STAMFORD UNIVERSITY BANGLADESH
Department of Civil Engineering
Lecture Note 8 : Sewage Treatment - Sedimentation
Prepared by : Professor Emeritus Dr. M. Feroze Ahmed
Learning Points:
1. Theory of Sedimentation
2. Computation of efficiency of Sedimentation Tanks
3. Sedimentation and digestion in an Inhoff tank
SEDIMENTATION
Settling of Discrete Particles
Two forces act on a settling particles are Gravity force fg and buoyant force fb Buoyant force, fb
Gravity force , fg = ρsgVp
Buoyant force fb = ρwgVp Gravitational force, fg
Where ρs = Particle density; ρw = Density of water; Drag force, fd
g= Gravitational constant and Vp = Particle volume Net force, fnet
Since the forces work in opposite direction,
The net force, fnet = ρsg Vp - ρwg Vp = (ρs – ρw )g Vp … … … (1)
When particle in motion, a third force is created due to viscous friction as drag force fd , which can be
expressed by he equation:
fd = CDApρw (v2/2) … … … (2)
Where CD = Drag coefficient;
Ap = Area of the particle perpendicular to the direction of movement;
v = Settling velocity of the particle.
When driving net force fnet is equal to drag force fd , a steady state is reached and the particle settle at
uniform velocity. i.e.
(ρs – ρw )g Vp = CDApρw (v2/2)
(ρs – ρw )g (Vp/Ap)= CDρw (v2/2) … … (3)
For spherical particles, the ratio of volume and area is given by
… … (4)
Substitution of value of Vp/Vp from equation (4) in Equation (3) and rearranging yields
… … … (5)
The value of CD changes with different regime of flow as:
CD = 24/Re (laminar Flow) … … … (6)
CD = 24/Re + 3/Re1/2 + 0.34 ( transition flow)
CD = 0.4 ( turbulent flow)
Where Re is the Reynold number. Re = v ρw d/ , … … (7)
The value of shape factor = 1 for spherical particle, =kinematic viscosity of water
Now putting the value of CD from eqn. (6) for laminar flow and value of Re from eqn.(7) in Eqn.(5)
becomes:
… … … … (8)
The Eqn. 8 is known as Stokes Law .
Example 1: Calculate the settling velocity of a particle 0.1 mm in dia having sp. Gravity of 1.2 in
water at 15oC. The sp. Gravity and viscosity of water at 15oC are 0.999 and 0.00113 kg/s-m.
Solution : From Stokes Law , Eqn. 8
= 9.81 m/s2 ( 1200-999)kg/m3 x d2 / (18x 0.00113) kg/s.m
= 96,942 d2 /m. s
Inserting the value of d = 0.1 mm = 0.0001 m
v = (96,942/m.s) (0.0001m)2 = 96,942 x 10-8 m/s = 0.969 mm/s
Removal of Suspended Solid by Sedimentation Tanks
In a rectangular settling tank shown in Fig.1 (b), a particle entering into tank at top level in settling
zone with settling velocity vs retains in bottom of the tank at the end of the settling zone. So any
particle having settling velocity vs or higher will be retained in the tank. The settling velocity vs is
known as terminal velocity, vo .
Now detention time t of sewage in a
basin is given by the equation:
t = Vt /Q = BLH/Q … (9)
Where Q= discharge or flow through
the tank, Vt is the volume of the tank,
B= Breadth, H = height and L=Length
of the tank
Again t = H/vs … (10)
Equating eqn. (9) and Eqn. (10)
vs = Q/BL = Q/A … (11)
Where A is the surface area of the
tank. If the surface area of the tank is
larger, the terminal velocity vs is
smaller i,e. the tank can retain
relatively small particles. It means
that efficiency of the tank will
increase.
Fig.1: Sectional section of a Rectangular Sedimentation Tank
Hence, efficiency in removing particles in a sedimentation tank is dependent on the surface area, not
on the depth of the tank.
The Fig.1 (b) also illustrate that a particle with settling velocity va <vs will also be removed if it
enters in a lower level h. The removal ration (r) of particle with settling velocity va can be
expressed by:
r = h/H = (vat) / (vst) = va/vs … … … (12)
For a given flow rate Q , particles having settling velocity vs will be completely removed. If Yo
represents the particle portion with a settling velocity vs, the fraction of particles totally
removed by the settling tank can be expressed as 1 – yo. Since various fractions of particles
having settling velocity < vs are present, the fraction removal of these fractions as shown in eqn.
(12) can be expressed by:
ʃ (va/vs) dy within limit 0 to yo.
