	Mainstream Sediment Trap
Home	Team	Project Description	Concept Design	Final Design	Documentation
Final Design Months of brainstorming, conceptualizing, research and design culminated in a final design. Each subsystem has been looked over and from the best concepts we have chosen the designs specified below.
Funnel Design: The funnel saw quite a few changes over the course of the semester. Most of those came as changes and needs associated with the tank and catchment system came. The idea of having swinging funnel walls was dropped fairly quickly due to the added complexity it added along with the added maintenance of keeping the hinges functioning properly. In the end a simple design of two short walls that sat perpendicular to the flume bottom was chosen. The width of the funnel had to be shortened to fit between the piers that are to be built up around the frame that holds the drum. Small, curved pieces of metal will have to be installed in the sections of the flume sitting above the I-Beam supports. These pieces will have the task of diverting any sediment on the outer reaches of the flume into the center where it can fall into the funnel.
Tank: The requirements for the tank were updated to include the fact that it must hang from the current flume, and that the bottom of the tank must be slanted in order for the falling sediment to pile up in the corner. This makes it easier to remove from the tank. This design is not the actual final design that will be implemented in Boise. The final design will come to a point in the middle of the tank, not at the left side, like what is shown in in the picture above. The reason it has not been designed this semester is that the design change came too late in the semester. Some preliminary models and drawings have been created to start this final change, but the final product will be designed and finished by Jeff Schoenfelder. The tank and flume section will be made out of varying thickness of stainless steel.
Sediment Catchment: The drum needs to catch all of the sediment entering the flume so that it can be weighed. Periodically it will be turned over to dump the sediment out when it gets full. To maximize the amount of sediment that can be stored in the drum and also to minimize the amount of dumps that will have to be made it was determined that the three chamber drum would be the most efficient design. Each compartment will be able to hold more sediment and while it will take longer to turn the drum (120 degrees versus 90 degrees) we determined that fewer dumps would make up for the increased travel time. To rotate the drum a system utilizing a pneumatic air cylinder was selected as the best solution. The Pneumatic system consists of the afore mentioned air cylinder attached to a long rod by a series of plates and I-bolts. The rod then attaches to the side of the drum by another set of plates and I-bolts. As the air cylinder extends and retracts it turns the drum back and forth. This process is activated by the weight of the sediment filling the sediment reaching about 80% of capacity. The cylinder will spend a few seconds rotating the drum so that a new compartment moves into place while the other one empties. Once the new compartment fills then the cylinder will be retracted and the original compartment will be rotated back into place. This system will be controlled by a computer program that is going to be designed by a computer programmer.
Sediment Weigher: It was determined that an overhead frame would be the best way to attach the weight system because this way, the whole system is attached to the flume and the overhead crane can still be used. The purpose of the frame is to hold the load cell above the flume. The frame was carefully designed, insuring that under the worst case scenario (1000 lbs), each member would hold. Each leg was individually checked for buckling, and the cross members were checked for both yielding and deflection. In addition to the legs and cross members, several other features were included to help triangulate the loads and increase the stability of the frame. The load cell itself is rated at 1000 lbs and is attached to a linear slide which allows the load cell to move back and forth. The purpose of this is so that when the flume tilts up to 11% grade, the load cell can be manually moved back and forth via a cable/winch system to account for the change in angle. Furthermore, the Load cell is attached to an eye-bolt, which can rotate in the same plane as the flume, further eliminating the change in angle phenomena.
Slurry Removal/Transport: Recent design feedback for the slurry removal system has led to a different design than we had originally chosen. It was determined that an auger would be needed because augers will put a slow, but constant stream of sediment into the piping stream. By doing this the chance of clogging is greatly diminished. A horizontal auger had been designed for with the auger pulling the sediment into pipe with a stream moving at speeds faster than 12 feet per second to prevent sediment from settling and creating clogs. A final system on this design is currently pending feedback from the University of Minnesota's staff. The final design will be done by Jeff Schoenfelder the incoming graduate student for this project. The piping and pumping system will remain consistent with what we designed originally despite the recent changes. The piping will be 3" PVC with some flexible pieces in place to compensate for the flumes ability to change angles. A pump will also be needed, but the need for a slurry pump may no longer be necessary due to the new design specifications. Final design will be done by the CERSL.
Sediment Separation: The purpose of the separator system is to remove any sediment particles from the slurry greater than .0625mm (.00246”) in diameter and to re-circulate the clean water back into the sump at a flow rate of 300gpm. Slurry will be dumped into a large roll off dumpster on the outside wall of the IWC. The dumpster will act as a settling tank for the sediment and the suspended water on top will be pumped out, and returned into the building where it will be re-circulated. The pump will be placed inside the building and will be controlled by a float switch which sits inside the waste bin. The water will pass through two strainers before entering the sump. One will be a simple suction strainer that is attached to the end of the suction pipe immersed in the water at the dumpster site. The other will be a double basket strainer which will be placed on the inside of the building before the pump.

