• Created by user-9e1cf, last modified by user-2107e on Apr 24, 2009

Goals for Spring 2009

Subteam Leaders

  • Sarah Long, Colette Kopon

Other Team Member

  • Kellie Kress

Goals

  • Create detailed task list for semester experiments.
    • All members are responsible for creating this form by February 16, 2009.
  • Research existing literature on sedimentation design, and report anything of interest to the group.
    • All members are responsible for literature research. However, Kellie will focus on flow rates in sedimentation, Sarah will focus on critical velocities in sedimentation, and Colette will focus on lamella spacing.
  • Setup apparatus to begin completing experiments and calibrate floc blanket control weir.
    • All group members are responsible for completing this by February 21, 2009.
  • Complete experiments that vary tube diameter.
    • All group members are responsible for completing this by February 23, 2009.
  • Based on results from tube diameter experiment, test limits of system and determine parameters for flow rate experiment.
    • All group members are responsible for completing this by February 26, 2009.
  • Prepare Teach-in Presentation
    • All group members are responsible for completing this by March 10, 2009.
  • Complete experiments that vary flow rates using additional process control code to automate changes in flow rate.
    • All group members are responsible for completing this by March 12, 2009.
  • Design and complete experiment to vary tube length.
    • All group members are responsible for completing this by March 21, 2009.
  • Analyze data and run any additional experiments by April 11, 2009.
  • Complete deliverables, listed below, by April 29, 2009.

Detailed Task List

Please check the following when running the system:

  • Constant floc blanket depth is established and recorded in data file (~53cm)
  • Tube settlers are at appropriate distance (see table below) from top of floc blanket
  • Tube settlers are appropriately oriented around the waste outlets
  • All parameters in process controller are appropriate for experiment, especially:
    • Effluent flow rate
    • Influent turbidity
    • Alum flow rate
  • There are no air bubbles in the system, especially not in the flocculator
  • Waste valve (located just after flocculator) is closed
  • Process control is writing data to file
    Comment frequently in data file: data is only valuable when there are keen observations to accompany and validate the numerical values

Below are descriptions of the three experiments that we intend to run this semester. Parameters are listed in tables below the descriptions. Also, please note that we intend to fully automate our system within each experiment. However, in between experiments, we will drain and rinse the system.

Experiment I:
The first series of experiments will evaluate the effect of tube settler diameter on effluent turbidity. Three different tube diameters will be tested with the same up flow velocity of 100 m3/day. The system will be run continuously for the duration of the experiment: floc blanket will be maintained during the changing of the tube settlers. Tube settlers will not be inserted into the distillation column prior to the establishment of the floc blanket so that there is no floc build-up on the tube settlers prior to data collection. Each diameter will be tested for at least twenty-four hours.

Experiment II:
The second series of experiments will evaluate the effect of flow rate on effluent turbidity. Three different flow rates will be run through each of the three diameters of tube settlers. The flow rates will be based on the critical velocities determined in the first experiment, though pre-trials will be necessary to evaluate the limits on the flow rates. Again, the system will be run continuously for the duration of the experiment to maintain continuity within the results. A new state in process control will automate the change of the flow rates. Each flow rate/diameter combination will be tested for at least twenty-four hours.

Experiment III
The third series of experiments will evaluate the effect of geometry (length and diameter) on the effluent turbidity. L/b, Vc, L, and Q will be determined after analyzing results from experiments I and II.

Experiments II and III both test the effects of keeping critical velocities constant while varying a certain parameter: in experiment I, the varying parameter is the flow rate; in experiment II, the varying parameter is the tube settler geometry.

Bibliography

List references for your project that your team has found in literature searches.

Deliverables

  • A table of all parameters from three experiments. From this table, we will create three graphs that illustrate settled water turbidity versus tube diameter, flow rate (for three tube diameters), and length (for three tube diameters).
  • A spreadsheet that will evaluate optimal plate settler geometry and flow rate based on design constraints.
  • The final report will be a journal article ready for submission to Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology.
    All group members are responsible for completing these deliverables by the end of the term
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