding decrease in the rate of
sedimentation below that observed for the feed slurry. The feed rate which just fails to initiate this hindered
settling is the limiting clarification capacity of the thickener as it is the maximum feed rate at which the
suspended solid can reach the compression zone.
The thickening capacity may be illustrated by considering the effect of varying the underflow rate. The
thickness or depth of the compression or thickening zone increased as the underflowrate was decreased and the
concentration of the underflow increase with increasing depth of thickening zone, at least for a constant rate of
feed.
The concentration of the underflow or sludge from a continuous thickener depends on depth of the thickening or
compression zone and the time that the solids are in this zone. The total height or depth of the thickener depends
in large measure on required depth or time in the compression zone. The required height of the compression
zone may be estimated from the data obtained on batch sedimentation and may be represented by the equation.
−dz
=k ( z−z ∞ )
dθ
Where: z = height of the compression zone at time θ,z∞ = height of the compression zone at infinite time, k =
a constant for a particular sedimentation system.
The determination of the necessary volume of the compression zone of the continuous thickener may be
obtained from a consideration of the time each layer of solids has been in compression.
The volume V required for the compression zone in the continuous thickener is equal to the sum of the volume
occupied by the solids plus the volume occupied by the associated fluids.

1 1 L
V =Q ( θ−θC )
[ + ()
ρσ ρ L S avg ]
Where: V= Volume of compression zone, Q = mass of solids fed per unit time, Ɵ-ƟC = retention time, L =
mass of liquids in compression zone, S = mass of solids in compression zone, (L/S) avg = average mass ration of
fluid to solid in the thickening zone from top to bottom.

This calculation is based on the assumption that the time required to thicken the sludge to the desired
concentration is dependent of the thickness of the sludge in compression zone.

Determination of Minimum Thickener Area

1. Kynch Method
2. Talmadge and Fitch Method
Feed

Design Calculation:

Solid Balance:
Solids in F = Solids in U =Solids in L
FCF =UCu = LCL
Liquid Balance:
Liquid in f = Liquide in α + Liquid in V

( Fρ F −FC F )=( μρa −C a ) +V ρν

F = volumetric flow rate of feed
ρ F = density of feed
C F = concentration of solids in F in terms of mass/ volume
U = underflow volumetric rate
ρU = density of the underflow
CU = concentration of solids on underflow
V = overflow volumetric rate
ρν = density of overflow
Fρ F −FC F =uρμ −uC u +vρv
From solid balance: FCF = UCU
Assume:
ρ F =ρu =ρ ave

Fρ AVe=Uυ AVe +νρν

Vρ v =ρave ( F−μ )

From solid balance:

F=μC μ /C F ; μ=FC F /C μ

From solid balance:

FC F=μC μ ;C F →C L

ρave FC F FC F
V=
[
ρν C L
−
Cμ ]
V = vA; (small) v = upward linear velocity of clarified liquid
A = thickener area

Solving for A:
FC F 1 1 ρave ρave
A=
[ −
V C L C μ ρν
;if
ρν] is not given, assume a value of 1
1. Kynch Method
FC F 1 1 ρave
V= −
[
A CL Cμ ρν ]
Given: F, CF, Cµ and V vs. CL
a. Compute for FCF/A for values of v and CL.
b. Plot v vs FCF/A
 c. From the (FCF/A) min obtained from the figure, solve for A min :
FC F
A min =
FC F
( )
A min
2. Talmadge and Fitch Method
Given: z vs Ɵ from the lab test
θμ
A=F
z0 ; F = volumetric flow rate of feed in the thickener
Ɵµ= time for the water squeezed out (equal to the rate of overflow) in the
compression zone to be discharged
Z0= initial height of the suspended solids
Steps in solving Ɵµ:
a. Plot z vs Ɵ
b. The early portion of the curve represents “free settling” at nearly constant velocity.
Draw tangent to this portion of the curve.
c. At the very end of the test, where concentrations are high and velocities low the curve also shows a
nearly constant velocity. Draw a tangent to this portion of the curve.
d. Extend the two tangent lines until they intersect.

e. At the intersection, construct the angle bisector. The intersection of this angle bisector line with the
settling curve an estimate of the time Ɵµ at which the solids enter the compression zone.

f. From the point of intersection of the angle bisector and the curve, draw a tangent line and extend it to the
abscissa.
g. Obtain ƟU by passing a vertical line through the point of intersection of the tangent line and the horizontal line
through ZU ƟU can be also be obtained by using the equation:
Z C −ZU Z 1 −Z C
=
θU −θC θC
Where: U
Z =Z C /C ;C O
0 ο U = initial concentration of the solids in the cylinder; C U = concentration of the
solids in the underflow.