An approach to improve the separation of solid–liquid suspensions in inclined plate settlers: CFD simulation and experimental validation

The most important requirements for achieving effective separation conditions in inclined plate settler (IPS) are its hydraulic performance and the equal distribution of suspensions between settler channels, both of which depend on the inlet configuration. In this study, three different inlet structures were used to explore the effect of feeding a bench scale IPS via a nozzle distributor on its hydraulic performance and separation efficiency. Experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analyses were carried out to evaluate the hydraulic characteristics of the IPS. Comparing the experimental results with the predicted results by CFD simulation implies that the CFD software can play a useful role in studying the hydraulic performance of the IPS by employing residence time distribution (RTD) curves. The results also show that the use of a nozzle distributor can significantly enhance the hydraulic performance of the IPS, which contributes to the improvement of its separation efficiency.

► The inlet structure of lamella settler (LS) affects the separation efficiency.
► The hydraulic performance of LS which is fed via a nozzle distributor is examined.
► The use of the nozzle distributor improved the hydraulic performance of LS.
► The use of the nozzle distributor increased the separation efficiency.
► Residence time distribution is a crucial method for validation of CFD studies.