Technical Overview

Smith & Loveless Inc.

Baffled Hydraulic Vortex PISTA® Grit Removal

Chamber Sizing Calculations Based on Liquid /
Particle Movement Equations
By: Lilunnahar Deju, PhD, Smith & Loveless Inc.

A dvancements in wastewater treatment plant processes and the critical need to maximize
equipment investments are placing a greater emphasis on effective grit removal. There
is a new level of focus on particle characterization to select and size grit removal systems, and
to understand how these systems separate and remove grit particles from the liquid stream.
Sizing grit removal systems by applying particle settling theory with Surface Overflow
Rate (SOR)1 is a recent trend as indicated in the publications by Pretorius C.F. (2012)2,
Chien M. H. et. al. (2010)3 and McNamara B. (2014)4. This approach utilizes the settling
velocity of the target particle size to be removed with a calculated Surface Overflow Rate
(SOR) for a particular grit removal unit. Applying settling theory with SOR unilaterally
to all types of grit removal systems assumes that particles which have a settling velocity
greater than the SOR will settle in a given grit removal chamber unit. A fundamental
aspect of particle settling theory necessitates a laminar flow regime and quiescent basin.
However, very few grit removal systems actually have a laminar flow and/or a quiescent
basin. Conventional Detritor type units incorporate laminar flow and quiescent basins. In
contrast, all high-efficiency, fine-grit removal systems being designed today, which create
vortex flow characteristics, do not have laminar flow conditions and are not quiescent.
Therefore, applying settling theory and SOR is not accurate for sizing individual units or
determining the total number of units required for a particular application.

Baffled Hydraulic Vortex (BHV) PISTA® Grit Chambers (known commercially as

the PISTA® VIO™, Optiflow 270™, and PISTA® 360™ with V-Force Baffle™), are high-
efficiency, fine-grit removal units distinguished by flat-floor chambers, baffles, and
hydraulically induced vortex flow conditions. The BHV PISTA® Grit Chamber geometry
creates a hydraulically induced vortex which in turn generates variable flow velocities
and numerous multi-directional forces acting on the particles. The three main forces
that apply in the BHV PISTA® Grit Chambers are Drag, Buoyancy and Centrifugal. As
the particle moves into and through the BHV PISTA® Grit Chamber, these forces change
in significance. However, at any point in the flow, Newton’s second law of motion can
be applied to develop the force balance that equates the particle’s inertia with the forces
acting on it and the trajectory of that particle is predicted by solving the force balance on a
single particle. Forces such as these need to be considered when evaluating the grit removal
Continued on Page 2

1
Surface Overflow Rate (SOR) is a velocity value calculated by dividing the unit flow rate by the total unit surface area.
2
Pretorius, C.F. (2012). A Review of Vortex Grit Basin Design, 85th Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC 2012), New
Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
3
Chien, M.H., Borys A., and Wong, J.L. (2010). Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of Vortex Grit Removal System, 83th Water Environment Federation Techni-
cal Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC 2010), New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
4
McNamara, B., Sherony, M., and Herrick, P. (2014). Relative Performance of Grit Removal System, 87th Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and
Conference (WEFTEC 2014), New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

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Technical Overview

Smith & Loveless Inc.

system selection and sizing as they directly affect the movement of the particles in relation
to the liquid stream, and quiescent settling of grit particles is not an accurate model of what
is occurring in the units.

Primary Approaches, Vortex Separation in the Baffled Hydraulic Vortex PISTA® Grit
Chambers:

Flow enters from the influent channel to the BHV PISTA® Grit Chamber tangentially
and follows the outer wall of the cylindrical chamber creating a vortex-like swirling flow
pattern. The resultant drag and buoyancy force is balanced by the centrifugal force creating
an equilibrium condition in particle radial motion. Within the chamber, as it shows in
Figure 1 below, it is possible to set up a force balance for individual particles between the
centrifugal, buoyancy and liquid drag force. The latter pulls the particle inwards and radial
separation occurs in the vortex flow pattern. Solving the particle momentum equation for
agiven size of particle will provide a relationship between the physical unit sizing, flow
velocities and the particle movement.

Figure 1:
Force balance on a particle in a Baffled
Hydraulic Vortex PISTA® Grit Chamber

Dominant Forces - Radial Direction

Drag force, FD
Centrifugal Force, FC
Buoyancy Force, FB

Primary Approaches, Sedimentation / Gravitational Separation:

Sedimentation is the separation of suspended solid particles from a fluid stream by the action
of body force, namely gravitational force. The settling behavior of suspended particulates
in a gravity field is well-known by a parameter called “terminal settling velocity”, i.e., the

Continued on Page 3

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Technical Overview

Smith & Loveless Inc.

velocity at which a single particle settles through a large volume of quiescent liquid (K.
C. Wilson et. al. 2006, Book Section, Review of Fluid and Particle Mechanics). In dilute
suspension, the terminal velocity of an individual particle depends on the liquid properties
(such as, desnity and viscosity) as well as on the particle’s characteristics (diameter,
density, shape etc.). Figure 2 below shows the forces acting on a rigid sphere settling
through a fluid, where the gravity force is equalized by the drag force and buoyancy force
of the surrounding fluid. The force balance in a sedimentation tank does not apply to a
BHV PISTA® Grit Chamber in defining the particle separation because the equation only
solves the particle movement in gravity direction rather than the radial transport. Similarly,
these forces are disregarded in the design of stacked-tray grit removal systems. These grit
removal systems are sized based on the SOR model, which neglects the fact that these units
also have non-laminar forces occurring. In the case of the stacked-tray design, tangential
feed establishes a vortex flow pattern to remove grit. Applying the SOR model ignores
all acting multidirectional forces. The same can be asked on those sloped bottom vortex
units. The following section explains the concept of vortex separation that characterizes
the particles trajectory in separating the particle in radial direction rather than gravity
deposition.

