Turbulent Tube Floc
Though full scale water treatment plants operate with turbulent flocculation, previous flocculation research has been conducted using a laminar flow tube flocculator. Our goal is to design create and test a turbulent tube flocculator for lab scale research to better mimic the processes that occur at full scale plants. With this information, we can hopefully better understand the process of flocculation and make design improvements to improve flocculator performance.
Current Research
The Summer 2013 team developed an optimal design for the flocculator. The basic design is to have a stacked vertical coil of tubes and to use metal bars and PVC to clamp the tubing to create flow expansions which will create turbulence. Parameter Value Energy Dissipation Rate 30 mW/kg Collision Potential 100 m^2/3 Reynolds Number 4000 Hydraulic Residence Time 7.5 min Inner Diameter of Tubing 3.18 cm Length of Flocculator 56.35 m Number of Coils 30 Diameter of Coil 0.614 m Unconstricted Height 1.125 m Constricted Height 1.464 m The team will perform experiments controlling temperature, pressure, influent turbidity and measure effluent turbidity, floc size distribtuion and pC*.
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