aINSA, Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Procédés de l’Environnement, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse, France
bUniversité Libre de Bruxelles, Service de Génie Chimique, C.P. 165/67, 50 Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Abstract:
In this paper, a model based on a population balance equation (PBE) is developed. It aims at reproducing experimental floc size distributions obtained at steady state in a jar-test. The objective is to develop a simple model, based on physical phenomena, and that does not contain any adjustable parameters. Floc size distributions obtained using a part of a particle image velocimetry (PIV) device and image analysis are used to develop mathematical expressions for the aggregation and breakage kernels. A critical volume beyond which breakage is of significant importance is identified and related to the hydrodynamics. Hydrodynamic sequencing allows the distribution of the daughter particles resulting from a breakage event to be established. The model is finally successfully validated against experimental results.