Case Study from HydroFLOW Canada
Centrifuge struvite control at Woodward Avenue WWTP
Centrifuge struvite control was a costly problem at Woodward Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant in Hamilton, Ontario, which has a reported average capacity of 409 million litres a day and dewaters digested sludge on four Alfa Laval G2 centrifuges. Struvite built up after around 400 operating hours, blocking machine ports and centrate discharge pipework and abrading the barrel and slot-ring surfaces, and an off-site barrel rebuild cost more than $70,000 and took weeks. One HydroFLOW® i160 was installed on the stainless-steel sludge feed line about 6 ft before a G2 centrifuge for a three-month trial. The ports and pipework stayed clear, the remaining deposits washed off more easily, and projected savings exceeded $50,000 a year per centrifuge.
The Challenges
- Centrifuge struvite control was needed on four Alfa Laval G2 centrifuges
- Significant deposits could develop after around 400 operating hours
- Centrate discharge piping and machine ports became blocked
- Hard build-up abraded the barrel and slot-ring surfaces
- An off-site barrel rebuild cost more than $70,000 and took weeks
The Solution
- Unit installed: one HydroFLOW® i160
- Installation point: sludge feed line, about 6 ft before the centrifuge
- Pipe: 6-inch stainless steel
- Trial: three months on site
For centrifuge struvite control at the source, the i160 was fitted to the incoming sludge feed line about 6 ft upstream of one G2 centrifuge, and the signal was checked at installation. Over the three-month trial, the centrifuge, its ports and the centrate discharge pipework were inspected and compared with their condition before treatment.
Testimonial
“Well, I put my backside on the line to try this technology and I am very pleased with the results, it has done what we were told it would do”
— Darren Lister, Mechanical Supervisor