So the overall faction removal would be F = ( 1-yo ) + 1/vs ʃva dy which can be written as
F = (1 – yo) + (1/vs) ∑ va ∆y … … … (13)
The eqn. 13 is used to calculate the fraction of particles removed by a sedimentation tank, i.e.
efficiency of the tank.
Example 2 : A settling tank 10m x 50m in size has to treat 12,500 m3 of sewage per day. Suspended
solids measured at 2 m depth in a column settling test is given below. Compute the removal efficiency
of the settling basin.
Time,min 0 60 80 100 130 200 240 420
Conc. 400 320 284 252 208 150 120 68
mg/L
Solution
2m
Calculation of fraction remaining and corresponding settling rate
Time, Min 0 60 80 100 130 200 240 420
Fr. Conc, remaining, y 1.0 0.80 0.71 0.63 0.52 0.38 0.30 0.17 Sampling
Vs x10-2 , m/min - 3.3 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.83 0.48 Point
1
0.9
0.8 ∆y vax10-2 va.∆y
Mass Fraction Remaining
0.7
yo=0.58 0.1 0.20 0.02
0.6 0.1 0.45 0.05
0.5 0.1 0.70 0.07
0.4 0.1 0.95 0.10
0.3 0.1 1.25 0.13
0.2
0.08 1.65 0.13
0.1
vs=1.74 ∑ va.∆y=0.50
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Settling Velocity, va x 10-2 m/min
Vo = 12,500/10x50 =25 m3/m2.d = 1.74 x10-2 m/min ; yo from corresponding to vo = 0.58
F = 1 – yo + (1/vo) ∑ va.∆y = (1- 0.58)+ 0.50x10-2/1.74x10-2 = 0.71 ; Efficiency = 71%
Circular Sedimentation Tank
– Circular tank: Sewage enters at the center & flows towards periphery, i.e. all inlets are at the same
direction from point of supply.
IMHOFF TANK
Imhoff tank is an advancement over septic tank for on-site sewage treatment. It has a digestion tank
with a sedimentation tank inside. The tank has been named after its inventor Karl Imhoff of Germany.
A
Sludge
Removal
Inlet Outlet
Sedimentation
Chamber
Digestion
Chamber
PLAN
CROSS-SECTION A-A A
Main Components
Sedimentation or Flowing through Chamber:
Upper level of the tank.
Used for clarifying the water by sedimentation at low horizontal velocity.
Deposited sediment fall in the digestion chaber for decomposition
Digestion Chamber:
Lower level of the tank used for digestion of the sludge.
Anaerobic or septic decomposition occurs.
Made up of 2 or 3 inverted cones called hoppers with sides sloping (1:1) as to concentrate sludge at
bottom of the hopper.
The gases or scum produced during digestion cannot enter into sedimentation tank to creat
disturbances in settling particle.
Mechanism of Solids Removal in Imhoff Tank:
Solids settling to the bottom of the sedimentation chamber through the sloping bottom walls (slope V:H = 5:4).
Solids fall in digestion chamber through an entrance slot at the lowest point of the sedimentation chamber.
Gases in digestion chamber cannot enter the sedimentation chamber.
A gas vent is provided with the digestion chamber to take care or the gases escaping to the surface.
Free clear zone between sludge and scum (Figure)
Design Criteria for Imhoff Tank
Sedimentation Chamber:
Retention period 2~3 hours.
Following through velocity 1 ft/min.
Surface loading 1000 gal/sft/day.
Length ≤ 100ft, L/W ratio is 3~5:1.
Digestion Chamber:
Capacity: 3-5 cubic ft. per capita (for warmer climates)
The surface area of scum chamber: 25-30% area of the horizontal projection of the top of the digestion
chamber.
• Merits:
– Combine the advantages of both depth and sedimentation tanks.
– Useful in case of small treatment plants requiring only preliminary treatment.
– Better economy, good results without skilled attention.
– Minimum problems of sludge disposal.
• Demerits:
– Greater depth, greater costs and uneconomical.
– Unsuitable where high acidic conditions.
– No adequate control over their operation.
SEPTIC TANK
A septic tanks without a soak well can be used a primary treatment of sewage. Septic tank
has been discussed in details in Lecture 3.
Exercise
1. Derive the Stokes Law for settling of particles
2. Show that efficiency of a sedimentation tank is dependent on overflow rate, not on depth
of the tank.
3. Derive the equation for particle fraction removal of a sedimentation tank.
4. State the design criteria of Imfoff tank and its merits and demerits.
