The Mechanized Grit Chamber is equipment that operates in the wastewater treatment process in situations where solid particles are present in the water, mainly sand, which is mostly composed of mineral material such as gravel, silt, and pebbles. In smaller quantities, it may also contain putrescible organic matter, such as grains in general, pieces of fruit and vegetables, fats, and hair.
This removal is intended to eliminate or reduce adverse effects on the operation of downstream components, prevent abrasion in equipment and piping, reduce clogging in WWTP units, and facilitate the handling and transport of liquid and solid phases throughout the plant's units.
In industry, it can also be used for byproduct recovery, such as in the recycling sector.
The differential of the MCLvale Mechanized Grit Chamber is its scum removal screw, which removes floating solids, oils, greases, fats, and other materials with a density lower than water.
The equipment operates through a sedimentation process, in which water enters the settling tank and has its velocity reduced, allowing heavier solid particles to settle to the bottom of the tank and be directed to the outlet channel via the grit chamber's helical screw. Lighter particles float and are carried to the scum-removal screw by the water flow itself.
Finally, the clarified effluent exits the equipment through the upper rear section. This system has the advantage of occupying less space, since its detention time is shorter, having minimal head loss, and removing sand very effectively — including finer particle sizes — as well as floating material.
