Operation of Thickeners

Lecture-6
 Thickeners
• Sedimentation flux curves

(downward)
Solids flux , Y

Local concentration, C

• Operation of thickeners
Steady state operation of a continuous thickener

Feed Rate: IV m3/hr

Conc: CI Kg/m3
Overflow
Liquid
Rate: O(-) m3/hr
A A
Conc: C(-) Kg/m3

Solids

Rate: O(+) m3/hr

Underflow
Conc: C(+) Kg/m3
 Steady state operation of a continuous thickener
Flux above feed inlet
Assume cross-sectional Feed Rate: IV m3/hr
area of inlet is small Conc: CI Kg/m3
\Bulk flow velocity Overflow
above inlet =O(-)/AT Liquid
Rate: O(-) m3/hr
For an arbitrary concn. A A
Conc: C(-) Kg/m3
layer above feed inlet,
the overflow withdrawal Solids
causes an upwards solids
flux Y(-), where

Rate: O(+) m3/hr

Underflow
Conc: C(+) Kg/m3
 Steady state operation of a continuous thickener
Flux above feed inlet
For an arbitrary concn. Feed Rate: IV m3/hr
layer above feed inlet, the Conc: CI Kg/m3
overflow withdrawal causes Overflow
an upwards solids flux Y(-), Liquid
Rate: O(-) m3/hr
where A A
Conc: C(-) Kg/m3

Solids

Opposing this is the

sedimentation flux Ys=(Cv)
Hence, net upward flux Rate: O(+) m3/hr
Yu = Y(-) – Ys Underflow
Conc: C(+) Kg/m3
 Flux in thickener above feed well

• Above feed inlet,

overflow
withdrawal flux Sedimentation flux

Down
Ys=(Cv)
• Downward Net flux
Yu = Y(-) + Ys
Solids flux(y)

sedimentation
flux, Ys=(Cv)
• Net upward flux, C2
Yu = Y(-) - YS
Up

• Net flux below C2 Overflow

is downward Withdrawal
flux
Local concentration (C)
 Flux in thickener below feed well
Flux below feed inlet
For any arbitrary concn. Feed Rate: IV m3/hr
Layer below feed inlet, Conc: CI Kg/m3
the underflow withdrawal Overflow
causes a downward solids Liquid
Rate: O(-) m3/hr
flux Y(+), where A A
Conc: C(-) Kg/m3

Solids
This plus sedimentation
flux is net downward flux

Rate: O(+) m3/hr

Underflow
Conc: C(+) Kg/m3
 Downward flux curves in a thickener
0.0900000000000001

0.0800000000000001
ys
0.0700000000000001

0.0600000000000001

0.0500000000000001
Solids flux

0.0400000000000001
y
0.0300000000000001

0.0200000000000001

0.0100000000000001

6.07153216591883E-17
0 CI 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

-0.00999999999999994 Local concentration

 Downward flux curves in a thickener
0.09

0.08
ys
0.07

0.06

0.05
Solids flux

0.04
y
0.03

0.02

0.01
y(+) =[O(+)/AT] C(+)
1.90819582357449E-17
0 CI 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

-0.00999999999999998 Local concentration

 Downward flux curves in a thickener
0.09

0.08
ys
yd = ys + y(+)
0.07

0.06
Solids flux

0.05

y
Minima
0.04

0.03

0.02

y(+) =[O(+)/AT] C(+)

0.01
CI
0
0 0.1 Local concentration
0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
 Downward flux curves in a thickener
• As particles settle, the concentration
increases towards the bottom of the
settling tank.
• Increase in concentration is due to the fact
that an arbitrary layer of settling particles
receives more particles than the number of
particles leaving the layer.
• However, thickener operation suggests the
existence of a critical concentration in the
thickener.
 Downward flux curves in a thickener
0.09

As this layer moves down, its concentration increases.

0.08 As concentration increases, outward flux reduces.
Hence the concentration of this layer keeps increasing
0.07
Thus, layer on left of Ycrit looses
y0.06 fewer particles than it gains
Likewise Layer on right of Ycrit
Solids flux

0.05
looses more particles than it
0.04 receives
Ycri
0.03

0.02

0.01

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

Local concentration
 Downward flux curves in a thickener

• There is a critical concn in

Thickener (CI £ Ccrit £ Cmax)
Through which the flux of solid
particles is a minimum, Ycrit.
• All solids must pass through this layer
• Since all particles must pass through this layer, Ycrit is the
maximum thickener can accommodate
• Layers loose and gain particles in Concentration flux

such a manner that concentration C-DC Cv - DCv

reaches Ccrit. C Cv
C+DC Cv + DCv
 Downward flux curves in a thickener

• Any concentration layer below the feed inlet whose

concentration is less than Ccrit recovers more Particles
than it looses until the concentration reaches Ccrit
• Similarly, all layers with concentration exceeding Ccrit receive
fewer particles than they loose until their concentration reaches
Ccrit
• It follows that at equilibrium Ycrit must equal the input (YI) and
underflow (Y(+)) fluxes respectively. Concentration flux
C-DC Cv - DCv
C Cv
C+DC Cv + DCv
 Downward flux curves in a thickener

