BEIRUT ARAB UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING DEPT.

ANITARY COURSE
(CVLE453)

COAGULATION & FLOCCULATION

And

Sedimentation
Prof. Hamdy Seif
FALL 2016-2017
 Coagulation
Raw water contains suspended particles of color, turbidity, and
bacteria that are too small to settle in a reasonable time period and
cannot be removed by simple filtration.

The object of coagulation is to alter these particles in such a way as

to allow them to adhere to each other. Thus they can grow to a size
that will allow removal by sedimentation and filtration.

Coagulation is considered to be a chemical treatment process as

opposed to the physical treatment operations of flocculation,
sedimentation, and filtration that follow.
Coagulation
 Coagulation
The coagulants must be added to raw water and perfectly distributed
into the liquid. This can be done through RAPID MIXING or
AGITATION.

Coagulation results from adding salts of iron

or aluminum to the water. Common coagulants:
o Alum (Aluminum Sulfate)
o Sodium sulfate
o Ferric sulfate
o Polymers

Detention time in the rapid mix tank is

typically less than one-half minute.
Flash Mixing Tank
 Coagulation
Coagulation is the reaction between one of these salts and water. The
simplest coagulation process occurs between alum and water. When
alum is added to water, a chemical reaction occurs that produces
positively charged aluminum ions. The overall result is the reduction
of electrical charges and formation of sticky substance called Floc.

Liquid alum is preferred in water treatment because:

o Ease of handling
o Lower costs
o Less labor required
o Less storage space
o Greater accuracy in measurement
o Elimination of nuisance
o Easier maintenance
 Factors Influencing Coagulation
pH
Alkalinity
Temperature
Time
velocity
Zeta potential
 Jar Test
Optimum pH for coagulation and other factors must be considered
before deciding which chemical to be use and at what levels.

Jar or Coagulation test is performed. A laboratory procedure to

determine the optimum pH and the optimum coagulant dose
 Jar Test
Determination of optimum pH

Fill the jars with raw water sample (250 or

1000 mL) usually 6 jars

Add the coagulant and start mixing for 1

min at a speed of 100 rpm

Reduce the stirring speed to gentle 30 rpm

and continue mixing for 20 min

This slower mixing speed helps promote

floc formation by enhancing particle
collisions, which lead to larger flocs

Turn off the mixers and allow flocs to settle

for 20 to 30 min
 Jar Test

Measure the final residual

turbidity in each jar Optimum pH: 6.3
Plot residual turbidity against
pH
 Jar Test
Repeat all the previous steps

This time adjust pH of all jars at optimum (6.3 found from first test)

Add different doses of the selected coagulant (Coagulant dose: 5; 7; 10; 12; 15; 20 mg/L)

Rapid mix each jar then,

Optimum coagulant dose: 12.5 mg/L
Reduce the stirring speed

Turn off the mixers and

allow flocs to settle, then
measure the final residual turbidity in each jar

Plot residual turbidity

against coagulant dose.

The coagulant dose with lower

residual turbidity will be the
optimum coagulant dose. Coagulant Dose mg/L
 Rapid Mixing Tank Design
Detention Time : 20 to 60 seconds
The tanks are usually, baffled horizontally into two or three compartments in-
order to provide sufficient residence time.
Tanks should also be vertically baffled to minimize vortexing.
Chemicals should be added below the impeller, point of most mixing.

Mixing impeller types used in water treatment

SEDIMENTATION
 Flocculation
Flocculation is the physical process of slowly mixing the coagulated water.

Its a gentle mixing process

The primary objective of flocculation is to bring particles in contact with one

another so they will collide, stick together, and grow to a size that will easily
settle.
Detention Time : 20 to 40 minutes
Flocculation
Sedimentation
 Sedimentation

It is the process of removing solid particles heavier than

water
 Sedimentation
Sedimentation tanks are either rectangular or circular tanks.

Rectangular Basin
 Sedimentation
Sedimentation tanks are either rectangular or circular tanks.

