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As the semester progressed, we explored the design objectives that help to create a floc blanket in a sedimentation tank. This forced us to understand the important design variables and the relationships between them. Once we created a wider knowledge base, we began running performance studies with lamellar sedimentation (tube settlers), where we sampled turbidity at varying stages of treatment.
Spring 2012 Contributions
The direction of this semester's research has been to simulate real life performance of AguaClara tanks. We began by constructing a bottom geometry that represented the retrofit of the Marcala facility over winter break. After testing, we concluded that under the appropriate conditions, the retrofit can produce a reliable floc blanket. The next set of experiments focused on floc hopper design; where the width, height and angle of incline were all varied. We also have interest in seeding our sedimentation tanks in order to decrease floc blanket formation time. This would conceivably have a tremendous impact on facilities that have a relatively low influent turbidities.