sedimentation

Sedimentation is the separation of suspended solids from a liquid by gravity.

As solids and particles fall out of liquid suspension and settle, they become
sediment. This process, often referenced as settling, is regularly used in water
and wastewater treatment.

Suspended solids in a liquid can range from fine sand (>1,000 nm)
to colloids (1-1,000 nm). A solid like fine sand or silt can take seconds to
minutes to settle out of liquid suspension. However, fine silts and colloids
can take weeks or even years to fall out of suspension naturally.

Of course, companies and municipalities can’t wait years or even hours for
solids to settle naturally. Therefore, clarifiers and chemicals are used to
increase the rate and efficiency of sedimentation. Clarifiers and chemicals
allow you to continuously reclaim clean water and dispose of the solids
removed from the water.

Coagulants and polymer flocculants are two chemicals regularly used to aid
sedimentation water treatment.

Clarifiers, also called sedimentation tanks, employ mechanical means to

remove solids deposited by sedimentation continuously. These clarifiers
include thickeners, horizontal flow tanks, radial flow clarifiers, inclined plate
tanks, solids contact clarifiers, ballasted sedimentation, etc. Settling ponds,
basins, and lagoons are also used for sedimentation without mechanical
enhancement.

Settling Tank

Another tool used for sedimentation is a settling tank. A settling tank is inclined to
assist with the collection of sediment. Inclined settling tanks can be unhindered,
which means they may work without additional mechanical stimulation. Instead, the
process is facilitated by the size of the tank, the depth of the water and the
placement of the inclined plates at the bottom. The flow of the water can move in
multiple directions depending on the sedimentation needs.

Sedimentation Theory
When employing sedimentation as a water treatment process, it is essential to
understand the sedimentation theory. Simply put, if you drop an object into a
fluid and its density is greater than the fluid, the object sinks. This is why a
colloid with low density will take a long time to settle vs. sand particles. How
fast the object sinks is known as the settling velocity, which we note as V.

We can calculate settling velocity with Stokes Law. Stokes Law is a formula
that accounts for the particle’s density, fluid density, fluid viscosity, gravity,
and the particle’s diameter.

It’s important to note that the Stokes Law formula above assumes the
suspended particles are spherical and solid. However, suspended solids are
generally irregular shapes and range in size and density. Plus, suspended
solids are influenced by the speed and direction of a flowing fluid (flow
velocity). We can adjust the formula and add form factors to account for such
variables. However, this post focuses on the basics of sedimentation, so we
won’t discuss changes to the formula.
There are four sedimentation processes depending on the solids’ size,
physical properties, and density. These processes generally break down into
unhindered and hindered settling categories.

1. Free Settling: Settling of discrete particles

1. Discrete settling refers to the sedimentation of particles in a fluid
with low suspended solids concentration, approximately <1%
v/v. In this process, particles settle independently with no
significant interaction with neighboring particles.
2. Flocculent Settling
1. Flocculent settling refers to particles that flocculate or coalesce
while settling. When the particles come together (flocculate or
coalesce), they increase mass and settle faster. This is generally
observed when particle concentration exceeds 1% v/v.
3. Hindered or Zone Settling
1. As the concentration of solids increases, about 8% v/v, they’re
close enough together to impact the settling of neighboring
particles. This proximity causes the velocity fields of the fluid
displaced by other particles to overlap and hinder the settling.
This process shows the particles maintain their position relative
to other particles and settle as a mass or zone.
4. Compression Settling
1. Compression settling occurs when particle density is so high that
they’re permanently touching each other. This results in the
formation of a sludge blanket where the lower particle layers
support the weight of the upper layers. The solids are
compressed by gravity and squeeze water out from the pores
between them.

At Clearwater, we use jar tests to calculate the settling velocity of suspended

particles in a raw water sample. With a graduated cylindrical beaker, we time
how long it takes particles to fall from the top of the water column and settle
at the bottom of the beaker. We can calculate the settling velocity in ft/sec
with this information. Further, we can account for unhindered and hindered
settling.