A two-scale PBM for modeling turbulent flocculation in water treatment processes

A population balance model (PBM) that incorporates two scales of turbulent motion in the breakup frequency function has been presented. The breakup frequency function is designed such that particles smaller than the impeller-region Kolmogoroff microscale will erode according to a critical velocity related to the local energy dissipation rate. Particles larger than the impeller-region Kolmogoroff microscale will fracture according to a critical velocity related to the impeller tip speed. The two-scale model was found to better predict the experimental steady-state particle size distribution in 5, 28, and 5601 tank sizes and with a Rushton turbine and A310 fluid foil impellers. The two-scale PBM was also used to investigate the most appropriate scale-up law for drinking water flocculation processes. In addition, the impact of higher tank average energy dissipation rate, primary particle concentration, and coagulant concentration on the volume mean particle size with increasing tank size and different impeller types was also presented. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.