Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol.38, No.5, 813-818, 2015
Strategy for a Scale-up Correlation in a Dissolved Air Flotation Chamber
Beginning with a laboratory-scale physical model, a scale-up correlation for a pilot unit project was determined based on the analysis of dynamic similarity correlations involving the predominant phenomena of a dissolved air flotation (DAF) chamber. The implantation costs of pilot units require special strategies due to the lack of correlations of this type, as novel flotation methods have been considered strictly from an economic standpoint. With the aid of computational fluid dynamics and videos of microbubble and floc flow, inertia and gravity were identified as the predominant phenomena in a DAF chamber. The strategy described herein is simple and reduces the likelihood of future risks in scale-up investments.
Keywords:Computational fluid dynamics;Dissolved air flotation chamber;Pilot unit;Scale-up correlation