Sedimentation Ideas

The following are some ideas that led to the final design of the sedimentation tank.

• Increase the angle of the bottom of the inlet manifolds.

• Reduce the size of the inlet manifolds. Fill in the majority of the manifold with concrete on the end farther away from the distribution ports so that the area is smaller. The problem is that the area becomes so small that the pipe from the inlet channel becomes larger than the area in the inlet manifold. Some potential solutions to this problem are:

1. Cast the concrete used to fill the manifold around the pipe that enters.
2. Use an inlet chimney instead of an inlet pipe that does not extend all the way down.
3. Have the inlet pipes enter from the side so that they face the ports. The ports would not be able to start until after the area where the pipe enters to avoid having water shoot directly into them. The water would have to make an extra 90 degree bend in this case, however.

• Use only one of the inlet manifolds. This creates an uneven distribution of flow.

• Create an entrance channel down the middle of the sedimentation tank made of concrete instead of using a pipe. This would allow for easier tapering but could not be removed like a pipe. This also creates a less smooth flow transition for the water from the inlet channel to the sedimentation tank.