TECHNICAL PAPERS
Jul 1, 1990

Modeling Flow and Mixing in Sedimentation Tanks

Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 116, Issue 7

Abstract

Numerical results from a computer model for the prediction of the neutrally buoyant flow within sewage treatment plant settling basins are compared with results of several new experiments. The flow field calculations performed using the k‐ε turbulence model agree well with experiments for simple geometries. The quality of the computations, however, deteriorates with increasing flow complexity. It is argued that the effects of flow curvature, which are not included in the standard k‐ε model, are mainly responsible for the differences between computation and experiment. The results of the calculation of dye transport within the basin after pulse injection show that the use of low‐order numerical models results in predictions in which the solution is badly polluted by numerical errors. The quality of the prediction of the dye concentration field is strongly related, to the quality of the flow field prediction. The passing time of the peak output concentration is well predicted if the size of the recirculation regions is well predicted. In all cases, the peak dye concentration is overpredicted.

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Published In

Go to Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 116Issue 7July 1990
Pages: 895 - 913

History

Published online: Jul 1, 1990
Published in print: Jul 1990

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Authors

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Eric W. Adams
Res. Engr., United Technologies Res. Ctr., East Hartford, CT 06108; formerly, Res. Fellow, Sonderforschungsbereich 210, Univ. of Karlsruhe, 7500 Karlsruhe 1, Federal Republic of Germany
Wolfgang Rodi, Member, ASCE
Prof., Inst. for Hydromech., Univ. of Karlsruhe, 7500 Karlsruhe 1, Federal Republic of Germany

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