Projects




CLARIDAF CLARIFIER
Flowrate: Up to 1,500 gpm
Traditional lamella / inclined plates for settling solids along with an DAF pump and a skimmer for floating materials (fats, oils and grease)
Built on the ClariMax chassis
Proprietary co-current and counter current design for high efficiency and small footprint
CLARIDAF CLARIFIER
Flowrate: Up to 1,500 gpm
Traditional lamella / inclined plates for settling solids along with an DAF pump and a skimmer for floating materials (fats, oils and grease)
Built on the ClariMax chassis
Proprietary co-current and counter current design for high efficiency and small footprint
Slider

The HydroFloTech ClariDAF™ inclined plate clarifier with a DAF combination is a unique clarifier in the world of wastewater treatment equipment. The ClariDAF™ is perfect for applications where there are some solids that tend to settle while also some fats, oils and grease, that tend to float to the top. By the addition of dissolved air flotation (DAF) systems to our inclined plate pack technology, we are able to achieve exceptional results in a compact, high efficiency floatation and clarification system. The inclined plated in the middle of the unit allow for heavier particles to slide down into the sludge chamber. Lighter particles that typically want to float to the top are assisted to the top of the separation chamber with our unique DAF pump / air introduction system. Once floating to the top, these particles are skimmed with a surface drag skimmer. There is also a mechanical sludge thickener at the bottom to help compress solids and evacuate them out of the sludge area.

ClariDAF Clarifier

Standard Features

  • Proprietary co-current and counter-current flow design for smaller footprint and better efficiency
  • 55 degree inclined / lamella parallel plates
  • CRAD Air introduction system along with surface drag skimmer
  • Adjustable effluent V-notch troughs
  • Epoxy coated ASTM A-36 carbon steel tank
  • Polypropylene plate packs
  • Integral mechanical sludge thickener
ClariDAF Clarifier - Standard Features

Available Options

  • Tank materials: A-36 carbon steel (standard), stainless steel – 304 / 316L
  • Plate pack materials: Polypropelene (standard), 304 stainless steel
  • Pump packages (automatic, lift station): Influent, effluent, sludge
  • Sludge treatment packages: automatic sludge pump, sludge tank, dewatering systems
  • Integral mechanical sludge thickener
  • Integrated automatic chemical pre-treatment systems for pH adjustment, coagulant, polymer
  • Access platforms with ladder or stairs
  • Effluent monitoring and sampling
  • Influent equalization
  • Instrumentation and controls
ClariDAF Clarifier - Available Options

The most turbulent area found in “standard” inclined plate clarifier design is the area between the influent trough and the entrance to the plate pack. Short circuiting, high velocity areas and Eddy currents are present throughout this area, creating turbulence and misdistribution at the main plate pack entry areas.

In researching ways to minimize these problems, we discovered something interesting. First we altered the influent configurations and influent baffling. These changes did help minimize these issues but not enough to make a significant difference. Our real breakthrough came when we combined co-current and counter-current designs. This “hybrid” design greatly improved fluid dynamics throughout the entire clarifier. This configuration also allows us to take advantage of both co-current and counter-current design principles (as detailed in “Wastewater Engineering” by Metcalf and Eddy). The results are a step up from any of the other clarifier designs available today.

The net benefit of this “hybrid” design is greatly improved hydraulic loading and an improvement in the overall efficiency of the clarifier.

Influent distribution is greatly improved.
HydroFloTech’s influent configuration allows for the largest influent trough configuration available in the market. This huge 504 square inch connection between the clarifier and the flash/floc tank reduces influent velocities to the lowest available anywhere. This creates the ideal transition from clarifier influent to the primary co-current plate packs. The cross-sectional resistance created by the primary co-current plate packs in combination with the counter-current plate packs and HydroFloTech’s adjustable effluent trough system gives us better influent flow distribution than any other style clarifier on the market. This gives us far superior plate coverage and greater operation efficiencies than traditional designs.

Central Surface Drag Skimmer.
Surface Drag Skimmer for removal of floatable contaminants, can be utilized when system is operated as a solids sedimentation Clarifier for the removal of floatable materials trapped in the clarifiers influent distribution system.

The drive mechanism is a variable timed TEFC motor with gear reduction transmission.  The entire surface flight skimmer system is self-contained in a box frame that permits removal as a unit to facilitate shipping, installation, service, and cleaning.

Large quantities of solids are immediately removed from the waste stream by the co-current section.

The largest, heaviest, fastest settling floc particles are all trapped by the central co-current pack. Over 40% of the TSS are removed in this section. Often, numbers in excess of 50% are attainable. These solids are carried along the surfaces of the co-current plate packs (past the flow transition point from co-current to counter-current) directly into the sludge collection chamber.

