Innovative pumped mixing maximises anaerobic digestion 07 June 2013

Anglian's Water is reporting a payback of less than two months on a pilot scheme on one of five digesters at its Great Billing sewage treatment works, due to an innovative pumping system.

System Mix provided a trial system, which involved modifying one of the digester's three roof-mounted nozzles – reducing its length and adding a plume distributor plate, allowing around 10% of the recirculation flow to act as the foam buster.

In extreme circumstances during 2012, the digester in question had consumed a one cubic metre capacity IBC of de-foamer every two or three days. Following the installation of the trial system, Anglian Water reckons the new arrangement has resulted in savings of £20,000.

Hence the payback of less than two months, and Anglian is now planning similar foam suppression nozzles on the other four digesters at Great Billing. Under normal operating conditions, it says, the ROI will be just six or seven months.

System Mix says it has completed similar successful digester mixing projects in the last 18 months with Veolia, Shanks Waste Management, Fernbrook Bio, BioGen, Imtech, Black and Veatch, in addition to many of the larger UK waste water companies.

The company says that improvements in understanding of the digestion process and sludge rheology, plus its wealth of solids pumping and mixing options, is enabling anaerobic digestion plant operators to install the Rotamix System, without fear of expensive downtime or poor performance.

Brian Tinham

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