Wastewater Screen Design For Membrane Bioreactor Protection

The benefits of drum screens in an MBR environment

Inclined or horizontal drum screens are commonly used to protect a smaller (<7 MGD) MBR treatment process.  Drum screens have a minimum of seals, typically just an inlet seal and outlet seal so the capture ratio for this screen is high. However, drums screens have their drawbacks:

• Drum screens require a larger footprint to operate. Larger equipment can reach 10 ft diameter drums rated for screening to 10 MGD each.  Redundancy is typically included in most MBR screening designs.
• Wide channels allow for grit settling in front of the screens during a low-flow period. If a peak-flow event follows, accumulated grit is picked up and deposited inside the drum.
• Not the best option for retrofits, since wide channels are required.
• Drum screens can be more difficult and costly to maintain and operate given larger equipment sizes.
• Channel design is limited and operational flexibility to handle varied flows is limited.
• More space is required for solids handling equipment due to the wide channel requirements needed with drum screening equipment.

The benefits of center-flow band screens for MBR systems

The center-flow band screen has a lot of advantages, including its efficiency at screenings capture. Unlike drum screens, they are good for smaller widths and deeper channels, which allows them to handle a wide range of flows.

The advantage of center-flow band screens for large installations:

• Can be used in narrow and deeper channels to provide best hydraulics.
• Their performance requires fewer channels
• Small footprint. This makes them a good choice for retrofits.
  
  

The center-flow band screen offers up to two-times the grid area than a through-flow band screen design. This configuration delivers lower headloss at a higher capacity.  And because of their ability to operate in deeper channels, center-flow band screens offer much greater operational flexibility.

Like it’s drum counterpart, the center-flow band screen has its drawbacks, but not nearly as many:

• A center-flow screen design must be made specifically for MBR application including low tolerances between connecting elements. The market has many center flow screen designs that do not have the precision design needed to limit debris leakage through seals.
• The installation base for center flow designs is smaller than drum screening designs used for MBR processes.

Hydro-Dyne supports your MBR operations

Hydro-Dyne is the leader is building screens that meet the needs of plant operations throughout the United States and around the world. We can do the same for your facility’s flow and channel dimensions.

Our work is distinguished by having some of the highest SCRs (screening capture rates) in the industry. From our Clearwater, Fla., headquarters, we manufacture components that exceed the industry standards for performance and reliability. We’ve led over 2,000 installations of our equipment worldwide.

Hydro-Dyne’s Great White Center Flow Screen has a formal approval from Kubota to be used as a pre-screen to protect their MBR Systems. The Great White is the only center flow screen to have this distinction; Suez and Evoqua have also given the Great White formal approval.

To speak with a Hydro-Dyne expert about which screening system is right for your wastewater treatment facility, call us at 813-818-0777 or contact us online.