Solids handling, as well as solids loading ratios are greatly improved over the typical counter-current designs available in the market. 
One of the greatest issues faced by traditional counter-current clarifiers is the impact that accumulated solids have on overall clarifier efficiency. As the solids accumulate on the surfaces of the plates, they have to migrate along the surfaces of the plate to the bottom of the plate where they are discharged into the sludge collection chamber. As these solids accumulate, they reduce the effective “gap” or space between the plates. This increases the velocities through the plate packs reducing the clarifiers efficiency and increasing the possibility of floc carryover. By eliminating large quantities of solids in the co-current pack section, we are reducing the solids loading on the counter-current section. Less solids in the counter-current section means that our plate gaps will remain larger than other clarifier designs. Larger gaps mean lower overall velocities and less probability of floc carryover.

By utilizing the influent distribution area, our overall package is more compact than any competitive model.
Space is always a major consideration in the design, as well as the overall cost, of any water treatment facility. HydroFloTech’s hybrid design reduces a typical clarifier’s footprint by as much as 25%.

These advanced design elements, along with our standard features, make the HydroFloTech ClariDAF™ the finest Inclined Plate Clarifier available today.

ClariDAF - How it Works

Step 1. Influent Distribution Chamber with Air Introduction:

An influent distribution trough is provided to reduce influent velocities and uniformly distribute the flow to the plate pack. Laminar flow is established, and the hydraulic momentum of the incoming liquid is dissipated to prevent channeling. The HydroFloTech design uses oversized openings to prevent clogging of heavy suspended solids. The unique ClariDAF design includes a CRAD Air Introduction System reintroduces a slip stream of treated water (from the system’s effluent) back to the system’s influent. This pressurized, recycled water is saturated with dissolved air. When the pressure is released at the system’s influent, the air comes out of solution on the surface of suspended solids particles throughout the dissolved air flotation (DAF) influent mixing chamber. As these billions of micro bubbles come out of solution, they float the suspended solids particle to the surface of the dissolved air flotation (DAF) separation chamber, where they are removed by a surface skimmer

A key factor for maximizing the efficiencies of a DAF is the generation of equally sized micro bubbles. These bubbles, ranging from 20 to 50 microns in diameter, will give the suspended solids an equal and steady rise rate of 10 to 12 inches per minute, to the tank surface

By properly sizing our system (atomized water surface area, air dissolving rate, etc.) we can dissolve the maximum amount of air, physically possible, into the recycled water.

Step 2. Influent (primary co-current) plate pack:
The influent plate pack is positioned below the influent distribution trough. This “primary” pack removes more than 40% of the incoming suspended solids before flow transitions into the main up flow packs.

These primary packs extend down into the sludge collection chamber carrying the settled sludge away from the pack effluent area without the possibility of re-entrainment. Flow exits the bottom of the primary pack from the side, directly into the main (up flow) plate packs.

 Step 3. Main (counter-current) plate pack:
Flow enters the bottom of the main plate packs from the side where the flow is evenly distributed throughout the pack. Flow travels up through the pack toward the effluent overflow troughs where the clarified water is carried toward the separator discharge. The bottom of these packs extends down into the sludge collection chamber carrying the settled sludge away from the pack influent without the possibility of re-entrainment.

Plate Pack Material of Construction:

HydroFloTech plate packs are fabricated out polypropelene. This material of construction ensures longevity and ease of maintenance. HydroFloTech platepacks are also designed to become modular where they can be swapped out in the future for higher flowrates (e.g. 2” spaced plates can be swapped out for 1” plates to allow for increased flowrate situations).

Step 4. Effluent Overflow Trough:

The effluent troughs must be designed to force uniform flow throughout all plate compartments and also over the entire width of the plates. The HydroFloTech clarifier utilizes a V-notch type weir with V-notches located on each side of the trough. This allows for uniform flow distribution and also makes installation and leveling the system easier than other designs.

 Step 5. Surface Drag Skimmer:

DAF Flotation Tank Surface Skimmer:

HydroFloTech provides a removable float skimming system with frame assembly and drive motor, sprockets, chains and full width stainless steel skimming blades. The skimmer blades are mounted on swivel pins that are fastened to the skimmer chains, which maintain the blades in a down position at all times. The conveyer chains are provided with drive sprockets on a full width shaft at the drive end and four independent idler sprockets at the return end. The skimmer system frame comes equipped with a sprocket tension adjustment device and the carrying and return tracks for the chain. The entire system is self-supporting with side and end channels, and cross members with lifting lugs that permit removal of the skimmer assembly as a complete unit for easy cleaning and service. The skimmer drive system comes with a hollow shaft, maintenance free gear reducer. The skimmer system can be made vapor tight with the addition of optional cover panel.

