Mahina Wang's Individual Contribution Page

Summer 2011 Contributions

I began research with Aguaclara in Summer 2011 with the Sedimentation Hydraulics Team. We improved the bottom geometry by representing the full tank bottom with two symmetrical trenches rather than just half of the tank, created a narrower trench, a semicircular trench, and began research on the floc weir and floc hopper. I contributed to the Summer '11 Teach-in, Final Presentation, and Final Report.

Fall 2011 Contributions

Continuing research with the Sedimentation Tank Hydraulics team this semester, we proposed a finalized bottom geometry for design in Atima (2011) and continued experimentation with the floc weir. In addition to further qualitative analysis, we inserted 10 tube settlers into our model tank and began qualitative analysis by measuring hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressures, the concentration of the blanket, turbidity of the effluent. We hope to better understand the effects of different variables on the quality of the blanket through analysis of our data.

Spring 2012 Contributions

This semester, the Sedimentation Tank Hydraulics team examined the effectiveness of the retrofitted Marcala sedimentation tank. We then acquired images for various hindered settling velocities and complete settling curves from this data allowed us to better understand hydraulic processes within a floc blanket. Optimal alum dose was also studied. A main focus of the second half of this semester's research was the design of the the shape and wasting of the floc hopper, which we proved to be effective at controlling the height of a floc blanket when the accumulated flocs were drained at an adequately high flow rate. Additional experiments were run that tested "seeding" the tank with an initial known volume of flocculated sludge and testing the growth rate of the sludge in the floc hopper to understand how width of the floc hopper affects sludge consolidation rate.

Fall 2012 Contributions

In the fall of 2012, I began research on the Ram Pump team which will design, construct and test a hydraulic ram pump and hydraulic testing facility. Designs were determined largely based on Las Vegas plant parameters. Testing was done to determine optimal cycle time and a sufficient output flow rate was observed.

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