High-rate

Clarification
and Flotation
This report aims to:

Recall concepts on clarification

and flocculation

Discuss concepts on high-rate

clarification and flotation

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 RECALL:
Clarification
 It is a process used to
improve water quality
which is mostly carried
out through
sedimentation
 It describes the way
suspended solids are
separated from a liquid
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Flocculation
 a gently mixing stage that
increases the particle size
from subatomic microfloc
to visible suspended
particles
 microflocs are brought in
contact with each other
through slow mixing
 collisions of particles
cause them to bond
producing larger flocs
What is high-rate clarification?

◈ employs physical and chemical

treatment and uses flocculation and
sedimentation systems to achieve
rapid settling

◈ Involves enhanced particle settling

and the use of inclined plate or tube
settlers

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 Advantages

The advantages of high-rate clarifiers

are:
- Reduced space
- Rapid start up time
- Production of highly clarified effluent

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 Enhanced Particle Flocculation

◈ Involves the addition of an inert ballasting agent

and a polymer to a coagulated and partially
flocculated suspension

◈ Polymer coats the particles and binds the

chemical floc to the particles to form ballasted
flocs

◈ Because of their increased diameter and higher

density, the ballasted flocs settle at much higher
rates than non-ballasted flocs
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Processes in High-Rate Clarification

Ballasted Lamella Plate Dense-Solids

Flocculation Flocculation Flocculation
- Flocculation and
Uses chemical addition Recycled chemically
ballasting agent are
followed by 3 stage conditioned solids are
used to form dense
clarification and a Lamella used to form microfloc
microfloc particles
plate clarifier particles with incoming
wastewater

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 Ballasted Flocculation
 high-rate, physical-chemical clarification process involving the fixing
of flocs, or suspended solids, onto ballast (sand) with the aid of a
polymer.

 The micro-sand provides a large number of particles (contact area),

enhancing the flocculation rate, and acts as ballast to accelerate the
settling of the floc.

 The suspended solids in the wastewater, which have been

destabilized by the addition of coagulant, bind to the micro-sand
particles via polymer bridges.

 Short flocculation time and higher clarification rate

 Can treat a wide range of flows with sustained pollutant removal

efficiencies
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 Lamella Plate Flocculation
 Coagulant and polymer are injected to the influent wastewater prior to
its entrance into the flocculation zone

 The chemically conditioned wastewater passes through the

flocculation zones where the mixing gradient is decreased as the
wastewater proceeds from one stage to the next

 The chemically conditioned/flocculated wastewater passes to the

lamella clarifier for solids separation

 requires up to 80% less space when compared to a traditional settling

tank

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Mechanism of Lamella
Plate Clarifier
 Occupied area and installation costs can be lessened by
superimposing settling levels

 Sludge removal can become a problem. To fix this the

steepness of the settling unit levels is increased to force
the sludge to go down and deposit on a single surface,
generating a single extraction system

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 Dense-Solids Flocculation
 Differs from ballasted flocculation in that recycled chemically
conditioned solids are used to form microfloc particles with the
incoming wastewater instead of microsand

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 Flotation

◈ A unit operation used to separate solid or liquid

particles from a liquid phase

◈ Separation is brought about by introducing fine

gas particles into the liquid phase

◈ Bubbles attach to the particles and particles rise

to the surface

◈ Skimming is used to remove particles on the

surface
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Bubbles are caused by:

 Injection of air while liquid is under

pressure, followed by release of the
pressure (DAF)

 Aeration at atmospheric pressure

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 Dissolved Air Flotation
◈ Air is dissolved in the
wastewater under a
pressure of several
atmospheres, followed
by a release of
pressure into
atmospheric level

◈ The entire flow is held

under a retention tank
to allow the air to
dissolve before being
admitted to a
pressure-reducing
valve to the flotation
tank where air comes
out in very tiny
bubbles
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 Dispersed Air Flotation

◈ Air bubbles are formed by introducing

gas directly into the liquid phase
through a revolving impeller

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Design Considerations for Air Flotation
Systems

Factors to be considered include:

◈ Concentration of particulate matter
◈ Quantity of air used
◈ Particle rise velocity
◈ Solids loading rate

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END

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