RMS POLYTECHNIC

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

03RD SEMESTER

SUBJECT : MECHANICAL OPERATIONS

CODE : 3330502
TOPIC : SEDIMENTATION

Prepared By : Priyanka Patel

FUNDAMENTAL OF SEDIMENTATION:
 The Separation of solids from a suspension in a liquid by gravity
settling is called sedimentation.

 The gravity force is responsible for the motion of solid fluid through
the liquid.

 In this operation, A dilute slurry is separated into a clear liquid and

slurry of higher slurry content.

 Most commonly used equipment is Dorr Thickener.

APPLICATION :
 Removal of solid liquid sewage waste, Removal of suspended impurities
from water to be used for domestic and industrial purposes are examples of
sedimentation.
 Most of widely used in treatment of water, The simplest method of
removing the suspended impurities is by plain sedimentation.
 Removal of suspended impurities depends upon the length of retention
period, the size of suspended impurities and the temperature of water.
 Due to force of gravity, suspended particles settled down at bottom and they
are removed.
 Sedimentation removes only 70% to 75% of the suspended particle
concentration at every point in tank water is same as that inlet tank.
BATCH SEDIMENTATION :
DESCRIBING THE ABOVE IMAGE :
 1.Given above figure shows a cylinder containing a newly prepared
slurry of uniform concentration of uniform solid particles throughout.
 2. As soon as the process starts, all the particles begin the settle and
are believed to approach rapidly terminal settling velocities under
hindered settling condition.
 Hindered Settling : When the minerals settle in a thick pulp, as
opposed to free settling in which the free particles fall through fluid
media.
 Free Settling : As opposed to hindered settling in classification, free
fall of the particles through fluid media.
 3. Various zone of concentration then are established as shown in
figure.
 4. The heavier faster settling particles settled at the bottom of a glass
cylinder are indicated by zone D.
 5. Above Zone D forms another layer called zone C, A region of
variable size distribution as non uniform concentration.
 6. Boundary between C and D is usually obscure is marked by
vertical channels which fluid is rising from the lower zone D as it is
compresses.
 7. Above zone C is zone B which is zone of uniform concentration
of approximately the same concentration as that of the original pulp.
 8. Above zone B is zone A which is zone of clear liquid.
 9. As sedimentation continues the height of each zone vary as
shown in figure (b), (c), and (d).
 10. The height of zone B and A increase at the expense of that zone
B. While that of C remains constant.
 11. After further settling zone B and C disappears and all the solid
appear in zone D, but zone D may shrink further because of
compression.
INTERPHASE HEIGHT VS TIME CURVE
FOR BATCH SEDIMENTATION:
 In batch settling test carried out in the laboratory, the height of the
liquid, solid interphase (between zone A and B) is measured as a
function of time.
 When the experimental data of height of interphase vs time are
floated, We get the curve as shown in figure.
 The slope of this curve at any point of time represent the settling
velocity of suspension of that instant.
 During the early stage of settling process, the rate of settling is
constant, as shown by the first portion of the curve.
 As a time increase settling velocity decrease and steadily drops until
the ultimate height is reached.
 The batch settling test will give a different curve for every sludge
and somewhat different one different concentration.
 Such batch test are the basis for design of continuous thickener.
PRINCIPLE OF FLOCCULATION:

 Removal of hydrophobic colloids from the aqueous phase.

