Horizontal Shaft Paddle Design Problem:

Design a conventional horizontal-shaft flocculation tank unit for flocculation of 11.75 MLD of settled raw water
(after coagulant addition in a rapid mix tank) as per design parameters given below:

Detention time (t): 10 30 min

Velocity gradient (G): 20-75 /s
Gt: 2x105 6x105
Paddle tip speed (vp): 0.25 0.75 m/s
Velocity of blade relative to water (v): 0.75 x paddle tip speed
Paddle area per shaft/Tank section area: 10:100 20:100
Coefficient of drag on impeller blade (CD): 1.8
The paddle shafts are provided across the width of the flocculation tank
Paddle diameter: 2-5 m
Length of each paddle (L): 2-5 m
Width of each paddle (B): 22-50 cm
Paddle thickness: 5 cm
Bottom clearance: 50 cm
Submergence: 50 cm
Freeboard: 50 cm
Side clearance of paddles: 25 cm on each side
End clearance of paddles: 25 cm at each end
Kinematic viscosity : 1.003 x 10-6 m2/s
Dynamic viscosity of water : 1.002 x 10-3 N.s/m2
Tank depth: Paddle diameter + submergence + bottom clearance
Tank width: Paddle length + 2.(End clearance)
Minimum number of paddles shafts provided: 2
Minimum number of paddle in each shaft: 4
Maximum horizontal distance between paddle shafts: 2.(Paddle diameter) + 1m
Minimum horizontal distance between paddle shafts: 2.(Paddle diameter) +0.25 m
Tank length to width ratio: 2:1 to 6:1

Determine tank dimensions paddle diameter, paddle dimensions, number of paddles, paddle rotation speed and
power input requirement.
 4 4
0.25 1 Solution:
0.25
Let the detention time (t) be 25 minutes (within 10-30 minutes, okay)
Let the velocity gradient (G) be 30 /s (within 20-75 /s, okay)
0.25 Therefore G.t = 25.(60).(30) = 45000 (within 20000 60000, okay)

4.31 Volume of the tank (V) = Q.t = 204 m3 (say 205 m3)

0.25 Let the two paddle shafts be placed width-wise

Let the paddle diameter (Dp) be 4 m (within 2-5 m, okay)
Depth of the tank (D) = Paddle diameter + submergence
+ bottom clearance = 5 m
0.25 Surface Area of the tank (A) = 205/5 = 41 m2
Length of the tank (L) = 2.(Side clearance) + 2.(paddle diameter) + 0.5
+ 1.0
0.5 0.05 = 2(0.25) + 2.(4) + 1.0 = 9.5 m
Tank width (W) = 41/9.5 = 4.31 m
4
2 Length to width ratio = 2.08 : 1 (within limit 2:1 to 6:1, okay)

Paddle length (Lp) = tank width -2.(End clearance) =

0.5
4.31 2.(0.25) = 3.81 m (within 2-5 m, okay)
Let four paddles be provided per shaft.
Let the paddle tip speed (vp) be 0.40 m/s (within 0.25 0.75 m/s, okay)
Area of each paddle = 3.8/4 = 0.95 m2 Then the velocity of paddle relative to water (v) = 0.30 m/s
1
Cd .A p .v3 2
Breadth of each paddle (Bp) = 0.95/3.81 = 0.25 m (within 22-50 cm) G ; Total paddle area (Ap) = 7.60 m2
Paddle thickness = 5 cm 2 ..V
Paddle area per shaft = 7.6/2 = 3.8 m2
Paddle rotation speed (w) = 2.vp/Dp = 0.20 radians/s, Tank sectional area = (W.D) = 4.31.(5) = 21.55 m2
i.e., 1.91 revolutions per minute
Paddle area per shaft 3.8
1 0.176
P 2 Tank Sectional Area (D.L) 21.55
Power requirement is given by, G
V. (within 0.10 and 0.20, okay)
P = 185 Watts, i.e., provide two 0.1 KW motors for driving each
paddle at 2 rpm.