Improving the Design of UV Disinfection Systems Using CFD Modeling

The design of wastewater ultraviolet (UV) disinfection systems has traditionally relied on empirical guidelines. Due to the significant impact that hydraulics have on the UV system performance and the decrease in cost associated with performing computational models, there has been an increased interest in the application of computational models for process evaluation and optimization of UV systems. Presented in this paper are the results of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations utilized during the design phase of the UV system for the Pleasant Grove Wastewater Treatment Plant in Roseville, California. CFD modeling was used to evaluate the impact of channel length on the approach and exit hydraulics of a series of UV reactors. The results from the CFD simulations made it possible to achieve the optimal hydraulic and cost-effective UV system design.