Features of Flow in Slurry-Thickening Ponds

The study reported was undertaken to investigate the physical processes which come into play in settling-pond slurry thickeners and causes their behavior to deviate from those included by W.P. Talmage and E.P. Fitch and H.S. Coe and G.H. Clevenger in their design procedures. The hypothetical prototype for the idealized model investigated was a settling pond capable of producing grout at a rate of 1870 l/min with a solids content of 55 percent by weight from an incoming slurry with solids content ranging from 15 percent to 30 percent by weight. To guide design of the 'prototype' pond, numerous settling-tube tests were undertaken with different initial solids concentrations, settling-tube heights, and water temperatures. The 'prototype' pond was designed following the procedures set forth by Coe and Clevenger (1916), T.R. Camp (slug flow method), and Talmage and Fitch.