CE 428 Water and Wastewater Design

Grit Chambers

Dr. S.K. Ong

Grit Removal
Characteristics of grit
- sand, gravel, cinders, eggshells, bone chips, seeds, coffee grounds and other heavy materials
- predominantly inert, composition variable
- moisture content 13 - 65%, volatile organic content - 1 - 56%
- specific gravity - clean grit particles - 2.65, for material with substantial organic material
attached to inerts - approx. 1.3
- bulk density in the range of 1600 kg/m3
- most grits are retained on a No. 100 mesh sieve (0.15 mm or larger)
- typical settling velocity for 100 mesh grit is 1.3 cm/s or 2.6 ft/min
Purpose of Grit removal
- to protect mechanical equipment from abrasion and abnormal wear
- to reduce conduit clogging caused by deposition of grit particles in pipes and channels
- to prevent loading the treatment plant with inert matter that might interfere with the operation of
treatment units such as siltation of anaerobic digester and aeration tanks
Type of Grit Removal

- horizontal flow (square or rectangular configuration)

- aerated (rectangular)
- vortex-type

Horizontal flow type

- open channels with sufficient detention time to allow particles to settle and to maintain constant
velocity to scour organics
- the velocity of flow controlled by
(i) dimensions of unit
(ii) special influent distribution gates
(iii) special weir sections at the effluent end (proportional weir)
- designed to remove grit > 0.21 mm dia. to as low as 0.15 mm dia.
- grit removal is accomplished by a conveyor with a scraper, buckets or plows
- may require grit washing equipment to remove organics
Typical Design Information for Horizontal Grit Removal
Parameters
Range
Typical
Detention time (s)
45 - 90
60
Horizontal Velocity (ft/s)
0.8 - 1.3
1.0 - 1.25
Headloss in a control section
as percent of depth in channel
30 - 40%
36%
Allowance for inlet and outlet
turbulence
2Dm - 0.5 L
(at least 50% increase in theoretical length is
recommended, Dm - max. depth, L - length)
Grit quantities
0.004 - 0.037 m3/1000 m3
Aerated Grit Chambers
- popularity of aerated grit chamber
- less wear on grit-handling equipment
- in many cases, no need for separate grit washing equipment
- normally designed to remove particles 65 mesh (0.2 mm) or larger
- velocity of roll or agitation governs the size of particles of a given specific gravity to be removed
- quantity of air is adjusted to provide the roll and washing of the grit to remove organic
matter

- grit removed by using grab buckets on monorails centered over the grit collection and
storage trough or by a flushing through a drain
Typical Design information for Aerated Grit Chambers
Range
Detention time (mins) at max. flow
2- 5
Dimensions
Depth (ft)
7 -16
Length (ft)
25 - 65
Width (ft)
8 - 23
Width -depth ratio
1:1 - 5:1
Length-width ratio
3:1 - 5:1
Air supply (ft3/min/ft of length)
2-5
Grit quantities (ft3/mgal)
0.5 - 27

Typical
3

1.5 : 1
4:1
2.0

Vortex-type Grit Chambers

- vortex created
- grit move to the outside of the unit and collected
- air scour to remove organics
- grit removed by air lift pump or by bottom drain
- typically designed to remove 95% of 100 micron (150 mesh) grit
- head required to achieve this removal is a few meters, for example, 95% removal of 25 micron head requirement - 5 - 7 m
- typical units can handle peak flows up to 0.31 m3/s (7 mgd)
Typical Design Information for Vortex Grit Chambers
Range
Typical
Detention time (s)
30
Dimensions
Diameter (ft)
4 - 24
Upper
Lower
3-6
height (ft)
9 - 16
Removal Rates %
50 mesh (0.3 mm)
95+
70 mesh (0.24 mm)
85+
100 mesh (0.15 mm)
65+

Design Example for horizontal aerated grit chamber

Design an aerated grit chamber with an average flow of 11.4 mgd (0.5 m3/s) with a peaking factor of 2.75
1.

