Analysis of settling of thick slurries due to consolidation

Abstract

Internal mechanisms of settling sediments are mathematically analysed on the basis of consolidetion theory and the basic differential equations for settling of concentrated suspensions are presented. The basic equations are solved numerically in view of variable consolidation coefficients C1. The analytical solutions of the variations of hydraulic excess pressure distribution and porosity distributions in settling sediments and of the settling curves compare very favorably with settling data experimentally obtained by using thick suspensions of zinc oxide and ferric oxide. It is emphasized that the basic equations should be solved numerically on the basis of variation in C1 and it may be enormously in error if a constant C1is assumed. In addition, the so-called comprssion-permeability characteristics in the low compressive pressure region can be well determined analytically by using batch settling data. © 1970, The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan. All rights reserved.