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WWTP (Grit Chamber) - T
WWTP (Grit Chamber) - T
Grit Removal
Grit Removal
• Grit Chamber is provided for the purpose of removal of silt and sand particles(of
size less than 0.2 mm) mainly so that the same will not cause, the wear and tear
of vanes of pumps, clogging of pipes, as well as, valve operation difficult.
• It is possible to remove grit from the waste water easily by reducing the
wastewater velocity in long channel called as grit channel.
• This is usually limited to municipal wastewater and generally not required for
industrial effluent treatment plant, except some industrial wastewaters which may
have grit
Q= Flow
Types of Settling
The smallest particle expected to be removed in the grit chamber has size 0.2
mm and sometimes in practice even size of the smallest particle is considered as
0.15 mm. The terminal velocity with which this smallest particle will settle is
considered as Vo. This velocity can be expressed as flow or discharge per unit
surface area of the tank.
The grit chambers are designed to remove the smallest particle of size 0.2 mm with
specific gravity around 2.65. For these particles, critical terminal velocity to be Vc =
0.228 m/sec
Settling Velocity of the Particles
Settling velocity of any discrete particle depends on its individual characteristics and also on
the characteristics of the fluid. Assuming particles to be spherical, the settling velocity of any
particle, Vs, can be given by the following formula:
R = Reynold’s Number
The Reynolds number is the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces and is a convenient parameter
for predicting if a flow condition will be laminar or turbulent.
Design Considerations for Horizontal Flow Rectangular Grit Chamber
A long narrow channel is used in this type of grit chamber. The wastewater moves through
this channel in more or less plug flow condition with minimal mixing to support settling of
the particles.
Higher length to width ratio of the channel is used to minimize mixing.
Control of Velocity Through the Grit Chamber
The width of this channel is kept between 1 and 1.5 m and the depth of flow is normally
kept shallow. A free board of minimum 0.3 m and grit space of about 0.25 m is provided.
For large sewage treatment plant, two or more number of grit chambers are generally
provided in parallel. The detention time of 30 to 60 seconds is recommended for the grit
chamber.
Surface Overflow Rate (SOR) = 500-1500 m3/m2/day
With variation in sewage flow received at treatment plant, it is important that velocity of
the wastewater in the grit chamber should be maintained nearly constant. This normally
require flow equalization.
Otherwise when flow is lower, deposition of not only inorganic solids but also organic
solids will occur in grit chamber due to lowering of velocity.
With flow higher than average, when the velocity will exceed the critical velocity,
scouring of already deposited grit particles will occur leading to failure of performance.
Hencefor proper functioning, the velocity should not be allowed to change in spite of
change in flow in the grit chamber.
The shape of the opening between the plates of a proportional weir is made in such a
way that the discharge is directly proportional to liquid depth in grit chamber. As a result
the velocity of water in the chamber will remain constant for all flow conditions.
Example: Design of Grit Chamber
Design a grit chamber for population 50000 with water consumption of 135 LPCD.
Solution
Keeping the horizontal velocity as 0.2 m/sec (<0.228 m/sec, critical velocity) and
detention time period as one minute (60 second).
Length of the grit chamber
Length= velocity x detention time = 0.2 x 60 = 12.0 m
Provide 0.3 m free board and 0.25 m grit accumulation zone depth, hence total depth
= 0.777 + 0.3 + 0.25 = 1.33 m