DO Removal by Partial Vacuum
Purpose and Principle
The purpose of this experiment is to determine the degree of dissolved oxygen removal from supersaturated water subject to a partial vacuum. Dissolved oxygen removal from the water occurs because the partial pressure of oxygen in space above the water is lowered by the partial vacuum. Thus, the dissolved oxygen will transfer out to the space above the water in order to restore equilibrium as stated in Henry's Law. Measuring the dissolved oxygen in the water over a period of time will allow us to observe the amount of dissolved oxygen removed and also to calculate the approximate rate of dissolved oxygen removal.
Procedure
Water source? Water temperature? Same text here with multiple references to a period of time that isn't specified. Was the reactor stirred? How was the dissolved oxygen probe calibrated?
While using EasyData to monitor the pressure and dissolved oxygen, water is pumped out of the apparatus until the desired pressure is reached. Once the desired pressure is attained, the pump is stopped and the apparatus is allowed to sit for a short period of time. The period of time can be determined by finding the approximate time the water spends under partial vacuum in the transmission lines that bring water to the plants. After that period of time, the clamp on the pump is released to open the system to atmospheric pressure. The dissolved oxygen is monitored and recorded for two to three minutes after the chamber is opened to atmospheric pressure.
Results and Discussion
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Experiment 1 Test 1: DO behavior under negative pressure change (gradual decrease to -70kpa) and under atmospheric conditions. Click to see larger.
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Experiment 1 Test 2: DO under negative pressure (held at -37kPa and gradually decreased to -70kPa) and under atmospheric conditions. Click to see larger.
The graphs above indicate a change in dissolved oxygen of about .3 mg/L
numbers never start with a decimal point.
always a space between numbers and their units.
*Figure:*Graph comparing DO curves from Test 1 and Test 2.
The change in dissolved oxygen under a range of pressure is fairly consistent. Using this data as a baseline, a second experiment was run in which the water was aerated under partial vacuum and is described in DO Removal by Partial Vacuum and Aeration
Show the pressure trace too since you emphasize that you changed the pressure part way through the experiment. Eliminate the negative time values on the x axis. The spikes that occurred after allowing the reactor to return to atmospheric pressure could have been due to bubbles that were on the dissolved oxygen probe membranes. When the pressure increases the oxygen in these bubbles began to go back into solution and some of the molecules were detected by the dissolved oxygen probe.