Evaluation of previous experiments with the new system

Objective

{float:right|border=2px solid white|width=120px}
!Aerator (Before 4 Stones).jpg!
h6. The aerator at the beginning of Summer 2009
{float}

This set of experiments attempts attempted to replicate the grain size research performed with the previous experimental setup, to assess both the functionality of the new system and the validity of the Spring 2009 results. Additionally, dissolved oxygen measurements were taken to evaluate the effectiveness of each of the components in the setup will be assessed with respect to theoretical expectations. TheoreticallyAccording to the theoretical model of the bubble formation potential, it is expected that the aerator under 2 atm of pressure will be able to supersaturate the water with 18 ml/L of dissolved gas. With the current aerator, a major assumption made is predicted that around 18 mL of bubbles will be formed for 1 L of water that has been previously exposed to 1 atm gage pressure at temperature of 25 ˚C. See Figure 1. for the relationship between the theoretical bubble formation potential and initial air pressure with which the water reached equilibrium before returning to atmospheric pressure. For the current aerator, it was assumed for the sake of calculation that the dissolved gas concentration equilibrates would reach equilibrium with the pressure in the aerator, sending water with 18 mlresulting in 18 mg/L of dissolved gas through the sand filterin the water flowing into the sand filter. While a theoretical model of gas removal by the sand filter has not been developed, the team believed that the abundant surface area provided by the sand would remove gas by providing ample nucleation sites for bubbles, and sites at which bubbles could adhere to a surface and aggregate.

General Procedure

For the two experiments listed below, the same procedure was used with varying a different size of sand grain sizesused in each. Sand 40 (0.49 mm - 0.57 mm) and Sand 30 (0.59 mm - 0.84 mm) were used for experiments one Experiments 1 and two2, respectively.

(Are you referring now to how to run an experiment? Perhaps create this as a link to another page as guidance) In Process Controller, configure the system so that the aerator air pressure is maintained at roughly 100 kPa. Fill the sand column with 60 cm of Sand 40 and adjust the flow rate on the pump forcing water through the sand filter to establish a bed expansion of 50%. For the first experiment, manual measurements of flow rate were performed by unhooking the influent water tube into the sand filter and allowing the influent to fill a large graduated cylinder over the course of a minute. In order to minimize changes made to the system, flow rate measurements for the second experiment were taken at the system effluent tube. The flow rates were roughly 225 ml/min and 485 ml/min for Sand 40 and Sand 30, respectively.

Run the Process Controller method file, given here, on the "On" state. The "On" state regulates the air pressure in the aerator by releasing small amounts of air through a valve when the system exceeds the maximum aerator air pressure of 102 kPa. The water level in the aerator is controlled in a similar manner; however, the water wasting valve is also subject to a duty cycle in which the valve will open for a set period of time and close for a set period of time. If the "on" condition for the wasting valve is not met (that is, if the water level does not exceed the regulated height), the wasting valve will remain closed.

The water entering the aerator and leaving is maintained at a constant rate throughout the experiment via manually controlled pumps. The water is allowed to flow through the sand column, where bubbles can form. When bubbles grow large enough in the filter, they can float up to the top and out through a tube into the bubble collector. Throughout the duration of the experiment, the bubble collector goes through cycles of emptying and refilling. Initially, an air valve at the top of the bubble collector opens and the water effluent valve located at the bottom of the bubble collector closes, allowing the collector to fill like a sitting column of water. Once a maximum height is reached, the air valve shuts off and the water valve opens, resulting in a partial vacuum at the top of the collector. This suspends the column of water in the bubble collector. As bubbles enter the collector, gas in the bubbles fills the partial vacuum, allowing the water column to slowly drain from the collector. Once the minimum water level in the collector is reached, the apparatus refills and the cycle begins again.

For each emptying period of the bubble collector, data is collected through Process Controller. Analysis of the data collected can be quantified as a gas removal rate by considering the cross sectional area of the collector and the flow rate through the system. Please see the results and discussion for each experiment by clicking the links below.

Results and Discussion

The details of the procedure are available here.

Results and Discussion

Experiments 1 and 2 were performed to assess whether the new system collects consistent data and to ensure that previous sand grain experiments results are replicable, and thus are valid. We performed the control experiment (with no sand) after we observed that the measured rate gas removal in the sand filter was less than 18 mg/L, the theoretical rate of gas removal. When we realized that gas removal was less than expected, we took the dissolved oxygen measurements to determine which component of the system was not functioning effectively.

Reruns Experiments 1 and 2 - Replicates of the Previous Fluidized Bed Experiments

• Experiment 1 was performed shortly after the installation of the new setup was installed. Sand 40 was used with the purpose of replicating to evaluate previous grain size results and assessing the overall functionality of the setup.
• Experiment 2 was performed after making modifications to the system was modified to account for the issues found in the problems that arose in Experiment 1. Sand 30 was used with the purpose of testing the functionality again and replicating evaluating previous results.
• A control Experiment (i.e., one with no sand) was performed to evaluate the sand filter's effectiveness by measuring gas removal in the absence of sand.

