Current Team Research Focus -
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Spring '11
Velocity Gradients
Past research has illuminated the importance of flow regime characteristics on the performance of tube settlers. Specifically, when velocity gradients in the tube become too large (at small diameters), flocs at the bottom wall of the tube experience an upward force greater than the gravity pulling them down the plate. This causes flocs to roll up the side of the wall and exit with the finished water. The result of this phenomenon may vary from marginal increases in effluent turbidity to dramatic failure with turbidities closer to the system influent, depending on the magnitude of the velocity gradient in the tube. Current research focuses on using a bench scale system to validate the theoretical velocity gradient model developed last spring.
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