Anish, I didn't notice the image files attached to your post when I first replied. Your files indicate that you have "claritube" settlers for sludge separation from a fixed film system of some kind. This could well be one of the sources of your problem. These have been very aggressively designed in the past by manufacturers of these devices. I have designed lamella separators for a client in the distant past, based on manufacturer's recommendations. I wish that I hadn't. Subsequent work that my colleagues and I have done using computational fluid dynamics analysis indicates that these types of devices can fail at rates significantly lower than the aggressive rates often mentioned by manufacturers and textbooks. This makes me even more concerned that you not put your faith in one manufacturer, but in an engineering advisor with wide experience and knowledge. I see dozens of comments by manufacturers here. It is fine to be aware of these, but I strongly advise that you not follow their advice prior to doing an unbiased study by an experienced and knowledgeable engineer. The EPA document posted above is a good place to start. EPA hasn't done any really significant research in wastewater treatment since 1980. You really need to seek out the advice of an experienced engineer. Best wishes, Randal Samstag

Published by

Anish, I didn't notice the image files attached to your post when I first replied. Your files indicate that you have "claritube" settlers for sludge separation from a fixed film system of some kind. This could well be one of the sources of your problem. These have been very aggressively designed in the past by manufacturers of these devices. I have designed lamella separators for a client in the distant past, based on manufacturer's recommendations. I wish that I hadn't. Subsequent work that my colleagues and I have done using computational fluid dynamics analysis indicates that these types of devices can fail at rates significantly lower than the aggressive rates often mentioned by manufacturers and textbooks. This makes me even more concerned that you not put your faith in one manufacturer, but in an engineering advisor with wide experience and knowledge. I see dozens of comments by manufacturers here. It is fine to be aware of these, but I strongly advise that you not follow their advice prior to doing an unbiased study by an experienced and knowledgeable engineer. The EPA document posted above is a good place to start. EPA hasn't done any really significant research in wastewater treatment since 1980. You really need to seek out the advice of an experienced engineer. Best wishes, Randal Samstag