Peak hourly flow rate for design

= 11.4 x 2.75

2.

Grit chamber volume

Assume 2.0 minutes for peak hourly flow
Assume two chambers in use all the time

= 31.35 mgd

31.35
mgd) x10 6
2
x 2 min 2,910 ft 3
=
gal
hr
min
(7.48 3 )(24
)(60
)
day
hr
ft
(

4.

Dimensions
Use width to depth ratio of 1.1:1 and a depth of 8 ft
Width
Length

5.

= 1.1 x 8 = 8.8 ft
= 2,910 ft2/(8 x 8.8)

= 41.3 ft

Use 41 ft.

Check horizontal velocity

31.35
mgd
2
(
) x10 6
gal
hr
min
sec
(7.48 3 )(24
)(60
)(60
)
day
hr
min
ft
vh
0.34 ft / s
8x8.8
(on the low side, but acceptable)
6.
7.

Air supply

use 5 ft3/m. ft of length

air required
= 41 ft x 5 ft3/m. ft of length

= 205 ft3/min

assume 7 ft3/mgd
= 11.4 mgd x 7 ft3/mgd
= 79.8 ft3/day

Average grit removal

volume of grit

Primary Sedimentation
purpose to remove settable organic solids and to reduce the solids load on the biological treatment unit
primary sedimentation or clarification is achieved in large basins under relatively quiescent conditions
Two types of design available:

horizontal flow and circular

Design Criteria
overflow rate (gpm/ft2 or m3/m2/d)
weir overflow rate (gpm/ft or m3/m/d)
detention time (hours)
solids loading rate (lbs/ft2/d or kg/m2/d) (more important for secondary sedimentation tanks)
Design Data
Overflow rates
Average flow

Range
(gal/ft2/d)
(m3/m2/d)

Peak hourly flow (gal/ft2/d)

(m3/m2/d)

Typical

800 1200
32 48
2,000 3,000
80 120

2,500
100

Weir overflow rate

Peak hourly flow (gal/ft2/d)
(m3/m2/d)

10,000 40,000
125 500

20,000
250

Detention time (hrs) (average flow)

1.5 - 2.5

2.0

Typical dimensions
Rectangular
Depth (ft)
10 15
12
Length (ft)
50 300
80 130
Width (ft)
10 80
16 32
Bottom slope
1 2%
Speed of scraper (ft/min)
24
3
Circular
Depth (ft)
10 15
12
Diameter (ft)
10 200
40 150
Bottom slope (in/ft)
-2
Speed of scraper (rev/min)
0.02 = 0.05
0.03
_______________________________________________________________________________
Expected BOD and suspended solids removal between 30 40% and 50 70%, respectively (see Figure
12- 4, may be different for different wastewater).
Design example:
Design a sedimentation tank for a municipal wastewater with an average flow of 5.000 m3/day and a
peak hourly flow = 12,500 m3/day
Use Figure, assume 60% SS removal, overflow rate = 35 m3/m2/day
Required surface area

2.

Circular tank diameter

d = (4x 143/3.142)1/2
(have to select size appropriate for circular scraper)

3.

Assume 15 m diameter (to fit a 15 m diameter scraper)

surface area needed = 3.142 (15)2/4
= 176.7 m2

4.

Assume side wall depth = 3 m

5.

Detention time

6.

For peak hourly flow requirements, find overflow rate = 12,500/176.7 = 70.7 m3/m2/d

(ok)

7.

Check weir overflow rate

= 12,500/(3.142 x 15)

= 265 m3/m2/day

(ok)

SS removal at peak flow rate

40%

8.

= 5,000/35

= 143 m2

1.

Volume of tank

= 530.1/5000

= 13.5 m

= 176.7 x 3

= 530.1 m3

= 0.106 days

= 2.54 hrs

(ok)