Effect of baffles geometry of the flocculation basin on the turbulence behavior using Comsol multiphysics technique

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Environmental Engineering Department, Collage of Engineering, Al_ Mustansiriya University, Iraq.

Abstract

The purpose of flocculation basin is to accelerate the pace at which the particles collide, causing the agglomeration of electrolytically destabilized particles into settable and filterable sizes. One of the most important factors that influence the particles collision in a baffled hydraulic flocculator is the geometry of baffles. In this work, two dimensional mathematical model was established by COMSOL Multiphysics technique to investigate the influence of baffles geometry on the behavior of turbulence in hydraulic flocculator and consequently on the rate of collision of particles. K-ε turbulent model will be used to determine the variation of the velocity filed and turbulent kinetic energy (k) along the baffled flocculation basin. The increasing in the baffle length causes an increase in the turbulence structure along the basin. Decrease of the turbulence kinetic energy was observed with increase in the baffle thickness. The model was very sensitive to the baffle tip shape, when the tip shape is semi circle more turbulence is produced along the basin as that when the tip shape is rectangular. The model is sensitive to the baffle number, but it is not sensitive to the location of water inlet. Any variation on the value of inlet water velocity has a great influence on the turbulence structure of the water transporting the particles.

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