Subteam Leader:

Number of team members needed:

• 3-4 members

Important team member skills:

• Process Controller (can be trained)
• Microsoft Excel
• MathCAD

Challenges

Details of the experiments described below can be found on the Floating Flocs Fall 2009 Tentative Experiments page.

• Possibly redesign the experimental setup to better simulate the water quality at actual AC plants by adding a clay source or surfactant source.
• Confirm the cause of the floating floc problem by running experiments with the Plate Settler Team's apparatus. Two experiments have been planned in order to test whether the cause of the floating floc problem is bubbles adhering to flocs or whether bubbles form on flocs and lift them to the surface. It is also possible that both of these mechanisms are responsible for floating floc.

If the cause is confirmed to be bubble formation on or adherence to flocs due to supersaturated water the team's tentative experimental plans include:

• Run experiments using mild surfactants to witness their effects on bubble formation. Currently, the team is considering using a dilute soap solution as a surfactant.
• Run experiments using hydrophobic surfaces with or without surfactants to see the effects on bubble formation. The details of these experiments have yet to be determined. Currently, literature searches are being performed to find cost-effective hydrophobic surfaces to test. It has been found that plant surfaces may exhibit hydrophobic properties due to their waxy coating.
• Developing a new mechanism to either remove gas, stop bubble formation, or stop floating flocs themselves. Currently, the team is looking at a mechanism that involves using lamella or something similar to trap air pockets in the water. These air pockets would be knocked around by eddies and may collect dissolved gas in the process.

If the cause is shown to be something other than supersaturated water, the team may still focus on stopping flocs from floating; however, other approaches may be developed that are specifically tailored to actual cause of the problem.