The grim business of solids and screenings removal from sewage can be assisted with a Dragon Sock. Using an inexpensive doubled-over veggie-net, the Dragon Sock is a tidy and compact screenings collection method. Some advantages include;
- unexpectedly good at removing fats
- inexpensive to replace and remove
- small volume when dried
- simple disposal via drums to landfill
Trans fats are difficult to capture at the inlet screen of a sewage treatment plant because of their physical and chemical properties. Here’s why:
- Molecular Structure and Solubility: Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat, often present in liquid form or as part of emulsified products like oils and grease. Unlike solid debris, trans fats are not large enough to be trapped by inlet screens, which are typically designed to capture solids (like plastics or organic matter) rather than liquids or dissolved substances.
- Low Density and Floatability: Being less dense than water, trans fats (often found in grease or oil forms) tend to float on the surface of wastewater rather than flow evenly through the system. In gravity-based systems, they may bypass the screens entirely, especially if the screens are submerged and not designed to filter floating substances.
- Dispersal in Water: Trans fats can break down into smaller droplets when agitated in the wastewater stream. Once emulsified, they can be carried through the screen pores due to their small size, evading typical screening processes.
- The Dragon Sock is strategically installed at the head of the wastewater treatment plant.
- It effectively captures solids within a veggie net sock.
- Its modular design makes it adaptable to various sewage treatment applications, whether retrofitting existing facilities or integrating into new projects.
- Notably, the Dragon Sock system features no moving parts, utilizes disposable netting, and achieves screening down to 3mm, making it an efficient and easy-to-install solution for effective wastewater management.
- For MBR applications or instances where fine impellored pumps are required for processing mixed liquor, finer screening is necessary.
- In a sewage treatment plant, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS) are critical parameters used to assess the quality of wastewater and the efficiency of treatment processes.
- TSS:
- TSS refers to the total amount of solid material suspended in water, including both organic and inorganic substances, such as sediment, algae, and other organic matter.
- TSS is typically measured by filtering a known volume of wastewater through a filter, drying the collected solids, and weighing them. It is expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L).
- High TSS levels can indicate poor water quality and may lead to problems in treatment processes, such as clogging filters or reducing the efficiency of biological treatment systems.
- VSS:
- VSS represents the portion of suspended solids that can be volatilized when heated to a high temperature, typically around 550°C. This primarily includes organic matter and microorganisms.
- VSS is determined by measuring the TSS first and then measuring the remaining solids after igniting a sample. The difference between TSS and the residual solids gives the VSS value, also expressed in mg/L.
- VSS is a useful indicator of the organic content in the wastewater, which is crucial for understanding the biological treatment capacity. High VSS values suggest a greater presence of biodegradable material that can be effectively treated in aerobic and anaerobic processes.
- TSS includes all suspended solids (both organic and inorganic), whereas VSS only accounts for organic material that can be oxidized.
- Monitoring both TSS and VSS helps in assessing the effectiveness of sewage treatment processes. High TSS can hinder treatment efficiency, while VSS provides insight into the organic loading that microbial processes must address.
- In general, a lower ratio of VSS to TSS indicates a higher proportion of inorganic material in the incoming sewage.