Assessment of Capture of Microplastics from Water Using Hydrocyclone Technique
Author
Pajuro, Kacper Filip
Term
4. semester
Education
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-05-31
Pages
61
Abstract
This project evaluates whether a hydrocyclone—a device that uses swirling flow and centrifugal forces to separate particles—can capture microplastics from water. The experiment was conducted at AAU Esbjerg, where dynamic microscopes (real-time microscopes) were installed to measure microplastics concentration in the water. A dedicated calibration procedure with statistical tests and metrics was developed to ensure reliable detection by the sensors. Average separation efficiencies were obtained for specific sets of control valve settings. The highest observed separation efficiency was 87.76%, comparable to hydrocyclone performance reported in other industries. These results indicate that hydrocyclones can be used for efficient removal of microplastics from water. Based on this analysis, a control algorithm for the hydrocyclone could be designed in future work.
Dette projekt vurderer, om en hydrocyklon—en enhed, der bruger hvirvlende strømning og centrifugalkræfter til at separere partikler—kan opfange mikroplast fra vand. Forsøget blev udført på AAU Esbjerg, hvor der blev installeret dynamiske mikroskoper, der kontinuerligt registrerede partikler i vandet for at bestemme mikroplastkoncentrationen. En dedikeret kalibreringsprocedure med statistiske tests og mål blev udviklet for at sikre pålidelig detektering fra sensorerne. Gennemsnitlige separationsgrader blev målt for specifikke sæt af indstillinger på reguleringsventilerne. Den højeste observerede separationseffektivitet var 87,76%, hvilket er på linje med hydrocykloners ydeevne i andre industrier. Resultaterne indikerer, at hydrocykloner kan bruges til effektiv fjernelse af mikroplast fra vand. Baseret på analysen kan der i fremtiden designes en styringsalgoritme for hydrocyklonen.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords