Critical velocity of floatables in combined sewer overflow (CSO) chambers.

Although the efficiency of underflow baffles has never been clearly proven, these underflow baffles have gained in popularity over the last few years as a viable means to intercept floatables in Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). These pilot scale essays, performed in a 17.0 metres basin at various flowrates, show that a critical horizontal velocity (V(CR)) may develop in the overflow chamber. Whenever this critical velocity is exceeded, floatables that would normally rise to the surface are kept within the flow and never intercepted, thus rendering the underflow baffle ineffective. The equation relating the critical horizontal velocity to the vertical velocity is found to be: V(CR) = 16 w R(H) 1/6.