School of Environmental Engineering

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PERLIS

PRIMARY TREATMENT
(FLOCCULATION)

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OUTLINE
Flocculation
Types of flocculator
Design of flocculator

School of Environmental Engineering

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PERLIS

Flocculation

School of Environmental Engineering

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PERLIS

Flocculation
Introduction:
Flocculation process is a physical process used to promote the
growth of the floc under slow mixing conditions.
Objective: To provide for an increase in the number of contacts
between coagulated particles in water by gentle and prolonged
agitation.
Slow Mix:
Flocculation requires slow and gentle agitation that will not create
turbulence to break up the floc particles that already formed
during coagulation process.
Types of Flocculation;
Hydraulic method
Mechanical devices

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Hydraulic Flocculation
Example:
Baffle type mixing basins
Baffles are provide in the basins.
Induce the required velocity gradients for achieving
floc formation.
Advantages: - Simple to construct and operate
- Less change of short-circuiting
Disadvantages: - Cannot be easily adjusted
- Increases head loss

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Hydraulic Flocculation
Example:
Baffle type mixing basins

Hydraulic
Flocculation
Example:
Baffle type
mixing basins

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Hydraulic Flocculation
Design Detail:

Velocity in the channel should be: 10 30 cm/s

Width of the channel should be minimum of 45 cm
Depth of flow should not be less than 1.0 m
The usual detention time; 20 50 minutes
Loss of head; 15 60 cm

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Hydraulic Flocculation
Design criteria for flocculator velocity gradient:

Qgh f
G

1
2

gh f

t

1
2

Where;
G = velocity gradient, s-1
= density of water, kg/m3
h = head loss, m
= dynamic viscosity, kg/m2
t = detention time, Q/V , s
Q = flow, m3/s, P = power input = Qgh , watt or kgm2/s3
V = volume of tank, m3
g = 9.81 m/s2

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Mechanical Flocculation
Example:
Horizontal shaft with paddle wheel
Vertical shaft with paddle wheel
Turbine
axial or radial flow propellers
Advantages:
- It prevents water from rotating continuously in
the same direction around the shaft.
- Low head loss
- Flexibility of control, better floc formation
Disadvantages:
- Low velocity around the shaft
- High operation and maintenance cost

School of Environmental Engineering

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Mechanical Flocculation
Paddle Blade/ Plate/ flat
Paddle

Vertical shaft paddle wheel flocculators

Horizontal shaft paddle wheel flocculators

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Design Details: Flocculator Mechanical

Agitation requirements;
Power = Force x Velocity
P = FD x vP

---- Equation (1)

Where,
P = power input, N-m/s or Watt
FD = drag force on paddles, N
vP = velocity of paddles (velocity relative to the water), m/s

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Design Details: Flocculator Mechanical

For paddle flocculator, the useful power input of an impeller is directly
related to the drag force of the paddle.
The drag force on the paddle is given by;

FD

C D AP v 2P
2

---- Equation (2)

Where;
CD = coefficient of drag of flocculator, 1.8 for flat blade
(paddles moving perpendicular to the fluid, which varies with L/W
ratio of the paddles) refer next table
Ap = area of paddle blades, m2
Vp = velocity of the paddle relative to the water, m/s
= density of water, kg/m3

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Mechanical Flocculation
Coefficient of
Drag of
Flocculator
Paddles

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Design Details: Flocculator Mechanical

Relationship between power input and velocity gradient;

P G 2 V

---- Equation (3)

Where,
G = velocity gradient, s-1
P = power input to the water, N-m/s or Watt
V = volume of basin, m3
= dynamic viscosity of the fluid, N-s/m2

Therefore, Power input to the water for paddle-wheel flocculator;

C D A P P
P
2
3

---- Equation (4)

Flocculation
Design parameter of flocculation basin:
- Sufficient time and proper mixing intensity shall be provided in
flocculation basins to produce settleable floc under varying raw
water characteristics and flow rates.
- For plants with capacity greater than 3.0 mgd, at least two
flocculation units designed to operate in parallel must be
provided.
- Agitation requirements: Camp number, Gt = 10,000 15,000
a. G = 10 and 80 s-1
b. t = 20 to 60 min
- Multiple compartments separated by baffle walls.
- Mixing intensity decreases as move through multiple stages.
- Typical design parameter for 3-stage flocculation basins:
Parameters

Stage
I

II

III

G,s-1

50-70

20-40

10-20

t, min

5-10

5-10

10-15

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Mechanical Flocculation
Design parameter (Continued):
Velocity requirements:
a. From rapid mix basins: 0.45 to 0.9 m/s
b. Through the flocculation basins:
0.15 to 0.45 m/s
c. Baffle walls: 0.3 to 0.45 m/s
d. To sedimentation basins: 0.15 to 0.45 m/s

