Comparison of Designs

Comparison of designs

A brief exposition of characteristics of conventional and direct filtration plants compared to the AquaGem is listed below.

1 ) Large conventional water treatment plants
These use the principle of flocculation and settling to make the suspended solids (dirt) form large heavy particles (called flocs) which sink when the water becomes relatively calm (laminar flow). Here, settling tanks or upflow clarifiers are usually used, which are large tanks where the rate of rise of the water is usually less than 300mm per hour. This requires that the plant be physically large. However, the bulk of the dirt is removed in this process, and only a small fraction is left in the water for it to be filtered. Consequently, the filters can operate for long periods before requiring a backwash, or use relatively small filters. In addition, very high dirt loads can be handled easily because most of the dirt is removed by settling prior to filtration.

Advantages :
Can handle very high dirt loads
Long filter run
Very little water wasted by backwashing
Relatively low power consumption

Disadvantages:
Dimensionally large - must be constructed at the site.
Custom design for each application
Expensive
Requires continuous supervision

2) Mini ( package) plants
These operate on the principle of direct filtration. This is where a flocculant and coagulant are injected into the raw water and form flocs. The water then immediately goes into a filter. Here the flocculant acts as a filter aid, allowing the filter to remove the suspended dirt, with the accompanying disadvantage of a very short filter run prior to backwashing, or a very large filter. In addition, relatively large pumps have to be used to pump water through the large filter. A major disadvantage of the direct filtration method is that at very high dirt loads, breakthrough of the filter occurs. This is when the dirt is no longer trapped by the filter, but passes straight through it, with no filtration effect.

Advantages:
Dimensionally small

Disadvantages:
Very heavy due to large filters
Relatively high power consumption
Short filter runs
Water wastage due to frequent or lengthy backwashing
High floc dosages
Cannot handle very high dirt loads (approx. 100 NTU max)
Requires continuous supervision

3) The AquaGem
This has all the elements of a conventional treatment plant, except that the clarification is not done in a settling tank, but in a revolutionary clarifier. This is dimensionally small and is almost as efficient as any settling tank in terms of removal of suspended dirt. Because the water that enters the filter has had most of the dirt removed, the filters can be relatively small, with long filter runs, low water use for backwashing and relatively small pumps.

Advantages:
All of the above-mentioned advantages of conventional and mini (package) plants

Disadvantages:
None

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