Inlet Manifold Research Team

Introduction

The sediment sedimentation tank is a critical component of the Agua Clara AguaClara design. Since Agua Clara AguaClara does not yet utilize filtration, the sediment sedimentation tank is the location where virtually all of the suspended material removal occurs. Moreover, the important goal of minimizing construction costs means the tank should be as small as practicalpossible. Because of its relatively small surface area and the lack of a redundant or back-up removal mechanism, optimization of the sediment tank is a critical design goal.

The specific design challenge for the Inlet Manifold Research Team is to design an optimal inlet manifold for the sedimentation tank. Past Aqua Clara AquaClara designs have evolved to inlet systems that currently feature PVC pipes with multiple holes (exit ports) creating vertical (downward) flow along the bottom of the pipe. The intent of the design is to create a smooth, quiescent influent condition that creates slow, upward flow through the sediment tank, ideally with the flocculated inflow initially traversing through a settled floc "blanket" that aids in removal. Some performance issues of past plants (lack of settling floc in one area of a the tank, for example) have suggested that there may be non-uniform flow conditions in the sediment sedimentation tank, leading to non-optimal performance.

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While our team is specifically looking at the inlet manifold, some other aspects of the sedimentation tank may also be considered for an overall optimal design. For example, the behavior of the effluent launders and overall geometry may create interactions with the flow from the inlet manifold and may be considered. However, the length and spacing of the lamella separation plates (a primary sedimentation tank technology in Agua Clara tanks) are the subject of another group's research and assessment and are not the focus of the Inlet Manifold Team.

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Current Research Teams

Fall 2010 Inlet Manifold Team

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