Everyone wants their plant to run smoothly and efficiently while keeping their operating costs down. Plants with aerated grit basins (AGB) have a big obstacle to achieving this. A legacy of the 1980s, AGBs aren’t designed to capture fine grit particles, they use a significant amount of energy and they take up a lot of valuable plant space. Retrofitting an outdated AGB to a high-performance grit removal system is a cost-effective solution that will rapidly pay for itself.
Operational expenses
The electricity required to run blowers for massive aerated grit tanks is a major operational expense for wastewater treatment plants. Submerged diffusers need to be inspected and replaced periodically. This requires taking the system offline at unpredictable intervals as well as the need for excess capacity to divert flows during maintenance.
Missing grit
Typical aerated grit basins are only designed to capture grit 212 micron and larger and their flow capacity is dependent on the size of the basin. Grit that is finer than 212 micron can often be 60 percent or more of the total amount of grit entering a plant.
Measured independent analysis at a number of different sites has shown AGB systems capturing as little at 18 percent of the total influent grit load. This allows 82 percent of grit the freedom to wreak havoc on the rest of your plant.
Reusing existing structures
In wastewater treatment projects, costs resulting from construction, permitting, financing and civil design work can be as much as 75 percent of total project costs, according to a representative from Hydro International. With equipment costs of only 25 percent, maximizing the use of existing structures significantly lowers overall project costs. When plant space is at a premium, one of the best options for many plants is to use existing tankage for alternative uses.
Unique configuration, customizable fit
The unique stacked-tray configuration of the HeadCell makes it the ideal technology for retrofitting into existing structures to significantly increase performance. The HeadCell’s small footprint and flexible design options allow it to be retrofitted into many different tank configurations and maximize the use of existing concrete and channels, reducing overall construction costs. The number of trays and tray diameters can be varied to fit in your existing tanks without sacrificing performance.
As many plants look to upgrade their grit removal process, reusing aerated grit chambers for retrofit with the HeadCell system is an excellent option. Using stacked, conically shaped trays allows a significant increase in settling surface area. Increasing surface area allows higher hydraulic capacity in a given footprint while also targeting finer grit particles.
Depending on the system configuration, grit particles as fine as 75 micron can be effectively removed in the same space as the original aerated grit chamber with lower energy costs.
Hydro International is the leading supplier of advanced grit management systems engineered to ensure operator satisfaction and protect your plant.
866-615-8130 | questions@hydro-int.com | www.hydro-int.com/TPO
