Experimental study to evaluate design procedure and proposed improvement measures for clarifier with inclined plates

Abstract

The Standards for Water Works issued by the Korean government prescribed the insertion of inclined plates in a clarifier to enhance the settling of the suspended solids. In this study, in order to verify the role of the inclined plates, two identical laboratory-scale rectangular clarifiers were constructed and eight inclined plates were inserted into one of the clarifiers and inflow from same source was treated in both the clarifiers. Dye tests revealed that only the front three of the seven slots received the inflow at 0.57 m3/m2·h, which was the highest SOR (surface overflow rate). Three different SORs, with 12 different SS (suspended solid) concentrations at each overflow rate, were fed to both clarifiers. However, the clarifier with the inclined plates failed to show an improved removal rate for the SS. In order to enable the Boycott effect within the slot, it is suggested that each slot created by the inclined plates receives equalized inflow. Moreover, collision of the inflow with the settled sludge at the bottom of the clarifier has to be avoided. These provisions, which can maximize the Boycott effect, should be added to the Standards for Water Works endorsed by Korean government.