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Gas Flotation For Waste Water Treatment




Gas Flotation is one of the oldest methods for removal of solids, oil & grease and fibrous materials from waste water. It is part of the primary treatment of waste water. Removal efficiencies can be as high as 99%+ for suspended solids and oil and grease. Gas flotation is simply the process of generating microscopic gas bubbles in the container (tank / vessel) holding the waste water which enhances the tendency of the suspended solids / oil and grease to float up to the surface of the tank / vessel for further removal by mechanical skimming.

Please note that I have used the terminology "gas flotation" instead of "air flotation" which is very commonly used in literature because air as a gaseous media is most commonly used for municipal waste water treatment and in applications where there is no risk of forming a flammable or explosive mixture with the dissolved gases in the water. In the upstream oil and gas industry, due to the inherent risk of forming a flammable / explosive mixture with air, other gaseous media are used such as natural gas or nitrogen.

The gas flotation process is again categorized as the "Dissolved Gas Flotation" (DGF) and "Induced Gas Flotation" (IGF) process. Essentially both produce gas bubbles to enhance the flotation process but there are major differences in the way gas bubbles are produced and the efficacy of these processes.

Let us understand the process of DGF. In a DGF system air is dissolved in the water to be treated by passing the water through a pressurizing pump, introducing air, and holding the air-water mixture at high pressure long enough for the water to be saturated with air at the high pressure. Typical pressures are 1.5 to 5 barg. After saturating the water with air at high pressure, the mixed air-water stream plus the influent water are released at a lower pressure through a pressure-reducing nozzle in the flotation chamber where air precipitates as very tiny bubbles. DGF process can produce bubbles of the range of 50-100 microns. These small bubbles are the key for the enhanced removal of solids / oil and grease by flotation to the top of the flotation chamber. The smaller bubbles have much more surface area for their volume than do the larger bubbles. A particular volume of air has ten times the surface area when distributed as 50 micron bubbles as it does when distributed as 500 micron bubbles. Put another way, you need 10 times the air flow with 500 micron bubbles as you need with 50 micron bubbles in order to achieve the same air-water interfacial area.

The IGF is a variation of the DGF process. It involves inducing the gas into the total stream either by the use of an inductor device (referred to as the hydraulic type) or by a vortex set up by mechanical rotors (referred to as the mechanical type). For a hydraulic type, water from the effluent is pumped to a recirculation header that feeds a series of venturi eductors. Water flowing throught the eductor sucks gas from the vapor space that is released at the nozzle as a jet of small bubbles. The bubbles rise causing flocculation in the flotation chambers forming a froth that is skimmed with a mechanical skimmer. The mechanical type, by using a a rotating shaft and impeller, creates a vortex and a negative pressure, which draws the gas down the stand pipe entraining it in the water forcing the gas rich water throughout the chamber. Once in the chamber the gas is released as fine bubbles and lifts the oil and the suspended solids to the surface. The froth is than skimmed by a mechanical skimmer.

The DGF system has distinct advantages over the IGF system. Let us list down some of these:

1. DGF provides finer bubbles in comparison to IGF thereby increasing oil and suspended solid removal efficiency.

2. DGF requires a lower installed power requirement than an IGF.

3. DGF operating and maintenance cost is lower than IGF.

4. DGF overall efficiency and performance are higher than for a comparble IGF system.

5. Since flotation processes are enhanced by addition of flocculation chemicals, for a DGF unit the requirement for chemical additives is lower than for a comparable IGF unit.

IGF systems are getting outdated. Most of the new gas flotation units are of the DGF type.

Some excellent references are available freely on the internet and here are their links:

http://en.wikipedia....d_air_flotation

http://en.citizendiu...d_gas_flotation

A spreadsheet for DAF sizing by Hydro-Flo Technologies can be downloaded from:

http://www.dissolved...alculations.htm

Not to forget the reference that I have used for some of the description above is the excellent book
"Handbook of Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies" by "Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff".

Also refer the image below which basically provides sketches for two different variants of the DGF using air as the gaseous media.

Would love to hear comments form the esteemed forum members and readers.

Regards,
Ankur.

