Automation and Control of a Dissolved Air Flotation Pilot Plant

Abstract

Turbidity is an important process variable on water treatment processes for safeguard health requirements, and dissolved air flotation (DAF) is a physical treatment that allows water turbidity reduction by floating particles dispersed on water. Hence, a DAF pilot plant was assembled and automated using supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), open platform of communication protocol (OPC), signal filters and Ethernet to test two possible strategies for water turbidity control. The results indicated that manipulating recycle ratio by needle valve opening has advantages on DAF control.