傳統的沉澱試驗若運用於化學沉降污泥，勢必會破壞其原有的沉澱性質，因應不同污泥性質與入流水水質之變化，沉澱設備需即時調整與控制以維持穩定處理成效，現行沉澱設備多藉由出流水水質進行控制，無法即時針對入流之污泥調整適當的水力停留時間。本研究應用一套已發展的量測技術與裝置，針對含銅污泥其沉澱特性進行量測，了解其各種不同時間、不同高程之下污泥的變化，以提供並協助發展自動控制之依據。利用Beer-Lambert原理在光線強度的變化為主要關鍵，藉由感測器對光線強度產生不同的訊號值，自槽頂到槽底依照各深度位置的污泥分佈，估算污泥於水面下一定深度中光強度隨時間的變化，建立吸收光與污泥變化的關係，掌握到污泥沉澱分布的情形並進行不同高程訊號變化與時間、高度相互關係。數位影像RGB色彩模式的變化，在不同階段污泥的狀態有其意義存在，可藉由判斷澄清界面移動、層沉降及污泥分佈。 Settling columns are commonly used in library to determine the settling of sludge. However, drawing solution from sampling ports introduces shear, which may destruct the flocs and. Thus the characteristics of flocs cannot be determined properly. Optical image analysis was used to investigate the settling characteristics of chemical precipitates in this work. The settling of chemical precipitates formed at various operation conditions in a pilot settling tank was recorded continuously and the RGB values of the images were analyzed at different depth and different times. Based on the Beer-Lambert law, the intensity of light passes through the settling tank decreases as the concentration of flocs increases. The results showed that the variation of RGB values provided important information of the settling characteristics of sludge. The G value was always the highest and the R value was always the lowest for the sludge image. The R value shifted to in between B and G value once the solution were clarified. The slope and the pattern of RGB values were affected by the distribution of flocs, the settling velocity, and concentration of flocs. Also, the variation of RGB values with time at different depth of water have different patterns, which may be important information when study zone settling
