Hydrodynamic Separator With Multiple Sump Cones for Sediment Settling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydrodynamic separators struggle to effectively separate particulate matter from stormwater under high flow conditions, leading to resuspended sediment short circuiting and inadequate removal efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A hydrodynamic separator design featuring a tubular body with an upper cone and multiple inverted lower cones, which increases settling surface area and reduces stormwater velocity within a sump chamber, enhancing particulate separation and mitigating resuspended sediment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional hydrodynamic separator is used, then the structure is simple, but the particulate separation efficiency is insufficient under high flow conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The separator is divided into multiple functional zones using conical structures: an upper cone creating a first settling zone, and multiple lower cones creating additional settling zones. This segmentation increases the effective settling surface area without requiring a completely different separator design, thereby improving particulate separation efficiency while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vertical conical elements into the horizontal flow path, adding a vertical dimension to the settling process. The upper and lower cones create vertical settling zones that utilize the height of the separator, effectively increasing the settling surface area without expanding the horizontal footprint, thus improving separation efficiency without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If the stormwater velocity is high, then the flow moves quickly through the separator, but the sediment resuspends and short circuits to the outlet
Solution Approach 1:
The upper cone is positioned to prevent stormwater from directly exiting the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber. By creating a physical barrier and forcing the flow to descend through the vertical cylinder and navigate around the lower cones, the design preliminarily counteracts the direct high-velocity flow path that would cause sediment resuspension and short-circuiting, thereby improving sediment containment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow path is segmented into multiple stages by the upper cone and lower cones, creating distinct settling zones. This segmentation forces the stormwater to slow down and change direction multiple times, allowing sediment to settle at each zone transition rather than being carried directly through at high velocity, thus preventing resuspension and short-circuiting.
3Productivity
If the settling surface area is increased, then more particulate matter separates from the stormwater, but the separator volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension by incorporating conical structures that extend upward from the base. The upper cone and multiple lower cones create settling surfaces at different heights, effectively increasing the total settling surface area without proportionally increasing the horizontal footprint or overall volume of the separator, thus improving particulate separation capacity while minimizing volume increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical shapes provide curved settling surfaces that are more space-efficient than flat surfaces. The curved geometry of the cones allows for optimized flow patterns and maximizes the settling surface area within the available vertical space, increasing particulate separation capacity without requiring additional separator volume.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design improves particulate settling efficiency and reduces the risk of resuspended sediment under high flow conditions, increasing the amount of sediment and suspended solids removed from stormwater.
Implementation Method 1
neutralize velocities of the flow of stormwater to allow more particulate matter to separate from the flow of the stormwater within a sump chamber of the hydrodynamic separator
Data Source
AI summary
A separator for removing contaminants from a flow of stormwater is provided. The separator may include a tubular body, wherein the tubular body may include an inlet chamber and a sump chamber separated by an upper cone, a vertical cylinder extending from the inlet chamber to the sump chamber, and at least one lower cone in the sump chamber.