 During flocculation step, an increase in the size of particles present
in the water phase resulting in the formation of flakes.
 Flocculation process always applied when impurities cant be
removed by sedimentation.
 By using this process, suspended impurities are reduced to a form
suitable for sedimentation, so that they can be removed from water
by means of sedimentation.
 By adding flocculants in the solution, the colloidal particles are
destabilized and therefore able to coalence.
 The particles then settle on the bottom and suitable for
sedimentation process.
EXAMPLE OF FLOCCULATION:
 Effluent waste water treatment process for solid removal, water
clarification, lime softening, sludge thickening, solid dewatering.
 Flocculants are usually organic chemicals such as alum, aluminium,
chlorohydrates and aluminium sulphate.
FUNDAMENTAL OF FREE SETTLING:
(DONE BY LOW CONCENTRATION)
 Free settling takes place when individual particles fall freely in a
fluid medium without being touched or hindered by other particles,
and the fluid being still.
 In the sense every particle settles independently and the process
where in the fall of the particles in the gravitational field through a
stationary fluid is not affected by the other particles and the wall of
the container.
 In this process the individual particles does not colloids with other
particles or with the wall of the container.
 This requires that the particles be at a sufficient distance from the
wall of the container and also from each other.
 This type of settling process is possible only if the concentration of
particulate solids in a suspension is very low.
FUNDAMENTAL OF HINDERED SETTLING:
 It is the settling of the particle impeded or affected by the other
particles and the wall of the container.
 It refers to the process wherein the fall of the particles in the
gravitational field through a stationary fluid is affected by the other
particles and the wall of the container. In this process, The particle
colloids with the other particles and with the wall of the container.
 This requires that the particles be close to each other and this is turn
demand the concentration of solids in a suspension to be high.
 Hindered settling is concentration of solids in a suspension is large.
 For hindered settling, the settling velocity is considerably less than
the terminal falling velocity under free settling condition.
THICKENER:
 Industrially, sedimentation operation may be carried out batch wise
or continuously in an equipment called a thickener.
 A thickener consists of a relatively shallow tank from the top of
which a clear liquid is taken off and thickened liquid is removed
from the bottom.
 The concentration of the suspension is high and hindered settling
takes place. (Possible in majority of cases)
 The rate of sedimentation can be artificially increased by the
addition of coagulating agent such as alum etc. Which causes the
precipitation of colloidal particles and the formulation of flakes.
 The suspension is also frequently heated which causes reduction in
the velocity of the liquid.
 Thickener is frequently provided with a slow stirrer which helps in
consolidation of the sediment and also reduces the apparent
viscosity of the suspension.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF THICKENER:
DORR THICKENER:
 This is also known as continuous thickener, consists of a flat
bottom, large diameter and shallow depth tank.
 It is providing with slow moving radial rakes driven from a central
shaft for removing the sludge.
 The slurry is ted at the centre of tank at a depth of 0.3 meter to 1
meter below the surface of the liquid, with a very little disturbance.
 The clarified liquid is continuously removed from an overflow
which runs around the top edge of the tank and a thickened liquor is
continuously withdrawn from the outlet of the bottom.
 The slowly revolving rakes scrap the sludge towards centre of the
bottom for discharge and removed water from the sludge as it stirs
only the sludge layer.
 So the solids are continuously moving downwards and then the
sludge outlet, whereas liquid is moving upwards and then rapidly
outwards.
 Two functions of the Thickener are,
 01. To produce a clear liquid
 02. To produce a given degree of thickening of the suspension.
 For the production of clear liquid the upward velocity of the liquid
must always be less than the settling velocity of the particles.
GRAVITY SETTLING TANK:
 It’s a simplest type of classifier. It consists of a large tank with
provisions for a suitable inlet and outlet.
 A slurry feed enters the tank through an inlet connection. As soon as
the slurry feed enters the tank, Its linear velocity decreases as a
result of the enlargement of cross section area. Solid particles starts
to settle under the influence of gravity.
 The faster settling particles will be collected at the bottom of the
tank near the inlet/entrance, while the slower settling particles will
be carried further into the tank before they reach the bottom of the
tank.
 The very fine particles are carried away in the liquid overflow from
the tank..
 Vertical baffles placed at various distance from the inlet within the
tank allow for the collection of several fractions according to the
terminal falling velocity, because of the occurrence of considerable
overlapping at size, no sharp separation is possible with this
classifier.
GRAVITY THICKENER:
 PRINCIPLE :
 Gravity thickener uses the natural tendency of higher density solid
to settle out of liquid to concentrate the solids.
 The solids settle to the bottom of the tank by gravity and the
scrapers slowly moved the settled, thickened solids to discharge
pipe at the bottom of the tank.
 WORKING :
 It is the most common process currently used for dewatering and for
the concentration of sludge before digestion.
 It is accomplished in sedimentation tank in which solid separate
from liquid phase by settling.
 The settled solids are concentrated by the action of gravity by virtue
of the weight of the overlying solids.
 First the feed will enter to the feed well, as it move down to the feed
well flocculants is injected so that as it move down to the feed well,
Flocculation and dearation occur.
 Flocculants causes fine particles to bind together and settled rapidly.
 The Flocculants feed will go down to the rack arms, The rack arms
rotates slowly with the scrapper blade on the bottom to push the
solids in the thickener to the deflector cone.
 The deflector cone is the cone shape discharge located in the center
of the thickener. Once the solids enters the deflector cone, they are
removed by pumps, pumping the concentrated solid underflow to a
conditioning tank.
 The clear water overflow at the top of the thickener which channels
the clear water to the overflow discharge. The overflow is pumped
from the thickener.
 CENTRIFUGATION :
 It is a technique of separating substances which involves the
application of centrifugal force.
 The particles are separated from a solution according to their size,
shape, density, the viscosity of the medium and rotor speed.
 CENTRIFUGE :
 It is a piece of equipment, generally driven by an electric motor, that
puts an object in rotation around a fixed axis, Applying a force
perpendicular to the axis to separate substances of different
densities.
 Basket rotating at a high speed.
 Vertical Axis Small Size
 Horizontal Scale Large Continuous
TUBULAR BOWL CENTRIFUGE:
 Tubular bowl centrifuges are sedimentation centrifuges.
 They are used to separate both solid/liquid and liquid/liquid mixture.
 CONSRUCTION :
 Tubular bowl centrifuges are generally consists of a bowl, a motor
and a drive assembly.
 The bowl is suspended from an upper bearing and hangs freely. This
allows the bowl find its natural axis of rotation if it becomes
unbalanced.
 The rotating bowl of a tubular centrifuge, consists of a long hollow
tube as shown in figure.
 For continues separation, The feed or material to be centrifuged
enters at one end near the axis and is removed in two streams
containing the separated material.
 Radial vanes are used to bring the feed material up to speed and to
slow down the separated streams before they are discharged.
 It has high speed motor, feed entered at bottom and discharge of
light liquid collected by right side and heavy liquid collected by left
side.
 WORKING:
 The tubular centrifuges comprises of bowl specially designed slow
acceleration motor and starter.
 The bowl rotates at 1500 RPM generating a centrifugal force of
16000 times of the gravitational force.
 Liquid mixture to be separated enters the nozzle of the centrifuge
placed at a bottom base.
 Centrifugal Force act on the liquid entering and separates the two
liquids according to their specific gravities.
 Lighter liquid forms the inside layer and heavier liquid forms the
outside layer.
 Since the mixture is entering continuously in the bowl, two phases
are discharged continuously from two separate holes provided on
the top portion of the bowl.
 During clarification one discharge hole of the bowl is closed and
continuous discharge of clarified liquid is possible.
 Solids accumulated inside the bowl and can be removed by bottom
manually after stopping the machine.

