Team Members - Summer 2008

Sara Schwetschenau

Tapered Flocculation

• Jeff Bowser
• Heather Reed

Sedimentation

• Jeff Katz

Automated Flow Control

• Mike Costello
• Matt Tabacco

Meeting Time: Monday 1pm – AguaClara Lab

Motivation & Objective

Research for the summer of 2008 will focus in three main areas. The Sedimentation Tank sub-section will focus on continuing research with sludge blanket formation and stability. Another sedimentation tank with lamella technology will also be constructed for comparison. The Tapered Flocculation sub-section will focus on continuing to analyze floc profiles, focusing on ways to create larger flocs faster. Suggested experiments with inline flow obstacles and possibly a redesign of the initial section of the flocculator are proposed. The Automated Flow Control sub-section is focusing on continued research of the linear flow measuring weir as well as the construction and testing of the float-lever chemical dosing system.

Research Goals

Goals have been made for each of the three sub-sections of the Pilot Plant group.

Overall Goals

• Consistently produce water that is under 1 NTU after sedimentation
• Determine the most efficient flocculation and sedimentation combination
• Determine the viability of the automated chemical dosing apparatus

Tapered Flocculation Tank Goals for Summer 2008

• Past Research
• Developing Floc Profiles
• Extend the length of the flocculator to increase Gtheta
• Add obstacles to the beginning sections to increase shear where the floc can handle it
• Redesign the initial sections of the flocculator for baffles to be closer together initially
• Add kaolin clay to the raw water to test technology at higher inlet turbidities
• Run floc profile tests on the previous uniform baffle configuration for comparison

Sedimentation Tank Goals for Summer 2008

• Past Research
• Complete design of the second sedimentation tank with lamella
• Construct second sedimentation tank
• Determine the optimum upflow velocity for sludge blanket formation
• Alter set-up to allow for the inline turbidity meters to sample effluent turbidity from both sedimentation tank
• Compare sedimentation technologies to determine the most efficient technology

Automated Flow Control and Chemical Dosing Goals for Summer 2008

Past Research

• The Research Log documents the research that is being done in the current semester.

In the Spring '07 semester, the pilot plant was designed and constructed.

in the Summer of '07, adjustments were made to the set-up and testing of the uniformly-spaced baffle design was done.  

In the Fall '07 semester, a tapered-baffle set-up was designed, constructed, and installed. 

In the Spring '08 semester, the floc tank set-up was improved, floc formation profiles were developed a sludge blanket sedimentation tank was built and tested. The Automated Flow measuring weir was built and tested.

History of past research and details of current research can be found on wiki page entitled Pilot Plant Construction and Research. Details of the Sedimentation Tank Research can be found on the wiki page entitled Pilot Plant- Sedimentation Tank.