Thus a thickener can be

Designed as follows:
For critical# operation
Ycrit = input flux = output flux

We know that Yd

To find minima on the Yd curve, equate dYd = 0

# Critical operation implies operation at maximum input flux which produces clear overflow
 Downward flux curves in a thickener

Thus a thickener can be

designed as follows-
dYd =

Hence
This implies that minima in Yd curve occurs at that point
on the concentration axis where YS curve has slope =
 Settling flux

• Thus, AT for a thickener, from the point of view of underflow

conditions can be determined by drawing a tangent to the YS
curve through the point C(+)Crit on the concentration axis.
• The tangent cuts Y axis at the point and is
frequently referred as the operating line.
• Thus for given IV and C+ and CI , AT can be determined
 Settling flux
0.09
Critical Input Concentration case: yI =
0.08
ycritical yd = ys + y(+) = Cv + O(+)/A T.C(+) ......... (1)
ys yd = ys + It follows from equilibrium that ycritical must
0.07 y(+) equal the input and underflow fluxes yI
and y(+) respectively.
0.06 Thus a thickener can be designed from -
ycritical = IV/A T.CI = O(+)/A T.C(+)critical
0.05

for yd to have a minimum value, dyd = 0

y
0.04
I Thus from equation -1
dyd = O(+)/AT . dC (+) + d(Cv) = 0
0.03
Tangent drawn from
or d(Cv)/d(C (+) = - [O (+)/A T]
C(+)critical on ys gives yI
critical Thus the minimimum in ys curve
0.02
occurs when the ys curve has a
y(+) =[O(+)/A T] C(+) slope of - [O(+)/A T]
0.01
CI
Ccritical C(+)critical
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 Cmax
0.9 1
 Settling flux
Y(+),Critical
 Thickener operation
CI
• This discussion implies that a
Feed(CI)
thickener operating at
maximum capacity would Ccrit
have Ccrit existing at all levels
below feed inlet
• Concentration jumps to C(+)crit Ccrit
at feed outlet.
• While this is representative,
it does not occur this way C
during actual operation C(+ )
CI Ccrit C(+)crit
 Typical design problem
• Given
IV , CI
– Settling curve (YS)
– Area of thickener (AT)
– IV and desired C(+) YI YS AT

Flux. Kg/m2.min
• Maximum CI and YI
can be obtained as C(+)crit
described in figure.
• Tangent drawn from
C(+) intercepts Y axis at
maximum YI
Solve for CI . Cj C(+),Crit
Local concentration
 Normal operation with slight under load

• Normal operation
will feature clear
Yd
overflow and slight

solid flux
under loading

• Thickener contains Y(+),crit

two conjugate YI
Downwards

concentrations, C(+)
(in underflow) and
Cj (in tank) C C(+)
j
Local concentration
Comparing critical operation and operation with
under load
FEED FEED

0 CI CCrit C(+)Crit 0 Cj CI CCrit C(+)Crit

Concentration Concentration

Critical operation Normal operation with under load

 Decreasing area and increasing net flux in
conical section
• Normal operation will Yd,A , A < AT
2
feature clear overflow
and slight overloading
YA
1
• As area decreases in
conical section, slope of
Y(+) tends to increase Y(+),crit
YI
• Here A < AT and
IV , CI
Y(+)A=YI(AT/A)
• And Yd curve moves AT
from (1) to (2) A CJ CA,crit C(+)
Local Concentration
C(+)crit
 Overloading of a thickener

•YI exceeds Ycrit

Rate at which
• Excess solids are sludge blanket rises
YI
rejected to overflow

solid flux
according to
I Y(+) crit
Solids rejected to overflow
•In practices sudden
Downwards

overload does not

occur. Rather interface
between CI & Ccrit Ccrit C(+), crit
Cj
moves up slowly Local concentration
 Tolerating overload
Solids rejected toNet flux below
Example: overflowA feed well
3.0
Thickener
YO/l B Critical
Slight underload
operation
operation 2.5
moves from Batch sedimentation
minor under 2.0 flux
load to y Withdrawal
flux
overload 1.5

condition
1.0
1. How long
overload is 0.5
tolerated
2. What is the 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
eventual C Concentration Kg/m 3
 IV , CI

Tolerating overload AT

Example: Net flux below

YO/l A feed Well C(+)crit
Thickener operation
B
moves from minor

Flux Kg/m2.min
under load to Sedimentation flux
overload condition
Withdrawal flux
1. How long overload
is tolerated
2. What is the
eventual
Assuming, C(-)
underflow
conditions remain unchanged Concentration, Kg/m3
 Next PPT
Size reduction (Comminution)