 USES:
 Purification of lubricating industries
 Pharmaceutical Industries
 Clearing of fats and waxes
 Paint Industries
 Fractionation of blord
 Chemical and Food Industries
CYCLONE SEPARATOR:
 A Cyclone Separator is essentially a settling chamber in which the
gravitational separating force is replaced by a much stronger
centrifugal separating force.
 Cyclone separator are used for the separation of solids from fluids.
The often one of the least expensive means of dust collection.
 They utilize a centrifugal force to effect the separation which
depends on particle size and or on particle density.
 So cyclones are used to effect a separation on the basis of particle
size or particle density or both.

 CONSTRUCTION:
 It consists of a tapering cylindrical vessel. i.e. a cylindrical vessel
consists of a top vertical section and lower conical section
terminating in an apex opening.
 A short vertical cylinder which is closed by a flat plate on top and
by a conical bottom which is shown in figure.
 It is provided with a tangential feed inlet nozzle in the cylindrical
section near the top and outlet for the gas, centrally on the top.
 The outlet is provided with a downward extended pipe.
 A pipe that extend inwards into the cylindrical section, to prevent
the gas short circulating directly from the inlet to the outlet and for
cutting the vortex.

 WORKING:
 Cyclone separator much work like a centrifuge and continues feed
of dirty air.
 In this separator, Used for the separation of dust from gases, the dust
laden gas is introduced tangentially in a cylindrical vessel at high
velocity.(30 m/s)
 Centrifugal force throws the solid particles out against the wall of
the vessel and they drop into a conical section of a cyclone separator
and removed from the bottom opening.
 The clean gas is taken out through a central outlet at the top.
 Cyclones are widely used for collecting heavy and coarse dust.
 This units may also be used for separating coarse materials from the
dust.

 CUT DIAMETER OF CYCLONE:

 Cut diameter of cyclone is defined as the size of the particles
collected with 50% collection efficiency.
 Its an indicator of the size range of particles that can be collected.

 EFFICIENCY OF CYCLONE:
 Cyclone Efficiency η, is defined as the fraction of particles of a
given size that is retained by the cyclone.
 η = 1 / 1+ {(dpc +dp)2 }
 Here, dpc = cut diameter, dp = diameter of particle interest
 Both units are in mm.
 TERMINAL SETTLING VELOCITY:
 Terminal settling velocity is maximum velocity attainable by an object as it
falls through a fluid.(Air is most common example).
 It occurs when the sum of the drag force (Fd) and the boundary is equal to
the downward force of gravity (Fg) acting on the object.
 In fluid mechanics, an objet is moving at its terminal velocity, if its speed is
constant due to the resisting force exerted by the fluid through which it is
moving.
 Ʋ = √2*m*g/ρAC
 Where, ρ=Density, ʋ=Terminal velocity, A=Projected Area, C=Drag
coefficient, g=Gravity, m=Mass

 STOKE’S LAW:
 The rate of sedimentation of particles can be determined by stoke’s law.
 The force of viscosity on an small sphere moving through an viscous fluid is
given by,
 Fd = 6∏μRv
 Where, Fd=Frictional force, μ=Dynamic viscosity, R=radius of spherical
object, v=Flow velocity
 Stoke’s law make following assumptions for the behavior of the
particle in fluid
 Laminar flow
 Spherical particle
 Homogeneous (Uniform in composition material)
 Smooth surface
 Particles do not interfere with each other
 NEWTON’S LAW OF GRAVITATION:
 Newton’s law of gravitation is usually stated as that every particle
attracts every other particle in the universe with a force that is
directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely
proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.

 NEWTON’S LAW OF MOTION:

 LAW #01 : A body at rest will remain at rest, and a body in motion
will remain in motion unless it is acted upon by an external force.
 LAW #02 : The force acting on an object is equal to the mass of that
object times its acceleration. (F=ma)
 LAW #03 : For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.