Detailed experimental and numerical characterization of turbulent flow in components of a water treatment plant

C. MARCELO GARCÍA; MARIANO I. CANTERO; I. MATIAS RAGESSI; CECILIA POZZI PIACENZA; SANTIAGO MÁRQUEZ DAMIÁN

WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

I W A PUBLISHING

Año: 2019 vol. 80 p. 2117 - 2130

0273-1223

This paper presents a detailed characterization of turbulence in the incoming flow during the clarification process in a water treatment plant, "Los Molinos", operated by Aguas Cordobesas S.A. (Córdoba,Argentina). The main problems observed were related to the presence of turbulent flow patterns throughout the treatment affecting the proper development of the processes required for water clarification. Namely: a) a poor hydraulic design that could produce an inhomogeneous spatial distribution of the flow, recirculation zones and flow stagnation, and a non-uniform discharge distribution among the sedimentation units as a result of different cross-sections dimensions of the transverse-channel, and b) high turbulence intensity that could affect the flocs size and the efficiency of settling tanks and filters.So first, a detailed in-situ experimental characterization of turbulent flow with acoustics techniques was made. An Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) were used to characterize the turbulent flow. Second, a numerical model, based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier?Stokes (RANS) equations and the 𝑘-𝜖 turbulence closure model, was validated with the field data. Finally, based on the experimental and numerical results, a diagnosis and recommendations were made for the optimization in the hydraulic design of the water treatment plant.