Optimization of Hydrocyclone Performance in Sand Removal from Well Water (A Case Study of Drinking Water Wells in Mashhad)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assist. Prof., Civil Engineering Group, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Transportation, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

2 Expert of Mashhad Water and Wastewater Company, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Hydrocyclones are used for removing suspended solids such as silt and sand from water. In this study, all the factors involved in the performance of hydrocyclones were initially identified and listed before they were optimized using the Taguchi experiment design method. It was the objective of the present study to optimize the efficiency of hydrocyclones in removing sand from water. For this purpose, 18 hydrocyclones were designed and constructed to test all the variables affecting their performance including hydrocyclone inlet, overflow, apex, and body diameters as well as cylindrical, total, and vortex finder heights. Minimum (20 mg/l) and maximum (100 mg/l) concentrations of total suspended solids (sand) in the samples from the water wells in Mashhad city along with the observed particle distribution were used in the optimization. Statistical analysis of the results showed that the ratio of the inlet and overflow diameters to that of the hydrocyclone was 0.225 and that the ratio of the apex diameter to that of the hydrocyclone was 0.15. Also, the ratios of the cylindrical and vortex finder heights to the total height of the hydrocyclone were 0.12 and 0.08, respectively. Under optimum conditions, sand removal efficiency varied from 95.9% to 98.4% in different experiments. This is while a value of 97.2±1.1% was obtained as the result of three tests in the hydrocyclone optimized in this experiment. Comparison of the mass removal efficiencies predicted by the Taguchi method and the values measured in the optimal hydrocyclone tests showed that both sets of data were very close and substantially high. Moreover, it was found that the geometric elements obtained in this study were generally in the range of minimum and maximum ratios proposed for hydrocyclones used in mining. These ratios may, therefore, be recommended for use in the construction of real-scale hydrocyclones for sand removal from water.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Abbas Novinpour, E., 2013, "Providing practical and appropriate ways to solve the problem of sand wells (Case study: Salmas plain wells)", Office of Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology, Urmia University. (In Persian)
Abbas Novinpour, E., 2012, "Wells sand problem in the final part of Urmia plain", Proc., Fifth National Conference on Earthquake, PNU, Zanjan, Iran. (In Persian)
Al-Fatlawi, A. H. W. & Al-Hashimi, O. A. H., 2000, "Improve water quality by cyclone separator as a pre-treatment technique", International Journal of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Sciences, 1(4), 576-583.
Arterburn, R. A., 1982, "The sizing and selection of hydrocyclones", Design and Installation of Comminution Circuits, 1, 597-607.
Cilliers, J., 2000, Hydrocyclones for particle size separation, Academic Press, Manchester, UK.
Coelho, M. A. Z. & Medronho, R. A., 2001, "A model for performance prediction of hydrocyclones", Chemical Engineering Journal, 84(1), 7-14.
Hsu, C.Y., Wu, S.J. & Wu, R.M., 2011, "Particles separation and tracks in a hydrocyclone", Tamkang Journal of Science and Engineering, 14(1), 65-70.
John Deere Water Company, 2016, "F1000-Hydrocyclone sand separator", John Deere water company, < http://www.deere.com/Common/docs/Products/equipment/water/irrigation-and-water-management/ filtration/ f1000/datasheet-f1000.pdf>(May 2016).
Martínez, L. F., Lavín, A. G., Mahamud, M. M. & Bueno, J. L., 2008, "Vortex finder optimum length in hydrocyclone separation", Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification, 47(2), 192-199.
Mashhad Water and Wastewater Co., 2012, Report for experimental and analytical evaluation in cyclones, Mashhad, Iran. (In Persian)
Mirahsani, A., Badiei, A., Shahbazi, A., Hasheminejad, H. & Sartaj, M., 2015, "Optimization of the adsorption of malachite green on the NH2-SBA-15 nano-adsorbent using the Taguchi method by Qualitek-4 software an isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic study", Journal of Water and Wastewater, Vol. 25 No.6 (94), 10-19. (In Persian)
NETAFIM Company., 2016, "Hydrocyclone sand separators", NETAFIM company,
< http://www.netafimusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/M052-Hydrocyclone-mining.pdf>. (May 2016).
Rahmani, A., 2000, "Design and construction of cyclone for separating particles from water", Proc., Second National Conference on Environmental Health, Tehran, 38-45. (In Persian)
Rahmani, A., 2003, "Design and construction of cyclone for separating particles from water", Journal of Water and Wastewater, 42, 42-58. (In Persian)
Rahmani, A.A., 2006, Hydrocyclones, Saye Gostar, Qazvin. (In Persian)
Reyhani, A., Sepehrinia, K., Seyed Shahabadi, S. M., Rekabdar, F. & Gheshlaghi, A., 2015, "Optimization of operating conditions in ultrafiltration process for produced water treatment via Taguchi methodology", Desalination and Water Treatment, 54(10), 2669-2680.
Roy, R. K., 2001, Design of experiments using the Taguchi approach: 16 steps to product and process improvement, John Wiley and Sons, New York.
Silva, A. C., Silva, E. M. S. & Matos, J. D. V., 2012, "A modification in Plitt´S for hydrocyclones simulation", International Journal of Recent Research and Applied Studies, 13(3), 753-758.
Silva, M. B., Carneiro, L. M., Silva, J. P. A., dos Santos Oliveira, I., Izário Filho, H. J., and de Oliveira Almeida, C. R., 2014, "An application of the Taguchi method (robust design) to environmental engineering: Evaluating advanced oxidative processes in polyester-resin wastewater treatment", American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 5, 828-837.
Soccol, O. J., Rodrigues, L. N., Botrel, T. A. & Ullmann, M. N., 2007, "Evaluation of hydrocyclone as pre-filter in irrigation system", Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, 50(2), 193-199.
WEF. APHA., 2005, Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, Washington DC, USA.
Yang, Q., Wang, H.L., Liu, Y. & Li, Z.M., 2010, "Solid/liquid separation performance of hydrocyclones with different cone combinations", Separation and Purification Technology, 74(3), 271-279.
Journal of Water and Wastewater; Ab va Fazilab ( in persian )
Volume 28, Issue 6 - Serial Number 112
January and February 2018
Pages 71-79

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics