The Optimisation of Hydrodynamic Vortex Separators for Removal of Solids from Wastewater, using the Continuous Adjoint Method with Topology Modification

Abstract

Hydrodynamic vortex separators (HDVSs) are used in wastewater treatment to separate solids from wastewater. The aim of this research is to devise a CFD-based methodology that optimises their performance through modification of their design.

A validation study is performed to assess whether OpenFOAM can be used to reliably model the flow of water in an HDVS. The results of the simulations are compared with experimental readings, showing a good fit when the appropriate boundary layer height and turbulence model are used.

The continuous adjoint method is employed to derive the adjoint equations, associated with the drift flux equations used to model the flow of wastewater. They are specialised to the typical boundary conditions of ducted flows and are coded using OpenFOAM.

An optimal design is found for boundary conditions, corresponding to typical values used in practice, and is shown to improve the performance of a simplified initial design by 40%. This optimal design is subsequently subjected to a different hydraulic loading rate and dispersed-phase volume fraction at the inlet, to assess the performance variation in these circumstances. Though the optimal design removes all the solids when the dispersed-phase fraction is reduced at the inlet, initial results suggest that the design is sensitive to hydraulic loading rate and further tests are recommended before drawing more explicit conclusions.

This is the first time the adjoint drift flux equations have been derived. It is also the first time they have been coded and applied to an HDVS to optimise its performance. The methodology developed in this thesis could be applied to any device that separates solids from liquid or two immiscible liquids, in order to optimise its performance.