pressure sensor measurements of head loss through the flocculator

[monroews]

Add a 7 kPa pressure sensor across your flocculator (assuming the head loss is less than 1 m) or use a 200 kPa sensor if the head loss is greater. Use this to track the increase in head loss vs time in the flocculator. Presumably this head loss increase is due to attachment of coagulant nanoparticles to the flocculator walls. Thus if the contact chamber is successful you should see a reduction in the rate of increase of this head loss.

Note that you should use some method to clean the flocculator between experiments. Some teams run high pressure tap water through their flocculator to clean it.

[cheertsang]

Headloss was calculated to be less than 1 m. Headloss calculations

[cheertsang]

Our new method for cleaning the flocculator in between experiments is running air bubbles through the flocculator at high velocity through the coagulant pump. The shear from the air bubbles was found to have sufficient force to clear coagulant from the walls.

[monroews]

I think you demonstrated that you could remove the coagulant by running the pump at 600 rpm. So no need to inject bubbles.

[YeonjinYun]

We thought that since putting few air bubbles in is easy we would clean it in 2 ways(bubbles, high speed water) to make sure it's cleaned. Do you think we should just run 600 rpm water through without airbubbles? @monroews

[monroews]

If 600 rpm removes the extra head loss, then there is no need to add bubbles. I'd just confirm this with an additional test and if the previous results are confirmed, then you have a great way to remove the coagulant nanoparticles.