Floc Performance parameters during water treatment in a micro-vortex flocculation process determined by machine...

Area of Science:

• Water Treatment Technologies
• Environmental Engineering
• Applied Physics

Background:

• Conventional coagulant dosage relies on experience and lagged water quality indicators.
• Time hysteresis effects in water quality monitoring limit optimal coagulant dosing.
• Micro-vortex flocculation offers a novel approach to assess flocculation efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the effect of coagulant dosage on flocculation parameters.
• To investigate the relationship between floc characteristics (equivalent diameter, fractal dimension) and water quality.
• To establish correlations for real-time feedback in water treatment plants.

Main Methods:

• Utilized micro-vortex flocculation technology.
• Employed a machine vision system for computerized analysis of floc properties.
• Assessed floc quantity, equivalent diameter, and fractal dimension.
• Correlated floc parameters with effluent turbidity and zeta potential.

Main Results:

• Optimal flocculation achieved at 20 mg/L poly-aluminum chloride, yielding 97.9% turbidity removal.
• Established a power exponential relation between floc equivalent diameter and fractal dimension (R²=0.826).
• Developed strong correlations between effluent turbidity and floc quantity (R²=0.982), equivalent diameter (R²=0.851), and fractal dimension (R²=0.875).
• Established correlations between zeta potential and floc quantity (R²=0.868), equivalent diameter (R²=0.879), and fractal dimension (R²=0.942).

Conclusions:

• Floc performance parameters can provide real-time feedback for coagulant dosing.
• This method effectively mitigates the hysteresis effect in water treatment.
• Provides valuable data for optimizing water plant operations and effluent quality.