Water purification in

engineering systems

By Dileep Kumar
Water Purification in Engineering System

Basic Processes Involve in water treatment

1. Aeration
2. Sedimentation
3. Softening
4. Filtration
5. Disinfection
Typical
Plant for
Treating
Hard
Ground
Water
 Typical Plant
for Treating
Turbid surface
Water with
organics
 Aeration
Liquid gas contact system are designed to drive the mixture
towards equilibrium as quickly as possible.
These goals can be accomplished by maximizing the interfacial
area per unit volume of water by minimizing the drop size by
either
Dispersing Water into Air
Dispersing Air into water
 Dispersing Water into Air System
This approach works better for desorbing gases than for absorbing oxygen.

These may consist of

Fountain
Cascade Towers
Tray Towers
Fountains

Fountains consist of a piping grid suspended over a catch basin.

Nozzles are located at the intersection of pipes are fixed to direct the water flow upward.

Once the kinetic energy is dissipated, the water falls back into catch basin where its
recovered, a portion of flow perhaps being recycled.

The height of the spray and therefore the

air-water contact time is determined by
pressure in pipes, while dispersion pattern is
determined by nozzle characteristics
Fountains
Nozzles may vary from 2-4cm in diameter spaced at 0.6 to 3.5m
apart to prevent extensive overlapping.

Smaller nozzles results in finer

spray, which yield greater surface to
volume ratio but clogging occurs
frequently results in high
maintenance cost
Cascade tower

Cascade towers consist of a series of

waterfalls that drop into small pool.

Water is exposed to atmosphere in this sheets as it cascade down each step.

Each step of 0.3 meter height and as many as 10 steps may be utilized.
Number of steps determine the contact time between water and air.
Head loss through the system is simply the height of top most step.
Efficiency of cascade tower depends on simply the height and number of
steps.
Tray Aerator

Tray tower intercept the flow with solid surfaces over which the water must
pass in its downward journey.
These tray break the flow or a series of porous bottom trays contain porous
material like stones or porous packing.

These stones may be coated

with oxidant, To help initiate
the oxidation of Fe and Mn
Dispersing Air into Water System

This approach works better for absorption of gases than for desorption.

These system often consist of tanks in which air is injected through porous
bottom.
Dispersing Air into Water System

Since the energy is expanded on air, not on water less

complicated equipment is required.

An impeller place just above the point of air injection will

break the air flow into small bubbles enhance mixing.
 Sedimentation
1. Separation of unstable and destabilized suspended solids from
a suspension by the force of gravity

2. Settling of particles from suspension depends on:

Characteristics of the Particles
Concentration of Particles in Suspension
 Characteristics of the Particles
Discrete Particles Flocculating Particles
Particles whose size, shape and Particles whose surface properties
specific gravity do not change with are such that they aggregate upon
time. contact.
Settling of discrete particles in dilute
Thus, changing in size, shape, and
suspensions perhaps specific gravity with each
contact.
Particles have no tendency to As the sizes of particles increases
flocculate their settling velocity increases
They settle as individual entities and
there is no significant interaction
with neighboring particles
 Concentration of the Particles
Dilute Suspension Conc. Suspension
Suspensions in which the conc. of Suspensions in which the conc. of
particles is not sufficient to cause particles is too great to meet the
significant displacement of water as conditions mentioned for dilute
they settle suspensions (velocity field
interference occur)
or
In which the particles will not be
close enough for velocity field
interference to occur
Type1 –Discrete Settling

It is the easiest situation to analyze.

If a particle is suspended in water, it initially has 2 forces acting upon it.

The forces of gravity =

The buoyant force quantified by Archimedes =

Type1 –Discrete Settling

Net force become deriving force for acceleration

Once motion has been initiated, a third force is created due to viscous
friction.

Drag Force =

Force balance for a discrete particle settling is

Type1 –Discrete Settling

Force balance for a discrete particle settling is

For Spherical Particles

Substitute into above equation

Type1 –Discrete Settling

CD is the function of

Particle shape

Flow regime around the particle

(laminar flow when Re <1)

(Transitional flow

when 1<Re <10exp4)

(Turbulent flow when 10exp4 <Re)

Type1 –Discrete Settling

For spheres in laminar flow regime

Stoke’s Equation
 Problem 1

Find the terminal settling velocity of a spherical particle with diameter 0.5mm and
specific gravity of 2.65 settling through water at 200C.
Solution:
Step 1: Assume laminar flow, pw=998.2 kg/m3 and viscosity= 1.002*10-3 N-s/m2
at 20oC, calculate terminal velocity.
Step 2: Check Reynolds number
Step 3: Calculate drag coefficient
Step 4: Determine terminal velocity
Step 5: Repeat step 2,3 and 4 with value obtained in step 4 ( 2 iterations)
Reynolds Number