Sludge Collection Hopper:

Located below the plate packs is an integral sludge collection hopper. The sludge hopper is available in two different configurations.

First is an inverted cone or pyramid with angles to match the expected angle of repose of the solids to be collected.

Second is a horizontal hopper bottom with integral sludge thickener. This design will break up compacted sludge and direct the sludge to the center discharge point. This design also allows for the maximum amount of sludge storage below the plates for a given height (three time as much as a cone bottom design)

Integral Mechanical Sludge Thickener

The bottom sludge thickening auger is designed to turn/fold the sludge over (at a relatively slow rate) and conveying the sludge to a central discharge point (as opposed to stirring/turning the material in a single direction) results in a more consistent, less stratified sludge blanket.  As the sludge compresses/thickens toward the center of the thickener and along the thickener’s compressing edge, water passes up into the clarifier at the thickeners ends and at its rising edge homogenize and dewater sludge and grit as it moves it to a central convergence point, where it freely flows out the sludge outlet nozzle. Our unique design allows us to use less HP drive mechanism because of the smaller overall diameter.  The drive mechanism is attached directly to the thickener with a removable safety cover. The auger is accessible by submerged bolt-on manway with Buna-N gasket material.

The sludge collection area can be designed where a sludge thickening auger may be added at a later point in time.

ClariDAF™ Clarifier – Standard Model Specifications
MODEL# 2″ PLATE SPACE 1″ PLATE SPACE CHAMBER CAPACITY UNIT DIMENSIONS (inches) OPERATING
CU FT SQ FT GPM* SQ FT GPM * Separation Sludge Unit L W H Weight (lbs.)
CLD – 045 154 39 – 77 308 77 – 154 650 229 1,399 111 105 131 15,512
CLD – 090 308 77 – 154 616 154 – 308 1,266 455 2,241 136 105 131 23,227
CLD – 135 462 116 – 231 923 231 – 462 1,883 681 3,084 160 105 131 31,003
CLD – 180 616 154 – 308 1,231 308 – 616 2,500 907 3,927 185 105 131 38,819
CLD – 225 770 193 – 385 1,539 385 – 770 3,117 1,133 4,770 209 105 131 46,693
CLD – 270 923 231 – 462 1,847 462 – 924 3,734 1,359 5,613 234 105 131 54,800
CLD – 315 1,077 270 – 539 2,155 539 – 1,078 4,350 1,585 6,455 258 105 131 62,659
CLD – 360 1,231 308 – 616 2,462 616 – 1,232 4,968 1,811 7,299 283 105 131 70,542
CLD – 405 1,385 347 – 693 2,770 693 – 1,386 5,585 2,037 8,142 307 105 131 78,656
CLD – 450 1,539 385 – 770 3,078 770 – 1,539 6,200 2,263 8,983 332 105 131 86,632
CLD – 495 1,693 424 – 847 3,386 847 – 1,693 6,820 2,489 9,829 356 105 131 94,524
CLD – 540 1,847 462 – 924 3,694 924 – 1,847 7,436 2,715 10,671 381 105 131 1,02,571
CLD – 585 2,001 501 – 1,001 4,001 1,001 – 2,001 8,053 2,941 11,514 405 105 131 1,10,438
CLD – 630 2,155 539 – 1,078 4,309 1,078 – 2,155 8,670 3,167 12,357 430 105 131 1,18,313
CLD – 675 2,309 578 – 1,155 4,617 1,155 – 2,309 9,287 3,393 13,200 454 105 131 1,26,426
CLD – 720 2,462 616 – 1,232 4,925 1,232 – 2,463 9,904 3,619 14,043 479 105 131 1,34,301
CLD – 765 2,616 655 – 1,309 5,233 1,309 – 2,617 10,521 3,845 14,886 503 105 131 1,42,169
CLD – 810 2,770 693 – 1,386 5,540 1,386 – 2,771 11,138 4,071 15,729 528 105 131 1,50,282
CLD – 855 2,924 732 – 1,463 5,848 1,463 – 2,925 11,755 4,297 16,572 552 105 131 1,58,151
CLD – 900 3,078 770 – 1,539 6,156 1,539 – 3,078 12,372 4,523 17,415 577 105 131 1,66,026
CLD – 945 3,232 808 – 1,616 6,464 1,616 – 3,232 12,989 4,749 18,258 601 105 131 1,74,139
CLD – 990 3,386 847 – 1,693 6,772 1,693 – 3,386 13,606 4,975 19,101 626 105 131 1,82,007