Figure 2: Force balance on a particle in sedimentation tank

Dominant Forces - Vertical Direction

Drag force, FD
Centrifugal Force, FC
Buoyancy Force, FB

Motion of Grit in the Baffled Hydraulic Vortex PISTA® Grit Chamber

The effectiveness of the BHV PISTA® Grit Chamber depends primarily on liquid flow
pattern, particularly on the values of the three principal components of velocity; tangential
ut, vertical uz and radial ur, throughout the chamber of the separator. Considering liquid
flow pattern, the tool for describing operation of the BHV PISTA® Grit Chamber can be
formulized by force balance employed in determination of the particle/grit trajectory. A
general equation of motion can be derived by applying Newton’s second law considering
the forces acting on a particle. Description of particle velocity by Newton’s second law
yields, in radial direction,5
Continued on Page 4

5
- Particle velocity components, - Fluid velocity components, Vp - Particle volume, Ap - Particle active cross section, CD - Drag coefficient,
, - Particle and liquid density, respectively, - Associated mass coefficient, t – Time, BC (page 5)- Proprietary Baffle Coefficient for the
PISTA VIO, Optiflow 270, and PISTA 360 with V-Force Baffles. Sub-scripts: - Radial direction, - Tangential direction

Page 3 ©Smith & Loveless Inc. 2018

Technical Overview

Smith & Loveless Inc.

Equation 1

Pressure Drift or
Drag Force Buoyancy Force
Centrifugal Force

Assuming the particle under consideration has reached a radial terminal velocity, i.e.,
that it’s acceleration is zero, the equation in radial direction can be simplified. This
simplification modifies the equation to:

Equation 2

Equation 2 can be re-arranged as following,

Equation 3

H e r e , R= Radius of the flat floor BHV PISTA® Grit Chamber,

and , radial slip velocity or particle radial separation velocity that is relative to the
fluid motion.

Taking the fluid radial velocity vertically along the tank depth considering active fluid
layer thickness for the specified flow rate (Q) at the radial separation point can provide a
simple relationship to size the BHV PISTA® Grit chamber diameter. Rearranging the radial
velocity in terms of flow rate modifies the equation to:

Equation 4

Continued on Page 5

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Technical Overview

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The Baffled Hydraulic Vortex PISTA® Grit Removal Chamber Sizing Equation© 6, 7 is as
follows:

Equation 5

Here, is the minimum size of grit particle that will separate from the flow. rw is
the critical radial separation distance, f(R), which is defined by the distance where the
separation takes place in radial direction as shown in Figure 3 below. He is the active
fluid layer thickness, f(Water Height, H), which is defined as the fluid height actively
participating at the separation point. Qs is the critical flow separation, f(Q), which is defined
by volume of flow that separates into the vortex core from the primary vortex. Combination
of numerical transport modeling through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with R&D
and field testing confirms the calibration of the critical parameters in verifying the validity
of the BHV PISTA® Grit Chamber equation to calculate particle cut-off diameter.

Figure 3: Separation parameters in Baffled

Hydraulic Vortex PISTA® Grit Chamber

Summary on Next Page

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© Smith & Loveless Inc. 2018. All rights reserved.
7
Patent Pending
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Technical Overview

Smith & Loveless Inc.

Baffled Hydraulic Vortex PISTA® Grit Removal

Chamber Sizing Calculations Based on Liquid /
Particle Movement Equations
Summary

The increased focus on grit removal has introduced advanced approaches and
technologies to the water industry. How these grit removal technologies are designed
and sized for a particular application is crucial for overall project success. High-
efficiency, fine-grit removal systems being designed today, do not have laminar
flow conditions and are not quiescent because of their vortex flow characteristics.
Particle settling theory and Surface Overflow Rate (SOR) calculations require
laminar flow and quiescent basin conditions, and therefore do not apply to Baffled
Hydraulic Vortex PISTA® Grit Chambers and should not be employed for their
sizing. Rather, as it has been demonstrated, the baffled chamber geometry creates a
hydraulically induced vortex, which in turn, generates variable flow velocities and
numerous multi-directional forces (Drag, Buoyancy and Centrifugal) that define
the grit particle’s trajectory throughout the chamber. The grit particle dynamics
are represented by the proprietary equations presented within, which demonstrate
the relationship of particle flow relative to chamber diameter and flow rate. The
equations are the correct representation and the essence of what actually occurs in
a BHV PISTA® Grit Chamber.

Summary ©Smith & Loveless Inc. 2018