Cd

Terminal Velocity
Type 2 –Flocculent Settling

Chemical precipitates formed in coagulation and other destabilization

processes tend to agglomerate while settling as a result of inter particle
collisions
• Sizes change, Shape change & Specific gravity change (as a result of
entrapment of water in interstitial spaces)
• As their size increases, they settle at a faster velocity
• STOKE’s law not applicable
Type 2 –Flocculent Settling

• Impossible to develop a general formula for determining settling

velocities of flocculent particles
• To determine the settling characteristics batch settling column test
suspension of flocculant particles must be performed.
 Batch Settling Column Test For Type 2 Settling
• Min. Diameter of column about 150 -200 mm (to minimize side wall
effects)
• Height of column = depth of the proposed tank
• Sampling port are provided at equal intervals in height
Batch Settling Column Test For Type 2 Settling
Procedure:
1. Suspension to be tested is placed in the column Mixed completely to
ensure uniform distribution of particles.
2. At time=0, a portion of the sample is drawn in order to determine the
initial TSS concentration
3. The suspension is allowed to settle
4. At periodic time intervals, samples are removed through the ports
located in different heights
Batch Settling Column Test For Type 2 Settling
Procedure:
For each sample with drawn at each depth and for each time, TSS
analysis must be performed in order to determine the fraction remaining
in suspension at each time interval.
6. Percent removals
Xij= mass fraction removed at ith depth at
jth time interval) = ( 1-Cij/Co) x 100
Batch Settling Column Test For Type 2 Settling
Procedure:
7. Percent removal lines (isoremoval lines) are drawn by interpolation.
Rectangular Sedimentation Tank
 Rectangular Sedimentation Tank
Long rectangular basins are commonly used in treatment plant
processing large flows. A long rectangular settling tank can be divided
into four different functional groups
1. The inlet zone in which the baffles intercept the incoming water;
dissimate influent energy,
distribute the flow,
minimize sludge blanket disturbance
2. The outlet zone in which water flows upward and over the outlet
weir
 Rectangular Sedimentation Tank
3. The sludge zone, which extends from the bottom of the tank to just
above the scraper mechanism
4. 3.The settling zone, which occupies the remaining volume of the
tank
A single rectangular basin will cost more than a circular basin of the
same size. However; If numerous tanks are required rectangular tanks
can be constructed with common walls and be the most economical.
Circular Sedimentation Tank
State Point Analysis topics screen shot provided to CR.
 Disinfection
1. The objective is the removal or inactivation of pathogenic
micro-organisms to prevent the spread of waterborne disease.
2. The concept of inactivation of pathogens in water relates to the effect that
the application of a disinfectant has in destroying the cellular structure of
the micro-organisms or in disrupting its metabolism, biosynthesis or
ability to grow/reproduce.
3. The stronger the oxidation properties of the chemical disinfectant and the
larger the dose, the less will be the contact time necessary for disinfection.
However smaller chemical dosage is desirable to avoid or reduce
byproduct formation.
 Disinfection
1. A good disinfectant must be toxic to microorganisms at
concentration well below the toxic thresholds to human and higher
animals.
2. It should have a fast rate to kill and should be persistent enough to
prevent regrowth of organism in the distribution system.
3. Examples include Halogen group, chlorine, ozone, silver:
irradiation with gamma rays or ultraviolet light etc.
 Softening
✔ The reduction of hardness, or softening, is a process commonly practiced in water
treatment.
✔ Softening processes commonly used are chemical precipitation and ion exchange.
Chemical precipitation
Chemical precipitation is accomplished by converting calcium hardness to calcium
carbonate and magnesium hardness to magnesium hydroxide. This is accomplished
by lime soda ash process or caustic soda ash process.
Ion exchange
Ion exchange involves replacing calcium and magnesium in the water with another,
nonhardness cation, usually sodium. This ion exchange takes place at a solid
interface.
 Filtration
✔ Filtration is done to remove small flocs or precipitant particles not removed in the
settling process.
✔ The most common filtration process involves passing the water through a
stationary bed of granular medium.

A typical granular-medium filter

system consist of
❖ Filter box
❖ Under-drain system
❖ Filter media
Thanks