Sizing of an Ammonia Discharge Tank

by Erin Morrison

Submitted : Spring 2010

To insure a phosphate company?s wastewater discharge remains compliant with EPA regulations, the use of a holding tank was suggested. This tank leveled out any spikes in ammonia concentration within the wastewater. It was my task to determine the minimum volume of this tank necessary to insure ammonia concentration did not exceed EPA regulations at any time, based on a worst case scenario. I achieved this by first calculating the accumulation rate of ammonia in the tank. Then based on Euler?s method I calculated the concentration exiting the tank during a given time step. Using an excel spreadsheet I then adjusted the tanks volume until at no time did the levels exceed EPA regulations.

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