Attached Image




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Qalander (Chem)
Nov 30 2011 11:11 AM
Dear Ankur, Thanks for the Great info;
  • especially concerning use of Gas(es) other than air.
  • Although Previously "D.A.F." was the final (sort of) finishing treatment considered.
Regards
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S.Chittibabu
Dec 02 2011 12:44 AM
Really it is a refresher topic.!!!!!
Nice to understand old methods which are still used in the industry.
Hello,thanks for great information .Waste water treatment is the process of taking waste water and making it suitable for discharge back into the environment. Waste water can be formed by a variety of activities, including washing, bathing, and using the toilet. Rainwater runoff is also considered waste water. No matter where it comes from, this water is full of bacteria, chemicals, and other contaminants. Waste water treatment reduces the contaminants to acceptable levels so as to be safe for discharge into the environment.
In general use, there are two types of waste water treatment systems: a biological treatment plant and a physical/chemical treatment plant. Most households and businesses create waste that can be broken down by natural means. Biological treatment plants use bacteria and other biological matter to break down waste. So a chemical plant is needed to treat this waste. Physical/chemical waste water treatment plants use both physical processes and chemical reactions to treat waste water.To know more about go to Waste water treatment is the process of taking waste water and making it suitable for discharge back into the environment. Waste water can be formed by a variety of activities, including washing, bathing, and using the toilet. Rainwater runoff is also considered waste water. No matter where it comes from, this water is full of bacteria, chemicals, and other contaminants. Waste water treatment reduces the contaminants to acceptable levels so as to be safe for discharge into the environment.
In general use, there are two types of waste water treatment systems: a biological treatment plant and a physical/chemical treatment plant. Most households and businesses create waste that can be broken down by natural means. Biological treatment plants use bacteria and other biological matter to break down waste. So a chemical plant is needed to treat this waste. Physical/chemical waste water treatment plants use both physical processes and chemical reactions to treat waste water.
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suvojit das
Dec 19 2011 09:02 AM
Dear Ankur sir,
Its very nice to see such interesting topics in this website.
well i am working in a firm which makes effluent treatment plant,and has provided many big pharmaceutical companies this plant.

well i cant understand the following line in DGF system:








In a DGF system air is dissolved in the water to be treated by passing the water through a pressurizing pump, introducing air, and holding the air-water mixture at high pressure long enough for the water to be saturated with air at the high pressure.


I have some doubts in this statement :
1)the water to be treated is already having suspended particle,so how will it be passed via pump









After saturating the water with air at high pressure, the mixed air-water stream plus the influent water are released at a lower pressure through a pressure-reducing nozzle in the flotation chamber where air precipitates as very tiny bubbles.


Now here in above statement you are making the air-water stream plus water influent to pass through nozzle , if we will do so then the nozzle will be chocked in very short period of time.

Dear Ankur ,

 

I was reading your posts on Nitrogen blanketing  which is quite interesting and explanatory. In your one post you have mentioned as below:

Nitrogen will not flow in or out only during the following conditions:

1. The tank is in thermal equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere (no rapid drop or increase in ambient temperature) no pump-in or pump-out occurs.

2. The Tank is in thermal equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere (no rapid drop or increase in ambient temperature) and liquid pump-in and liquid pump-out occurs simultaneously at identical volumetric flow rates (highly improbable practical scenario).

 

 My question:

 

Kindly guide me for API oily water separator or CPI oily water separator Nitrogen Blanketing , for the following conditions:

1.when water level is fixed and inflow rate is equal to outflow rate

2. Pump in flow  is equal to gravity outflow.  For example if 40 m3/h oily wastewater enters , then after oil removal almost 40 m3/h wastewater goes out from API CPI separator)

 

So Nitrogen consumption for blanketing will be for  berating of headspace ( top oily water level and the roof of API & CPI) which equals to only thermal effect, for pump in and pump out flow , there will be no N2 consumption

 

N2 consumption  as per Eqn 4 ( as API/CPI volume is less than 840,000 Gallon)

 

(where P = 0 ( as in & out is same) and C is the only headspace volume)

 

Nmax =8.021P + 0.02382C --- Eqn 4

 

Where  Nmax = max Nitrogen flow rate in scfm

P is pump out rate in gpm

C = tank capacity in gallon

 

 

Kindly respond and guide me.

 

Best Regards,

Manas

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