For saturation of water treated with atmospheric air in a dissolved air flotation (DAF) system and the production of microbubbles, air was introduced through the suction pipe of a centrifugal pump. The operating conditions of the centrifugal pump were adjusted to avoid the occurrence of cavitation phenomena. The novel technique was applied for the treatment of oily water in a DAF pilot prototype. A central composite rotational design (CCRD) was used to determine the high efficiency of the separation process. In addition to this high degree of oil-water separation, the technique reduces space and energy costs in comparison to conventional processes of saturation of the effluent treated with compressed air.
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.
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