Browsing by Author "Trelles Agurto, Alex Fabricio"

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Experimental Evaluation of Tubular Flocculator Implemented in the Field for Drinking Water Supply: Application in the Developing World
(2023) García Ávila, Fausto Fernando; Tonon Ordoñez, Maria Dolores; Criollo Illescas, Freeddy Adrian; Sánchez Cordero, Esteban Remigio; Trelles Agurto, Alex Fabricio; Mendez Heredia, Angel Olmedo
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a large-scale Horizontal Tubular Flocculator (HTF) as an easy-to-implement technology for potable water provision compared to the efficiency of a traditional baffle flocculator. The HTF was built with a 4-inch diameter PVC pipe and coupled to a sedimentation and filtration process. Experimental tests were performed using lengths of 68.4 m and 97.6 m for the HTF. These lengths were combined with raw water flow rates of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 2 L/s and five turbidity ranges <10 NTU, 10–20 NTU, 21–50 NTU, 51–100 NTU, >100 NTU, giving a total of 100 tests for one year. Jar tests were performed to determine the optimal dose of aluminum sulfate used as a coagulant. Hydraulic characteristics such as time of retention (TR) and velocity gradient (G) were evaluated; likewise, plug flow, dead volume, and short-circuit ratios were determined by tracer tests using the Wolf–Resnick model. The average results determined a removal of 98.8% of turbidity and 99.93% of color. The TR varied between 4.62 and 36.97 min and G varied between 6.15 and 109.62 s−1. The results showed that HTF can be useful as a flocculation unit in a purification system.
Floculación tubular horizontal como una tecnología potencial sostenible para la provisión de agua potable en comunidades en desarrollo
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2021-08-12) Mendez Heredia, Angel Olmedo; Trelles Agurto, Alex Fabricio; García Ávila, Fausto Fernando
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vital importance of sanitation, hygiene and adequate access to clean water to prevent and contain diseases. The quality of surface water used for drinking water has been affected by different land uses, such as livestock grazing, agriculture, and human activity. This deterioration in the quality of raw water has increased the content of suspended particles and colloidal material, increasing color and turbidity. This problem has greatly affected communities and Drinking Water Management Boards located in rural zones and peri-urban areas that do not have adequate technology for efficient purification. Horizontal Tubular Flocculation (HTF) is presented as an alternative technology to replace conventional flocculators, allowing high efficiency in the subsequent sedimentation and filtration processes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a HTF as a potential sustainable technology for the provision of drinking water in developing communities and to compare it with a conventional flocculator. For this purpose, the pilot HTF was designed based on the parameters of a conventional horizontal flow hydraulic flocculator. For the implementation of the HTF, a four-inch diameter PVC pipe was required, in addition to a high rate settler and a sand filter, thus structuring a pilot treatment system. The experimental tests were carried out using lengths of 68.4 m and 97.6 m for the HTF, these lengths were combined with flow rates of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 2 l/s, as well as raw water turbidity of 10, 20, 50, 50, 100 and 200 NTU, giving a total of 50 tests, all tests were conducted in duplicate from January to December 2020. Turbidity and color were used as the main parameters to determine the efficiency of the HTF, for which it was necessary to take water samples in the settling tank and filter of the pilot system and the conventional system. In addition, hydraulic characteristics such as retention time and velocity gradient were evaluated. The results determined that the removal efficiency (RE) in the pilot system with HTF was 98.77 % for turbidity and 99.92 % for color at the filter outlet, while in the "Bayas" DWTP the RE was 98.78 % for turbidity and 100 % for color. In both systems, the parameters complied with the standards for drinking water distribution according to INEN 1108.