Analysis of the hydrodynamic behaviors of screen plants used in the physical treatment of waste water by computational fluid dynamics

In the treatment of wastewater, there are three methods which are physical, chemical and biological treatment. In this study, the hydraulic characteristic of the flow in the upstream channel and throughout screens, which are one of the physical treatment methods of wastewater, were examined with the experimental validation in a selected full-scale facility with the help of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the weaknesses of the facility were determined and an original model with different geometry is designed to eliminate these weaknesses. Gümüşhane Wastewater Treatment Plant was selected as a full-scale facility. The model, which was formed in accordance with the geometric properties of the plant, was analyzed by CFD using different turbulence models that are Standard k-ɛ, Renormalization Group (RNG) k-ɛ and Gerçekleşebilir (Realizable) k-ɛ model. As a result of the analysis, the values of the wastewater velocity calculated at various points and with different turbulence models and the wastewater velocities taken from the same points in the facility were compared. A new model was designed and analyzed the weaknesses determined as a result of the comparison. Experimental studies have been performed with Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) which is widely used for characteristic behavior of fluid flow. As a result of this study conducted on the modelling/examining/analyzing of the screen plants from the physical treatment methods in the wastewater treatment plants, which are clearly seen gap in the literature, low speeds in the approach channel of the original model were increased and homogeneous flow was obtained.