Effect of geometry on the performance of integrated solar and hydraulic jump enhanced waste stabilization pond

• Published in: Desalination and water treatment 2016-11, Vol.57 (52), p.24946-24959
• Main Authors: Ogarekpe, N.M., Agunwamba, J.C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algae; Aluminum; Biochemical oxygen demand; Detention time; Dissolved oxygen; E coli; Escherichia coli; Fluid dynamics; Fluid flow; Geometry; Hydraulic jump; Hydraulics; Inlets; Parameters; Ponds; Sewage; Solar radiation; Solar reflectors; Stabilization; Stabilization ponds; Surface area; Total suspended solids; Width
• ISSN: 1944-3986; 1944-3994; 1944-3986
• DOI: 10.1080/19443994.2016.1144530

The effect of surface area geometry on the performance of the integrated solar and hydraulic jump enhanced waste stabilization pond (ISHJEWSP) on the treatment of sewage wastewater was studied. The set-up consisted of eight numbers of experimental ponds with varying width. The enhanced ponds were constructed to enable the initiation of hydraulic jump. Three sets of these experimental ponds were constructed with varying locations of the points of initiation of hydraulic jump. The enhanced ponds were fitted with tilt frame, wrapped with aluminium foil paper. Wastewater samples collected from the inlet and outlet for varying inlet velocities were examined for physicochemical and biological characteristics for a period of nine months. The parameters examined were temperature, pH, detention time, dissolved oxygen, total coliform count, total suspended solids, E coli, algae concentration and biochemical oxygen demand. The efficiencies of the ISHJEWSPs with respect to these parameters fluctuated with variations in geometry, with the smallest ISHJEWSP in width giving the highest treatment efficiency. The research revealed that an ISHJEWSP with Length (L):Width (W):Depth (D) ratio of 1.0:0.3:0.2 is on average 1.1 times efficient than the solar enhanced pond (pond B); 1.3 times efficient than the hydraulic jump enhanced pond (pond C), 1.7 times efficient than the conventional WSP with the same L:W:D ratio for coliform removal. The use of flat plane reflector (aluminium foil paper) appeared to be a low-cost and practical system suited to raising the average temperature of the ISHJEWSP (Pond D) over those of the conventional WSP (Pond A) between 2.43 and 3.23°C within the period of the study. The results clearly shows that a designer looking for optimum geometry must avoid relatively low values of surface area aspect ratio (Length/Width) as this will reduce the specific effect of the solar reflector in the ISHJEWSP except where the solar reflector width spans the entire width of the ISHJEWSP. However, this must be balanced with other considerations such as ease of maintenance, construction cost and availability of land.