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Example #1: Flocculator Mechanical

A mechanical flocculator is used to treat 38, 000 m 3/day water
with detention time 20 minutes.
a)
b)
c)

Design the dimension of tank if L : W : D = 1 : 4 :2

Find the power required when velocity gradient is 55 s-1
and dynamic viscosity 1.002 x 10-3 kg/m.s.
If the tank have 3 paddles and every paddle have 4 plate
with relative velocity of paddles is 0.38 m/s and
coefficient of drag is 1.8, find the area of 1 plate.
(Note: water = 998.2 kg/m3)

Example #1: Flocculator Mechanical

Solution:
a)
Calculate the tank volume;

V Qt
m3
1 day
1 hr
V 38000
20 min

528 m 3
day
24 hr 60 min
Given; L : W : D = 1 : 4 :2
Volume, V = L x W x D = L x 4L x 2L = 8L3

L3

528
4.0 m
8

Dimension of tank: W = 4L = 4 x 4 = 16 m
D = 2L = 2 x 4 = 8 m

Example #1: Flocculator Mechanical

Solution:
b)
Calculate power required;

G 55s 1 , 1.002 10 3 kg/m.s

P G 2 V

P (55s 1 ) 2 (1.002 10 3 kg/m.s)(528 m 3 )

P 1600 watt
c)

From Equation (4) Power input;

v p 0.38 m/s, C D 1.8

C D AP (v P ) 3
P for
all plate;
Total area
2

AP

2(1600)
2

32
.
46
m
(1.8)(0.38) 3 (998.2)

Example #1: Flocculator Mechanical

Solution (continued):
The area for each plate;
If,
1 paddle --- 4 plates
So,
3 paddle --- 3 4 plates = 12 plate
1
If total area for 12 plates is 32.46 m2
So, area for 1 plate ---- AP

1 32.46 2
m 2.71m 2
12

Example #2: Flocculator Mechanical

Calculate basin volume provided for flocculation basins based on the
following information:
Total flow, Q = 113,500 m3/d
Number of trains = 4
Total detention time = 30 min
Assume the width of basin is 18.4 m. Each basin is evenly divided into
three stages. The depth is equal to the length in each stage.

General layout of rapid-mix basins, flocculation basins

and chemical building.

Details of flocculation basins. (a) Flocculation basin plan (typical of four)

Note:

No. of stage

No. of basin

1
2
3

Details of flocculation basins. (b) Section A-A

Example #2: Flocculator Mechanical

Solution:
Calculate flow for each basin,

m3
1 day
113500

day 1440 min

Q
19.70 m 3 / min
4
Calculate volume required for each basin,

Vreq Q t req

m3
19.70
30 min 591 m 3
min

Calculate volume required for each stage,

Vstage, req

591 m 3

197 m 3 /stage
3 stage

Example #2: Flocculator Mechanical

Solution (continued):
Based on the assumed basin geometry information,
Assume; Depth = Length, D = L , W = 18.4 m

Vstage ,req . 18.4 m L D 18.4 m D D 18.4D 2

Solve for D;

18.4 D 2 197
D

197
3.27 m
18.4

Take, D = L = 3.3 m
Calculate actual volume provided for each basin;

Vstage ,act . 18.4m L D 18.4 m 3.3 m 3.3 m 200.4 m 3

Vba sin, act

m3
3 stage 200.4
601.2 m 3
stage

Example #2: Flocculator Mechanical

Solution (continued):
Calculate actual detention time provided for each basin;

tba sin, act

Vact
601.2 m 3

30.5 min
3
m
Q
19.70
min

Example #3: Flocculator Mechanical

Calculate the flocculator power required in each stage determined in
Example #2 by using the following information:
G = 60 s-1
G = 30 s-1
G = 15 s-1
= 1.518 x 10-3 N-s/m2 at 5C
Assume the efficiency is 90% and 70% for gearbox and motor, respectively.
Use the following equation to calculate wire power:

Pe

Pa
(100%)2
Eg Em

Where,
Pe = wire power, KW (HP)
Pa = power required for agitation, kW (HP)
Eg = gearbox efficiency, %
Em = motor efficiency, %

Example #3: Flocculator Mechanical

Solution:
Calculate the power required for slow mixing in the first stage from
desired G;

P G 2
(60 s 1 ) 2 200.4m 3 (1.518 10 3 N .s / m 2 )
1095 N .m / s (W )
1.1kN .m / s ( kW )
Calculate the wire power required for the first stage,

Pe

Pa
1.1kW
(100%) 2
(100%) 1.75kW
Eg Em
90 70

Similarly, the agitation power requirement is 0.27 kW and 0.07 kW for

the second and third stage, respectively. The wire power is
therefore 0.43 kW and 0.11 kW for the second and third stage,
respectively.

Common Coagulation and Flocculation Problems: