Flotation

PIERO M. ARMENANTE NJIT

Flotation
Flotation is a separation process based on the use of very fine gas bubbles that attach themselves to the solid particles in suspension to make them buoyant and drive them toward the free surface of the liquid Air is the only flotation agent used in wastewater treatment Flotation is especially useful to separate very small particles or light particles with low settling velocities. In such cases more complete and rapid separation can be obtained with flotation than with sedimentation
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Chemical Additives to Enhance Flotation Processes

Chemical additives that promote the attachment or entrapment of air bubbles to solid particles or flocs can be effectively used to enhance flotation Flotation additives include:

aluminum and ferric salts activated silica organic polymers

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Characterization of Flotation Separations

Flotation requires the generation of small bubbles which can be produced by: dispersing air into the wastewater applying a vacuum to the wastewater dissolving air into pressurized wastewater and then releasing the pressure

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Dispersed Air Flotation

Air bubbles are formed by mechanically dispersing air injected under rotating impellers or sparged by diffusers The bubbles formed under these conditions are typically too coarse for fine solid removal. Hence this method is not commonly encountered Some scum forming waste can be removed by air dispersion flotation

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Vacuum Flotation
Air is first dispersed into the wastewater to achieve saturation conditions Partial vacuum is then applied to the wastewater. This results in the generation of small air bubbles that attach themselves to the solid particles and make them rise Typically, a cylindrical tank maintained under vacuum and continuously fed with wastewater is used for this purpose

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Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF)

Air is dissolved in pressurized wastewater (40 - 95 psia, i.e., 275 - 650 kPa) by adding air to the pump suction point The air-wastewater mixture is admitted to a retention tank having a residence time or a few minutes to allow the air to dissolve The wastewater passes through a pressure reducing valve and then enters a flotation unit where small bubbles (30 - 120 m) are generated within the bulk of the wastewater

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Dissolved Air Flotation (continued)

In the flotation unit the solid particles are carried by the bubbles toward the surface of the water where they are skimmed off by a skimming mechanism The clarified water passes under a baffle (which prevents the floating solids from being discharged with the effluent water) and is discharged by passing over a weir Flotation units can be provided with a recycle to prevent the incoming solids to be subjected to the shearing action of the pressurizing pump
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Dissolved Air Flotation Process without Recycle

Sludge Pressure Reducing Valve Skimmer

Incoming Wastewater Air

Flotation Unit

Clarified Wastewater

Additives

Pressurizing Pump Retention Tank

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Dissolved Air Flotation Process with Recycle

Sludge Incoming Wastewater Pressure Reducing Valve Skimmer

Flotation Unit Effluent Tank

Air

Pressurizing Pump Additives

Retention Tank

Clarified Wastewater

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Design of Dissolved Air Flotation Units

Although a theoretical analysis based on the rising velocity of bubble-solid particles is possible (similar to that used for gravity thickener design) floating thickeners are largely designed using empirical results from experimental tests. Design of floating thickeners is based on the knowledge of:

Wastewater flow rate and solid loading Air-to-solid ratio (typically expressed as volume of
air/mass of solids or mass of air/mass of solids)

Overflow rate (or rise velocity of solids) Final solid loading in sludge
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Air-to-Solid Ratio (A/S Ratio)

The A/S ratio is the amount of air that must be
generated in the wastewater to produce the desired separation of the solids (expressed as volume of air/mass of solids or mass of air/mass of solids)

The A/S ratio must be determined experimentally

from test runs

Once the A/S ratio is known it is possible to calculate

the pressure required to dissolve enough air in the wastewater to produce the desired amount of air during decompression

Typical A/S ratios are in the range 0.005 - 0.060 mL

air/mg solids (0.0065 - 0.08 mg air/mg solids)

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Nomenclature for Flotation

f = correction factor to account for non-saturation of water by air at pressure P Fair = net mass flow rate of air available for flotation (mg/h) Fsolids = incoming mass flow rate of solids (mg/h) P = pressure of pressurized wastewater (atm) Po = pressure after depressurization (atm), typically equal to the atmospheric pressure Q = wastewater volumetric flow rate (L/h)
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Nomenclature for Flotation (continued)

R = recycle ratio, defined as the ratio of recycle stream flow rate to the flow rate of the stream entering the system Sin = concentration of dissolved air in incoming wastewater (mg/L) Sout = concentration of dissolved air in outgoing wastewater (mg/L) X = concentration of solids in water (mg/L)
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Calculation of Pressure to Produce a Desired A/S Ratio (No Recycle Case)

Air Floatation Unit Q Wastewater Sin Sout

The theoretical flow rate of air available for flotation (i.e., generated during depressurization) is:
Fair = Q (Sin Sout )
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Calculation of Pressure to Produce a Desired A/S Ratio (No Recycle Case)

Since at equilibrium it is:

Sin P = Sout Po
then, the theoretical amount of air available for flotation (i.e., released in the flotation unit) is:
P P Po Fair = QSout 1 = QSout Po Po

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Calculation of Pressure to Produce a Desired A/S Ratio (No Recycle Case)

In practice, the amount of air actually dissolved under pressure will only be a fraction of the theoretical value. Hence, the coefficient f is introduced to account for incomplete air dissolution during pressurization:
f P f P Po Fair = QSout 1 = QSout Po Po

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Calculation of Pressure to Produce a Desired A/S Ratio (No Recycle Case)

The flow of solids in the flotation unit is:

Fsolids = Q X o
Hence:
Sout (f P Po ) Sout f P Fair Air - to - solid ratio = = = 1 Fsolids X o Po X o Po

If the air-to-solid ratio is known from experiments the pressure to which the air must be pressurized can be calculated.
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Calculation of Pressure to Produce a Desired A/S Ratio (Recycle Case)

Q So Floatation Unit Wastewater Sin Sout

Air

An analysis similar to that conducted for the norecycle case gives: R Sout (f P Po ) R Sout f P Fair Air - to - solid ratio = = = 1 Fsolids X o Po X o Po
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Air Flotation at Atmospheric Pressure

In most cases the air flotation unit is operated at atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the depressurization pressure is 1 atm, i.e., atmospheric pressure. In such a case the above equations become:
Sout (f P 1) Fair Air - to - solid ratio = = Fsolids Xo R Sout (f P 1) Fair Air - to - solid ratio = = Fsolids Xo no recycle

recycle

where P is now expressed in atm.

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Air Solubility in Water at 1 Atmosphere

Temperature (oC) Air Solubility (mL/L) 0 29.2 10 22.8 20 18.7 30 15.7

To convert air solubility data from mL air /L water to mg air/L water one should remember that: 1 mL air 1.3 mg air at standard conditions (0 C; 1 atm)
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Overflow Rate in Flotation Units

The overflow rate is equal to the rising velocity of the solids This parameter is typically determined experimentally to produce a final concentration in the floating sludge of 4 - 5.5% Overflow rates are typically in the range: 700 - 2500 gal/ft2 day (28 - 100 m3/m2 day) (as opposed to 400 - 1200 gal/ft2 day in gravity thickeners), corresponding to a rising solid velocity of: 0.062 - 0.23 ft/min (1.9 - 7 cm/min)
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Summary of Design Aspects of Flotation Units

Average pressure: 40 - 95 psia (275 - 650 kPa) Overflow rate: 700 - 2500 gal/ft2 day Air-to-solid ratio: 0.005 - 0.060 mL air/mg solids Recycle ratio: 20 - 150% Average solid removal: 98% Solid concentration in sludge: 4 - 5.5%

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Additional Information and Examples on Flotation

Additional information and examples can be found in the following references:

Corbitt, R. A., 1990, The Standard Handbook of

Environmental Engineering, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 6.93-6.99.

Droste, R. L., 1997, Theory and Practice of Water and

Wastewater Treatment, John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 729-732.

Eckenfelder, W. W., Jr., 1989, Industrial Water

Pollution Control, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 71-80.
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Additional Information and Examples on Flotation

Metcalf & Eddy, 1991, Wastewater Engineering:
Treatment, Disposal, and Reuse, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 243-248; 486; 804-805.

Sundstrom, D. W. and Klei, H. E., 1979, Wastewater

Treatment, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, pp. 209-215.

Wentz, C. W., 1995, Hazardous Waste Management,

Second Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York. pp. 195-196.

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