Circular Basin
 Sedimentation

-A layer of sludge is formed on the floor of the tank

Typical detention times range from 1 to 10 hours. The longer the -
detention time, the more expensive the tank is, the better will be the
tank's performance.
Design Criteria of Sedimentation Tank
- OFR = 20 40 (m3/m2/day)
- Detention time is 4 hours
- Tank Depth 3 to 6 meters
- For rectangular tanks; maximum tank length 40m,
Preferable 30m
- L:W = 4:1
- For circular tanks, maximum diameter 40m including the
gentle mixing
- Average water flow at weir = 450 m3/m/day
 Sedimentation
Solids collected from the bottom of the tank will be
removed manually by periodically shutting down the tank
and washing out the collected sludge, or the tank may be
continuously and mechanically cleaned using a bottom
scraper. The effluent from the tank is then filtered.

Circular Sludge Scraper

 Weir Overflow
The water velocity within the sedimentation tank is slow in order to
allow for sedimentation.

To remove water from the basin quickly, it is desirable to direct the

water into a pipe or small channel for easy transport, which will
produce a significantly higher velocity.
 Sedimentation Concept
There are 2 important terms to understand in sedimentation
zone design:

settling velocity, Vs : The rate at -

which the particle is settling
downward

Velocity at which the tank is -

designed to operate, called the
overflow rate, Vo, the velocity of
the liquid rising is the overflow
rate.
Overflow rate (Vo) must be less than or equal the settling
velocity Vs
 Sedimentation Concept
Critical settling velocity is the settling velocity of particles which are 100%
removed in the basin.

Since smaller particles

have lower settling
velocities, if you want to
remove smaller particles in
the settling basin you have
to have a
lower overflow rate.

The percentage of particles removed in an ideal horizontal

sedimentation tank:
 V.H
V v = L H v = V =
Q
L B.H

Q H Q Q Flow Rate (m 3 / s )
Overflow Rate =
v= . = = settling surface area (m 2 )
B.H L B.L A
Example 1

For flow rate of 120000 m3/d, design the following:

- Flash mixing tank.
- Circular sedimentation tank.
- Rectangular Sedimentation tank & gentle mixing
- Aluminum sulfate for coagulation for one year if dose = 30ppm and cost of
one ton = 250 $
- Volume of sludge m3/d if turbidity = 60ppm

SOLUTION:
Flash mixing:
Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) = 20-60 seconds, take=40sec.
Volume = Q * HRT = 120000*40/(24*60*60) = 55 m3
For circular tank (Assume D=H); then D=4.2m
Circular Sedimentation zone:

Over Flow Rate (OFR) = 30 m3/m2/d

Area surface = 120000 / 30 = 4000 m2
HRT = 3 hours
Volume = 120000 *3/24 = 15000 m3
Depth = volume/area = 15000/4000 = 3.75 m

Gentle mixing zone:

HRT = 30 min
Volume = 120000*30/24*60 = 2500 m3
Depth = 3.75 0.50 = 3.25 m
Area = 2500/3.25 = 769 m2
Total area of sedimentation and gentle mixing zones

Total area of sedimentation and gentle mixing zones =

Area of sedimentation tank = 4000+769 = 4769 m2
we take 6 (or 8 or 10) tanks, the area of tank = 4769/6 = 795m2
Diameter of sedimentation tank = 32 m less than 40ms OK
Area of one gentle mixing tank = 769/6
Diameter of gentle mixing zone = 12.8m
Rectangular Sedimentation zone:
Over Flow Rate (OFR) = 30 m3/m2/d
Area surface = 120000 / 30 = 4000 m2
Assume L=32 m. L:W=4; then W=8m
Area of one tank = 32*8=256 m2
Number of Tanks = 4000/256 = 15.6 Take 16 Tanks
Therefore Actual Area = 4000/16 = 250 m2 (31.25*8m)
HRT = 3 hours
Volume = 120000 *3/24 = 15000 m3
Depth = volume/area = 15000/4000 = 3.75 m

Gentle mixing zone:

Number of Tanks = 16
HRT = 30 min
Total Volume = 120000*30/24*60 = 2500 m3
Volume of one tank= 2500/16 = 156.25 m2

Width = 8m same as the rectangular tank; Assume 3m depth

Then L= 7.75m