Simulation and optimization of an Electrocoagulation integrated device

Abstract

Electrocoagulation as an environment-friendly technology has been proven to remove pollutants with high efficiency. However, the development and optimization of Electrocoagulation integrated devices hinder its industrial application. This paper aims to design an Electrocoagulation integrated device with high efficiency. Because the velocity distribution of the sedimentation tank was found to significantly affect the treatment efficiency of the integrated device, emphasis would be placed on structural optimization of sedimentation tank. Firstly, a model was established to study the influence of inlet flow and baffle clearance on flow field distribution in sedimentation tank. Secondly, the integrated device was machined by using the parameters obtained from the simulation and tested. The final oil and turbidity removal rate were 90.49% and 85.27% respectively, and there was still room for optimization. Finally, three programmes (changing the position of the upper and lower gaps of the baffle, changing the ratio of the baffle clearance to the corridor width, and changing the corridor width) were carried out. The results showed that optimized flow field was more conducive to the formation of flocs