Physical Model Testing Of An Experimental Vortex Device For Controlling Total Suspended Solids In Stormwater

In highly urbanized area, lack of space limits the application of most stormwater quality treatment technologies. Oil/Grit Separators (OGSs) are preferred in these cases due to their compact size and reasonable solids removal efficiency. The objective of this research is to identify the challenges and practical potential solutions of solids treatment performance testing on a full-scaled experimental vortex device (EVD) adopting TRCA’s regulatory guideline titled the “Procedure for Laboratory Testing of Oil/Grit Separators” (referred to in this paper as the Procedure) which stipulates the standards of sediments and oil removal tests in Canada. The test results indicated that: (1) TSS treatment efficiency of EVD was observed to decline with the particle size and flow rate; and (2) the average overall TSS treatment efficiency decreased from 52% to 44% as the flow rate doubled.