Mainstream

Sediment Trap

Final Design

Months of brainstorming, conceptualizing, research and design culminated in a final design. Each subsystem has been looked over and from the best concepts we have chosen the designs specified below.

Funnel Design:

The funnel saw quite a few changes over the course of the semester. Most of those came as changes and needs associated with the tank and catchment system came. The idea of having swinging funnel walls was dropped fairly quickly due to the added complexity it added along with the added maintenance of keeping the hinges functioning properly. In the end a simple design of two short walls that sat perpendicular to the flume bottom was chosen. The width of the funnel had to be shortened to fit between the piers that are to be built up around the frame that holds the drum. Small, curved pieces of metal will have to be installed in the sections of the flume sitting above the I-Beam supports. These pieces will have the task of diverting any sediment on the outer reaches of the flume into the center where it can fall into the funnel.

Tank:

The requirements for the tank were updated to include the fact that it must hang from the current flume, and that the bottom of the tank must be slanted in order for the falling sediment to pile up in the corner. This makes it easier to remove from the tank. This design is not the actual final design that will be implemented in Boise. The final design will come to a point in the middle of the tank, not at the left side, like what is shown in in the picture above. The reason it has not been designed this semester is that the design change came too late in the semester. Some preliminary models and drawings have been created to start this final change, but the final product will be designed and finished by Jeff Schoenfelder. The tank and flume section will be made out of varying thickness of stainless steel.

Sediment Catchment:

The drum needs to catch all of the sediment entering the flume so that it can be weighed. Periodically it will be turned over to dump the sediment out when it gets full. To maximize the amount of sediment that can be stored in the drum and also to minimize the amount of dumps that will have to be made it was determined that the three chamber drum would be the most efficient design. Each compartment will be able to hold more sediment and while it will take longer to turn the drum (120 degrees versus 90 degrees) we determined that fewer dumps would make up for the increased travel time.

To rotate the drum a system utilizing a pneumatic air cylinder was selected as the best solution. The Pneumatic system consists of the afore mentioned air cylinder attached to a long rod by a series of plates and I-bolts. The rod then attaches to the side of the drum by another set of plates and I-bolts. As the air cylinder extends and retracts it turns the drum back and forth. This process is activated by the weight of the sediment filling the sediment reaching about 80% of capacity. The cylinder will spend a few seconds rotating the drum so that a new compartment moves into place while the other one empties. Once the new compartment fills then the cylinder will be retracted and the original compartment will be rotated back into place. This system will be controlled by a computer program that is going to be designed by a computer programmer.

Sediment Weigher:

It was determined that an overhead frame would be the best way to attach the weight system because this way, the whole system is attached to the flume and the overhead crane can still be used. The purpose of the frame is to hold the load cell above the flume. The frame was carefully designed, insuring that under the worst case scenario (1000 lbs), each member would hold. Each leg was individually checked for buckling, and the cross members were checked for both yielding and deflection. In addition to the legs and cross members, several other features were included to help triangulate the loads and increase the stability of the frame. The load cell itself is rated at 1000 lbs and is attached to a linear slide which allows the load cell to move back and forth. The purpose of this is so that when the flume tilts up to 11% grade, the load cell can be manually moved back and forth via a cable/winch system to account for the change in angle. Furthermore, the Load cell is attached to an eye-bolt, which can rotate in the same plane as the flume, further eliminating the change in angle phenomena.

Slurry Removal/Transport:

Recent design feedback for the slurry removal system has led to a different design than we had originally chosen. It was determined that an auger would be needed because augers will put a slow, but constant stream of sediment into the piping stream. By doing this the chance of clogging is greatly diminished. A horizontal auger had been designed for with the auger pulling the sediment into pipe with a stream moving at speeds faster than 12 feet per second to prevent sediment from settling and creating clogs. A final system on this design is currently pending feedback from the University of Minnesota's staff. The final design will be done by Jeff Schoenfelder the incoming graduate student for this project.

The piping and pumping system will remain consistent with what we designed originally despite the recent changes. The piping will be 3" PVC with some flexible pieces in place to compensate for the flumes ability to change angles. A pump will also be needed, but the need for a slurry pump may no longer be necessary due to the new design specifications. Final design will be done by the CERSL.

Sediment Separation:

The purpose of the separator system is to remove any sediment particles from the slurry greater than .0625mm (.00246”) in diameter and to re-circulate the clean water back into the sump at a flow rate of 300gpm. Slurry will be dumped into a large roll off dumpster on the outside wall of the IWC. The dumpster will act as a settling tank for the sediment and the suspended water on top will be pumped out, and returned into the building where it will be re-circulated. The pump will be placed inside the building and will be controlled by a float switch which sits inside the waste bin. The water will pass through two strainers before entering the sump. One will be a simple suction strainer that is attached to the end of the suction pipe immersed in the water at the dumpster site. The other will be a double basket strainer which will be placed on the inside of the building before the pump.