Dissolved Oxygen Measurements

• When it was we had confirmed that the new aerator was not saturating water as much as possible, measured gas removal values were less than theoretical values, we measured the concentrations of dissolved oxygen were measured at various points in the experimental apparatus.

General Conclusions

• . We found that the measurements taken at a point just past the sand filter showed dissolved oxygen concentrations that were higher than that of water going into the sand filter. This suggested a problem with either the setup or the fluidized bed mechanism. Pressure through the sand filter was calculated to explain that large head loss through the system in combination with pressure build up in the filter was not resulting in tiny bubbles being reincorporated into solution. The results of the headloss calculations can be found here. With the control experiment, we confirmed that the sand filter was not suitable for gas removal because the material properties of the sand are not conducive for removing gas.

General Conclusions

{float:right|border=12px solid white|width="372", height="289"}
!Theoretical bubble formation potential.png!
h6. Figure 1: Theoretical bubble formation potential
{float}

Experiments The experimental results for gas removal rate using Sand 40 and Sand 30 gave consistent results of showed rates of gas removal rates of about 5.09 mL/L and 2.01 mL/L, respectively. This data has been essential in confirming that the apparatus is performing reliably. Yet the results deviate from the theoretical model, which predicts the theoretical bubble formation potential to be around 18mL/L for water that has been previously exposed to 1 atm gage pressure at temperature of 25 C. The model calculates the theoretical bubble formation potential as a function of the air pressure that the water equilibrated with prior to returning to atmospheric pressure. The discrepancy between laboratory results and theoretical predictions indicates that there could be an array of possibilities where some of the system components could be redesigned to achieve better performance in producing air saturated water and consequently removing released air using the suspended matter. For additional analysis, we measured the dissolved oxygen concentration at the effluents from the aerator, sand filter, and bubble collector. Both the model and DO measurements have been instrumental in pointing out several improvements in design of the current apparatus and optimizing the process conditions.
Based on further collaboration with the TA, the following design modifications have been advised to be made:
1. It has been estimated that the aerator is producing the water that is not aerated enough. This could be remedied by inserting multiple aeration stones with different volume so that aerator would displace more air into the water.
2. Currently, the large headloss is occurring throughout the sand filter. As a result, it is possible that the additional release of pressure will allow the tiny bubbles to form, and thus dissolving them into the solution. One solution would be to focus on where the maximum headloss occurs and redesign the sand filter so it will effectively act as if it is open to the atmosphere. Alternatively, if the situation allows, it might be possible to experimentally find and optimize the parameters at which the minimum headloss takes place., while the control experiment showed a rate of 7.47 mL/L. These results suggest that the sand inhibits gas removal, rather than facilitating it. In addition, the concentration of dissolved oxygen measured at each of the four ports in the system (tabulated below) support the notion that the sand filter did not provide a suitable mechanism of gas removal, as the measurements indicated higher oxygen concentrations in the water at points past the sand filter.

Literature concerning bubble formation and behavior indicate that rough, hydrophobic surfaces are most suitable for bubble formation. (See "Fundamentals of Bubble Formation during Coagulation and Sedimentation Processes" by P. Scardina and M. Edwards on the Floating Floc Annotated Bibliography page.) The sand filter may be unsuitable because sand is not hydrophobic.

{float:left|border=10px solid white}[!0804091509a.jpg|width="400", height="300"!|Aerator]
h6. The aerator with four aeration stones
{float}

Concerning, the dissolved oxygen measurements, the results indicate that the aerator is able to supersaturate the water with 15.5 mg/L of dissolved oxygen. This is less than the theoretical rate 18 mg/L. Please see the Table 1. below for the dissolved oxygen concentrations and click here for more details and subsequent DO measurements in the absence of sand. Also, further measurements at that port reveal inconsistent levels of gas supersaturation. This inability to regulate the amount of dissolved gas in the influent water to the sand filter may have a significant impact on our ability to run controlled experiments. In order to address this issue, the team has altered the pressurized aerator by replacing the single aeration stone with a junction of four cylindrical aeration stones that would displace gas into the water in finer bubbles, which would be incorporated into solution more easily.

Table 1: Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations (DO) at sampling ports in the experimental setup with a sand bed.

It is also possible that the bubble collector, which is used to measure gas removal, may not be effective at capturing small bubbles. Although we had initially suspected that the small bubbles traveling through the system originated in the sand filter, we are now unsure whether small bubbles formed in the sand filter itself. During the controlled experiment, we observed that small bubbles were present throughout the system. Because of this, we suspect that the source of the small bubbles is a component other than the sand filter--perhaps the aerator. Before the team redesigns the bubble collector, we plan to modify the flow accumulator so that any small bubbles coming from the aerator will be collected so that water entering the sand filter is free of bubbles. If small bubbles are formed in the filter and the bubble collector must be redesigned to capture these bubbles, a new design for the bubble collector will be developedIt is also possible that there are a few other factors affecting the collection and removal of dissolved air. Yet it is hoped that some of the modifications will help make the system more efficient, thereby yielding the results which would eventually converge to the theoretical predictions.