Location
University of Sheffield
Western Bank - Sheffield S10 2TN | United Kingdom
Fields of expertise
In-sewer process
Digital water solution
Modality of Access
In-person
Access offered for each project
60 days (3 months)
Number of Projects
2 (1 per call)
Expected composition of the visiting user-group
1 researcher during the full access period and 5 researchers for 10 days
Description
The facility consists of an annular channel with rectangular cross-section 0.20 m wide and a maximum available height of 0.48 m, which is placed in a 2.20 m external and 1.80 m internal diameter platform.
The side walls and the bottom plate are made from acrylic and the lid can be manually lowered or lifted in order to set the desired water depth in the flume. The two units can be rotated independently. One motor runs the bottom plate together with the walls (between 0 and 0.12 rps), whilst another spins the top arms connected to the lid (between 0 and 0.31 rps) this provides stable turbulent flows of a scale similar to full scale sewers.
An image acquisition system, physical sampling and pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity sensors are available.
The temperature controlled annular flume is operated with up to 300 L of wastewater to simulate microbial and biochemical processes that would be found within a sewer or drainage system.
This pilot scale facility can control external temperature to examine the influence of environmental conditions on microbial populations and temperature mediated chemical processes.
Service provision
Conventional Wastewater analysis can be performed in the facility.
Furthermore, the facility is supported by advanced molecular microbiology analysis: flow cytometry, microscopy facilities (KROTO Imaging Facility) and molecular analysis (CBE/NBAF): DNA extraction, PRC amplification, DNA sequencing.
Additionally chemical analysis can be performed on samples, including nutrients (using Ion chromatography), metals (ICP-OES, ICP-MS and AAS), VFAs (GC-FID and GC-EDC), and particle sizing (Malvern particle sizer). Some facilities are also available for characterisation of solid samples, including bomb calorimeter and CNS elemental analysis.
Instrumentation available and specific services provided
Photo gallery
