Pilot Plant

Overview


(team member Jeffrey Katz operating plant)

The pilot plant project started when the spring 2007 Aguaclara team built a vertical flow hydraulic flocculator at the Cornell University Water Treatment Plant (CUWFP). The vertical flow hydraulic flocculator was built as a small scale version of those being used by AguaClara in Honduras. The vertical flow hydraulic flocculator has been used to test the effects of tapered flocculation on floc formation. The project has evolved since the first flocculator was built. There are two sedimentation tanks at the CUWFP, which have been used to test the combination of sludge blankets and lamella to optimize settling. A tube flocculator has also been constructed to examine the behavior of raw water during flocculation. In spring of 2009, an adjustable baffle system was constructed for the hydraulic flocculator to allow testing of many different baffle spacings.

The Automated Flow Control Team is a related team.

Research Groups

Flocculation
Sedimentation

General Information

For New Members and Future Teams
Where to start.

Glossary
A glossary of terms and components frequently encountered in the pilot plant

How to Run and Maintain the Pilot Plant
Problems that members have previously encountered and suggested solutions.

Construction History and Design
How various parts of the pilot plant were built and their design specifications.

External Links
Useful information and links.