Eulerian–Eulerian solid–liquid two-phase flow of sandstone wastewater in a hydropower station rectangular sedimentation tank

Abstract

The treatment of high-turbidity sandstone wastewater in hydropower projects is a major concern for environment assessment. In this paper, an Eulerian–Eulerian solid–liquid two-phase model for describing water flow and sedimentation in a two-stage rectangular tank was presented. Relative to the Eulerian–Lagrangian approach, the Eulerian–Eulerian two-phase model can investigate the concentration distribution behaviour of particles with specific characteristics in greater detail. The molecular kinetic theory of gases was used to determine the microcosmic flow characteristics, and the collision force between the particles during two-phase solid–liquid flow was obtained. The flow pattern and the distribution of solids in the rectangular clarifiers were investigated. The simulated results were in good agreement with the measured results obtained from the removal efficiency of the first and second tanks. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the suspended solids distribution for the collision force and the effect on particle settling of the baffle position in the rectangular sedimentation tank were evaluated.