Belt Conveyor for Transferring Municipal Screenings Intercontinental Airport Wastewater Treatment Plant (IAH) in Houston, TX

General Description

The City of Houston has an ongoing program for improvements to major area wastewater treatment plants. The IAH Wastewater Treatment Plant is located in north Houston, Texas and various upgrades and improvements including replacement of pumps at the influent lift station, construction of headworks structure and installation of mechanical bar screens and other improvements to the aeration basins, clarifiers, and non-potable water system.

Pepper Lawson Waterworks, LLC was the successful bidder for this Design-Bid-Build project which included rehabilitation of the Headworks building as one of the packages of work. This package included:

1. Demolition of three (3) existing rotary screens, one (1) conveyor, control panels, stairs, walkways, piping and appurtenances as shown on the drawings.
2. Structural improvements to accommodate two (2) new mechanical bar screens, one (1) manual bar screen and one (1) bypass channel.
3. Installation of two (2) new mechanical bar screens, one (1) manual bar screen.
4. Furnishing and installation of screenings conveyor and of trash receiving station.

Design Parameters

KWS Advantages

KWS Environmental worked closely with the engineers at CP&Y and as well as other process equipment manufacturers to ensure that the complete system layout and connections to the building could be accomplished efficiently and without issue. The bar screens and KWS Environmental belt conveyor had to be designed together as a package because of tight clearances and the direct interface between the equipment.

The KWS Environmental belt conveyor was designed with an understanding of the residuals conveyed including the impact of upset conditions on the conveyor performance. Controls and interlocks had to be coordinated with the other vendors and plant systems.

KWS Environmental has the resources and experience to be a full partner through design, manufacture, installation and commissioning. As an ISO 9001 certified company, KWS Environmental ensures that every design follows a rigid, documented process based on solid design theory and many successful installations.

KWS supported the installation, commissioning and training by providing a qualified and registered engineer familiar with the project, design requirements and equipment delivered.

Special Features

KWS Environmental provided a belt conveyor along with instrumentation and controls to transfer screenings from the bar screens to a load out area. The belt conveyor was designed and manufactured with a full stainless steel enclosure and drain pan to control any free liquid and reduce housekeeping issues.

KWS Environmental supplied high capacity rollers with double row spherical bearings and patented seal arrangement offered up to 250-percent more L10 bearing life to eliminate downtime and increase the life of the belt conveyor. KWS provided a top angle take-up assembly to make belt tightening and adjustment easy. A belt cleaning and automated wash water system was also provided to minimize housekeeping issues.

Intrinsically safe proximity sensors helped to protect the equipment against failure. A NEMA 4X, stainless steel control panel for control in Auto and Local modes provided local operation and directly interfaced with the main control panel.