BATCH SETTLING OF SOLID SLURRIES

Objectives:

1. Vertical Cylinders: Obtain the batch settling data for the given calcium carbonate
slurry (i.e. the settling rate versus concentration of slurry), and demarcate the
different settling regimes. (‘free settling” and ‘hindered settling’)
2. Tilted Cylinders: Obtain the batch settling data in the free settling regime for
different angles. Observe the flow patterns during the settling.

Apparatus:
Vertical settling cylinder, inclined settling cylinder, glass rod, stop watch

Reagents:
Water, Calcium Carbonate

Theory:

Introduction:

Settling is the process by which particulates settle to the bottom of a liquid and form a
sediment. Particles that experience a force, either due to gravity or due to centrifugal motion
will tend to move in a uniform manner in the direction exerted by that force. For gravity
settling, this means that the particles will tend to fall to the bottom of the vessel, forming a
slurry at the vessel base.
 Figure.1 Force
rces acting on a particle during settling

For settling particles that are coonsidered individually, i.e. dilute particle solution
ns, there are two
main forces enacting upon any particle. The primary force is an applied force, such as gravity,
and a drag force that is due to the motion of the particle through the fluid. The
T applied force
is usually not affected by the particle's velocity, whereas the drag force is a function of the
particle velocity.

For a particle at rest no drag for

force will exhibited, which causes the particle to
t accelerate due
to the applied force. When the pparticle accelerates, the drag force acts in the diirection opposite
to the particle's motion, retard
rding further acceleration, in the absence of oth
her forces drag
directly opposes the appliedd force. As the particle increases in velocitty eventually the
drag force and the applied forcce will approximately equate, causing no furth
her change in the
ity is known as the terminal velocity, settling
particle's velocity. This velocit g velocity or fall
velocity of the particle. This iss readily measurable by examining the rate of fall
f of individual
particles.

The terminal velocity of the parrticle is affected by many parameters, i.e. anythin
ng that will alter
the particle's drag. Hence the teerminal velocity is most notably dependent upon
n grain size, the
shape (roundness and sphericit
ity) and density of the grains, as well as to th
he viscosity and
density of the fluid.
The behaviour of settling particles in slurry can be conveniently studied in small batch
experiments. The data is then useful for designing large scale settling tanks which have a
number of applications (e.g. clarification of waste water). The main information required for
design is the settling rate of the particles as a function of the system parameters such as particle
size and shape, concentration, geometry of the system, etc.

The effect of concentration on the settling slurry continuously increases with time. The effect
of geometry of the system on the settling rate can be significant. When the cylinder is tilted,
Boycott (1920) found that the settling rate increases due to shorter sedimentation path. This
phenomenon is known as the Boycott effect, and is used to enhance the rate of settling in some
applications.

(i) Vertical Cylinders:

Depending on the concentration of the slurry, two regimes of settling are possible, free
settling and hindered settling. As the name implies, in free settling, each particle is
unaffected by the motion of the neighboring ones and its terminal velocity is given by

݃൫ߩ௣ − ߩ൯‫ܦ‬௣ଶ
ܷ௧ = ( )
18ߤ
18ߤܷ௧ ଵ/ଶ
‫ܦ‬௣ = ( )
݃൫ߩ௣ି ߩ൯

‫ܥ‬஽ = 24/ܴ
ߝ = 1 − ‫ܥ‬/ߩ௣
*All above equations are valid only for Reynolds no. Re < 1.
Where

ߩ௣ and ߩ are the densities of the particle and the suspending medium respectively,
D p is the diameter of the particle, CD is

the drag coefficient

And Reynolds no. Re = (‫ܦ‬௣ ܷ௧ ߩ௣ /ߤ)

The model assumed for describing Free Settling, has some limitations in practical
application. Such as the interaction of particles in the fluid, or the interaction of the
particles with the container walls can modify the settling behavior. Settling that has these
forces in appreciable magnitude is known as hindered settling.
In the hindered settling regime due to particle-particle interactions and up draft of liquid, the

velocity of individual particles is considerably smaller. The settling velocity ( U s ) may

be estimated by an empirical equation of the form.
ܷௌ = ܷ௧ ߝ ௡

where ߝ is the volume fraction of the fluid and n is a constant.

where ߝ = 1 − ‫ܥ‬/ߩ௣
In this case the following bulk values of density and viscosity are used instead of liquid density
and viscosity.
ߩ௕ = ߩ௦ ∗ (1 − ߝ ) + ߩ௟ ∗ ߝ

ߤ௕ 10ଵ.଼ଶ∗(ଵିఌ)
=
ߤ௙ ߝ

Assuming that the concentration is nearly uniform over the cylinder, the concentration at any
time is given by
C0 H 0
C
H
where C0 is the initial concentration,
H0 is the initial height of the suspension-clear liquid interface (constant height before
stirring),
H is the height at time t.

ii) Tilted Cylinders:

 The theory for an increased rate of the settling for inclined cylinders was proposed by
Ponder-Nakamura and Kuroda (PNK) based on the increased projected area available for
settling. The Volumetric rate of increase if the clear fluid (S) according to the PNK theory is
given by

S= W Ut (b secθ + H tanθ)
where :
S is Volumetric rate of settling
W is width of the cylinder.
b is the breadth of the cylinder (b=W for square column) H
is the height of the liquid column.
θ is the inclination of cylinder with the surface.

Procedure:
Vertical Cylinder:
1. Make slurry with 50g CaCO3 in 2 liters of water.
2. Record the initial height of the slurry bed.
3. Mix the system thoroughly with the help of a glass rod.
4. Wait for a minute and then observe the height below the clear liquid.
5. Record height of the interface after every one minute till a constant height is reached.
6. Similarly carry out a similar run with slurry of 75g CaCO3 in 2 liters water.

Tilted Cylinder:
1 . Fix the angle of the cylinder to 15° value.
2 . Make slurry with 50g CaCO3 in 2 liters of water.
3 . Record the initial height of the slurry bed below the clear liquid before mixing.
4 . The system is then thoroughly mixed with the help of glass rod.
5. After mixing wait for a minute and then observe the height below the clear liquid..
6. Record height of the interface after every one minute till a constant height is reached.
7. Repeat for 250 inclination.

Analysis:

1) Plot height of interface vs. time data and instantaneous velocity of interface vs.
concentration of slurry.

2) Figure out the no. of points that could be used for smoothing (using moving average)
the velocity vs. concentration curve and use it to smoothen the curve.

3) Identify the regimes using the graph you think captures them better and clearly.

4) Calculate Ut using the appropriate regime in the above mentioned graph and the hence
the diameter of the particle. Confirm that the assumption on Reynold’s no. holds.

5) For the hindered settling regime plot a graph from which value of ‘n’ can be found out.
The relation from which ‘n’ will be found out has Ut in it, and hence use the graph
plotted to find out the value of Ut and compare this value from Ut obtained from free
settling regime.

6) Find particle diameter and volumetric rate of settling using parameters from hindered
settling regime.

7) Compare the results and try to explain the discrepancies (deviations from theoretical
values/ deviations from expected results), if any.

8) Do error analysis taking +10% error in physical properties’ values used in calculations.