ECIV 4056:

Environmental Controls
LAB EXPERIMENT 2
GARRY RATHJE
OCTOBER 10, 2023
 ECIV 4056: Environmental Controls 2023

2. Lab 2 – Design of a solids settling system

“A first step in the design of a waste settling system involves the determination of the settling
characteristics of the particular effluent to be treated.

A very basic but effective test method can be carried out using a tall cylinder in which a sample
of effluent is allowed to settle while measuring the slurry interface, (i.e. the region separating the
clear and concentrated regions), over time.” [1]

Problem

Using the data that was the basis of your experiment 1 report:
Design a gravity thickening tank for an inflow sludge rate of 0.015 m3/s, with a retention time of
35 minutes, calculate and report the following:

1. Determine the required thickener area, m2.

2. Determine the required clarification area, m2.
3. Determine the clarification (overflow) rate, m3/d.
4. Determine the solids loading, kg/m3d.
5. Determine the hydraulic loading rate, m3/m2d
6. Show all supporting documentation and provide one sample calculation for each equation
(use an equation editor to create).
7. Give one example graph of where you drew the tangent and other lines to determine
variables.
8. Include one figure of the settling curves, showing each of the critical points (CP) and
critical concentrations (C2).

Based on your analysis of the three concentrations analyzed:

What is the optimum size of the thickener? Explain why, (hint: you might want to consider tank
dimensions), and give justification(s).
What effect does your design size have on the other slurry concentrations? (What if the
concentration of the waste stream is seasonal i.e. 30 g/l in summer and 20 g/l in winter).

What would be the effect of your design size if the inlet flow rate was increased by 20%?
Hint: consider the following;
a. Would the underflow concentration remain the same?
b. What would happen to the retention time of your system design?
c. What other changes can be identified?

State any assumptions that you used and justify.

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 ECIV 4056: Environmental Controls 2023

“Example: Calculations for sizing an activated-sludge settling tank.

In a settling cylinder 0.4 m high, the settling curve shown in Figure 2-1, was obtained for an
activated sludge with an initial solids concentration, C0, of 4000 mg/L. Determine the area to
yield a thickened sludge concentration, Cu, of 24,000 mg/L with an inflow of 400 m3/d. In
addition, determine the solids loading in kilograms per day per square meter and the overflow
rate in cubic meters per square meter per day.

Area requirement based on single-batch test results. For purposes of design, the final
overflow rate selected should be based on a consideration of the following factors: (1) the area
needed for clarification, (2) the area needed for thickening, and (3) the rate of sludge withdrawal.
Column settling tests, as previously described, can be used to determine the area needed for the
free-settling region directly. However, because the area required for thickening is usually greater
than the area required for settling, the rate of free settling rarely is the controlling factor. In the
case of the activated-sludge process where stray, light, fluffy floc particles may be present, it is
conceivable that the free or flocculant settling velocity of these particles could control the design.

The area requirement for thickening is determined according to a method developed by

Talmadge and Fitch [2]. A column of height H0 is filled with a suspension of solids of uniform
concentration C0. The position of the interface as time elapses and the suspension settles is given
in Figure 2-1. The rate at which the interface subsides is then equal to the slope of the curve at
that point in time. The area required for thickening is given by equation

𝑄𝑡𝑢
𝐴𝑡 = 2-1
𝐻𝑂

The critical concentration controlling the sludge-handling capability of the tank occurs at a
height H2 where the concentration is C2. This point is determined by extending the tangents to
the hindered-settling and compression regions of the subsidence curve to the point of intersection
and bisecting the angle thus formed, as shown in Figure 2-1. The time tu can be determined as
follows:

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 ECIV 4056: Environmental Controls 2023

Figure 2-1: Annotated settling curve for example problem solution [2}
1. Construct a horizontal line at the depth Hu that corresponds to the depth at which the solids
are at the desired underflow concentration Cu. The value of Hu is determined using the
following equation:

𝐶𝑂 ∙ 𝐻𝑂 2-2
𝐻𝑢 =
𝐶𝑢

2. Construct a tangent to the settling curve at the point indicated by C2.

3. Construct a vertical line from the point of intersection of the two lines drawn in steps 1 and
2 to the time axis to determine the value of tu.

With this value of tu, the area required for thickening is computed using equation 2-1. The area
required for clarification is then determined. The larger of the two areas is the controlling
value.” [1]

Nomenclature (for this example):

Ac = area required for clarification, m2
At = area required for sludge thickening, m2
C2 = critical concentration, kg/m3 (from figure 2-1)
C0 = initial slurry concentration, mg/L
Cu = desired underflow concentration, mg/L
H0 = initial height of interface in column, m
Q = flow rate into the tank, m3/s
Qc = clarification rate, m3/d
tu = time to reach desired underflow concentrations, s

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 ECIV 4056: Environmental Controls 2023

v = subsidence velocity, m/h

From Figure 2-1, the following information was extrapolated:

H0 = 0.4 m tu = 34 min
H1 = 0.27 m t1 = 8.6 min
H2 = 0.15 m t2 = 22.9 min

“Determine the area required for thickening.

Using equation 2-2
𝐻𝑢 = 0.067𝑚

In Figure 2-1 a horizontal line is constructed at Hu = 0.067 m. A tangent is constructed to the

settling curve at C2, the midpoint of the region between hindered and compression settling.
Bisecting the angle formed where the two tangents meet determines point C2. The intersection of
the tangent at C2 and the line Hu = 0.067 m determines tu. Thus, tu = 34 min, and using equation
2-1 the required area is:

𝐴𝑡 = 23.6𝑚2

This area must be adequate for clarification to occur.

a. Using equation 2-3, determine the subsidence velocity, v, from the hindered-settling
portion of the curve, assuming that the particles present at the interface are those of
concern.

(𝐻0 − 𝐻1 )𝑚 𝑚
𝑣= = 0.91
(𝑡1 − 0)𝑚𝑖𝑛 ℎ 2-3

b. Determine the clarification (overflow) rate. Because the overflow rate is proportional to
the liquid volume above the critical sludge zone, it may be computed as follows:

𝑚3 (0.4𝑚 − 0.067𝑚) 𝑚3
𝑄𝑐 = 𝑄 ∙ = 333.0 2-4
𝑑 0.4𝑚 𝑑

c. Determine the area required for clarification. The required area is obtained by dividing
the overflow rate by the settling velocity.

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 ECIV 4056: Environmental Controls 2023

𝑄𝑐
𝐴𝑐 = = 15.2𝑚2 2-5
𝑣

The controlling requirement is the larger value of either the thickening area or clarification area.

Determine the solids loading. The solids loading is computed as follows:

(noting that g/m3 = mg/L):

𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑠, = 𝑄 ∙ 𝐶0 = 1600 2-6
𝑑 𝑑

𝑘𝑔
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑠
𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑠 𝐿𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 = 𝑑 = 67.8 𝑘𝑔 2-7
𝐴𝑡 𝑚2 𝑚2 ∙ 𝑑

Determine the hydraulic loading rate.” [1]

𝑚3
𝑄𝑐 𝑚3
𝐻𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝐿𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 = 𝑑 = 14.1 2-8
𝐴(𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑐) 𝑚2 𝑚2 ∙ 𝑑

References:
1. Wastewater Engineering Treatment/Disposal/Reuse, Metcalf and Eddy, Boston, 2nd
edition, McGraw-Hill, 1979, pg. 210-214
2. Talmadge, W.P., and E. B. Finch: Determining Thickener Unit Areas, Ind Eng. Chem.,
Vol. 47, no. 1, 1955