Ceramic-Lined Screenings Conveyors for DELCORA Chester, PA

General Description

DELCORA (The Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority) has been providing a regional solution to the vital need of wastewater treatment for almost four decades. DELCORA has invested more than $120 million in construction since beginning operation in the early 1970s. Through the safe collection, conveyance, and treatment of over 100 millions of gallons of wastewater every day, the Delaware River and its tributaries are clean and healthy. A major part of this program is their state-of-the-art 25-acre Western Regional Treatment Plant in Chester.

The treatment process is carefully monitored from start to finish to ensure removal of solid material, organic matter, microorganisms, and industrial wastes that are harmful to people and the environment. At the beginning of the plant, large items such as rocks, cans, plastic bags, sticks and rags are taken from the influent flow by partially submerged screening machines. The screening process ensures these large items will not clog pipes and pumps and interfere with the biological and chemical processes needed to further treat the wastewater. As soon as the screenings are raised from the settling channel, they are moved to a washer/compactor for rinse and volume reduction. As part of the new screenings loadout equipment, KWS Environmental provided a system of shaftless screw conveyors to convey the compacted screenings to dumpsters.

Design Parameters

1. Product Type: Compacted Screenings
2. Material Density: 50-80 Lbs. per Cubic Foot
3. Max Capacity: 1,080 Cubic Feet per Hour
4. Duty: 7 days a week, 24 Hours per Day

KWS Advantages

Understanding the need for a highly reliable and worry-free solution, the engineer and owner selected KWS Environmental ceramic-lined shaftless conveyors from the very beginning. KWS provided the specification with exact details for the conveyors, supports and chutes so the contractor understood the full scope of the project. Attention to detail and the use of 3D modeling by the KWS engineering team made the design process easy. The overall quality of the technical details provided on the design submittal saved the engineer and contractor time and avoided headaches. KWS provided a report of the calculations for each support and anchor point approved and stamped by a professional engineer.

The new screening system contains duplicate screens, compactors, and conveyors for full redundancy. As a result, the systems had to be started up separately so one could always be running. On multiple occassions, KWS provided a qualified professional engineer to conduct the startup and training so all the equipment was put into service smoothly.

Special Features

The KWS Environmental shaftless screw conveyor troughs and covers were constructed from 316 stainless steel for extra corrosion resistance. The shaftless spirals were made from the exclusive KWS-350 micro-alloy material that is the strongest and most durable spiral on the market. The troughs were lined with ½-inch thick ceramic tiles, ensuring an extremely long maintenance life while handling the abrasive product.

KWS engineered the supports and chute structures needed so the conveyors could be cantilevered off the structure and the compacted screenings would discharge to the dumpster at ground level. KWS provided heat tracing and insulation for the entire trough sections so the compacted screenings would not freeze and stick inside the troughs during winter conditions. The conveyors are fully enclosed to ensure safety and that none of the messy product can spill.