Wet Work

This article discusses that plant engineers at the James W. Jardine Water Purification Plant in Chicago tweak the treatment process to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Engineers later studied computer models of flow patterns in the intake area. Using Fluid Flow Analysis software from Algor Inc. of Pittsburgh, the engineers determined a better location for the activated carbon feed point and avoided the expense in time and money of traditional laboratory testing. Department of Water filtration engineer Anthony Wietrzak turned his attention to the mixing of the carbon with the water. To do it, he had to study the water flow in the intake basins. Running several variations on the pump cell model gave Wietrzak the opportunity to experiment with different model constraint techniques and gauge the effectiveness of those techniques in terms of model convergence. Wietrzak has also modeled other areas of the plant that may benefit from modifications.