Biosolids Load Out System Utilizing Flex-Wall Belt & Screw Conveyors Bloomsburg WWTP in Bloomsburg, PA
Bloomsburg Waste Water Treatment Plant
Bloomsburg, PA
Gannett Fleming, Inc.
ContractorGalway Bay Corporation
McKeesport, PA
Bloomsburg Waste Water Treatment Plant
Bloomsburg, PA
General Description
Bloomsburg, PA is a small, historic town located within Columbia County and is home to just over 14,000 residents. The Bloomsburg Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is located on the Susquehanna River in Bloomsburg, PA and services the surrounding area. Improvements were required at the wastewater treatment plant and KWS Environmental worked closely with the city and the Gannett Fleming, the consulting engineer to provide a long-term solution.
Multiple rotary presses were used to dewater the biosolids. The dewatered cake discharged to a shaftless screw conveyor which then transferred the material to a flex-wall belt conveyor. The flex-wall belt conveyor then conveyed and elevated the biosolids to the truck loading bay which was located approximately 65-feet away. The flex-wall belt conveyor discharged to a reversing shafted transfer screw conveyor which then fed one of two truck loading shafted screw conveyors. Lime was added and mixed with the biosolids using shafted screw conveyors. The lime/biosolids mixture was then loaded into trucks and hauled to disposal. KWS Environmental provided the complete biosolids load out system including all of the conveyors and controls.
Design Parameters
- Type of Sludge: Municipal Dewatered Biosolids
- Material Density – max: 55 to 65 Lbs. per Cubic Foot
- Solids, percent by weight: 18 to 28-percent
- Capacity (max): 10.0 Wet Tons per Hour
- Capacity: 400 Cubic Feet per Hour
- Duty: 24 Hours per Day, 7 Days per Week
KWS Advantages
KWS Environmental is a system supplier with full design and manufacturing capabilities. Engineers at KWS Environmental worked closely Gannett Fleming to design every element of the load out system from the rotary presses to final disposal. The fully engineered system provided by KWS Environmental included design (mechanical, controls and instrumentation), manufacture in the US, delivery and startup services. The engineers at KWS have significant experience with many different types of conveyors which allowed for optimal selection of the most appropriate conveyance technology to convey biosolids, lime and mixed product. KWS Environmental had the ability to model the equipment in 3D to make sure the equipment layout was optimized and there were no interferences with other equipment. The 3D modeling was invaluable to integration into the plant and coordination with other process equipment.
Special Features
The shaftless screw conveyor design included special KWS-350 micro-alloy spirals, the strongest, hardest and toughest shaftless spirals in the industry. The unit was also designed to be water-tight to prevent any leakage of product. The mixed product shafted screw conveyors utilized abrasion-resistant AR235 liners to address the unique problems associated with conveying abrasive lime/sludge mixture. The flex-wall belt conveyor was completely enclosed to contain odor and eliminate any leakage of sludge. Multiple changes in elevation in the plant layout were easily handled using the flex-wall belt conveyor.
The complete conveying system was very rugged and designed for many years of service without downtime. All of the conveying equipment was factory assembled and tested at KWS to make sure installation, startup, commissioning and full operation could happen without delay or issues at the site.
Testimonial
"The KWS Environmental equipment installed without issue and the factory support helped us get through commissioning quickly and efficiently. Thank you for your help."
Darren Safran, Project Manager – Galway Bay Corporation