DB-800

Vortex
Grit Remover

separates , since it has a higher specific gravity than the organic matter. It
should be noted that since the settling rates of these materials can be
quite similar, complete separation of
the grit from the organic matter is difficult. The Vortex Grit Remover is,
however, designed to approach complete grit separation when properly
operated.

Description

Introduction

Design Criteria

The VortexGrit Remover is used to

protect equipment at municipal or
industrial wastewater treatment
plants from damage and excessive
wear due to abrasion from grit.
Removing grit with a Vortex Grit
Remover can reduce maintenance
costs and help reduce troublesome
operational difficulties, such as downtime for clarifiers and digesters to
remove accumulated grit.

A well-designed grit remover must

be more than just a settling tank,
since it must separate organic
putrescible matter from the grit over a
range of flows. A commonly used
design is based on grit particles with
a specific gravity of 2.65 at a temperature of 60F. By maintaining proper
velocities in the grit remover, the grit

In a literal sense, the term grit

includes any small, coarse particles
of sand, gravel, or other minute
pieces of mineral matter. However, in
wastewater treatment practice, the
definition of grit may be broadened to
include such things as coffee
grounds, seeds, bone chips, etc.
Grit is removed for three reasons:
(1) to protect moving mechanical
equipment from abrasion and accompanying abnormal wear, (2) to reduce
pipe clogging caused by deposition of
grit particles or heavy sludge in pipes
and channels, particularly where the
pipes change direction, and (3) to
reduce the frequency of digester and
settling-tank cleaning required as the
result of excessive accumulations of
grit in these units.

Page 2

The Vortex Grit Remover employs a

circular tank equipped with a turbine
type rotor to control velocities.
Collected grit is pumped to a cyclone
concentrator, and then to a screw
classifier or wedge-wire screen, for
final separation of the grit from the
water. Aeration can be included with
the system if the sewage tends to be
septic when it reaches the treatment
plant. The addition of air into the grit
remover tends to mitigate odors and
imparts dissolved oxygen to the
waste. Air is normally introduced into
the Vortex Grit Remover by including
a sparger which is located under the
rotor.

speed drive may be adjusted to provide the desired velocity. ODO has
long been the leader in variable
speed drive applications; not only for
the Vortex Grit Remover, but also for
mechanical aeration and mixing
devices.

Variable Speed Circulator Drive

Walkway

To
Dewatering

Pipe Trough
Cover Plate

Vorti-Mix
Circulator

Pipe
Trough

Grit
Pump

Sump Cover
Plate

Figure 1 Cross section of a Vortex Grit Remover

Grit Remover Operation

The circulator, driven by a variable
speed drive, creates a three dimensional flow pattern that gently rolls
the basins contents, allowing the
heavier grit to settle, while resuspending the organics.
The variable speed drive on the
Vortex Grit Remover provides the
operating flexibility so important for
optimum separation of various types
of grit over a wide range of flows.
The inlet to the grit remover is tangential to the basin, allowing wastewater to be directly introduced into
the flow pattern created by the turbine circulator. The circulator acts as
a low head pump, creating a vortex
within the grit chamber and a rotating
pattern of flow. The controlled flow
pattern is outward and horizontal at
the liquid surface. Since the volume
pumped exceeds the throughput by
many times, the liquid mass passes
downward along the basin walls and
then, inwardly across the floor, to be
drawn upward into the eye of the vortex. The horizontal flow velocity
induced by the rotor sweeps the grit
to the center, where it drops into the
grit sump, while the organics are
resuspended into the flow stream.

The grit is then pumped to the dewatering device.

Design With Aeration

The principle of operation is the
same as for the standard design. A
circulator similar to the
Vorti-MixuSubmerged Turbine Aerator
is used. The rotor is located near the
bottom of the
chamber, and an air sparger is
placed directly below the rotor. I n
this application, the aerator fulfills the
dual purposes of controlling velocity
and aerating the waste. By incorporating a variable speed drive, the
operator can control the process over
a wide range of flows.

No Short Circulting The inlet is

270 degrees away from the effluent
weir. Also, the basin geometry provides optimum vortex performance,
eliminating dead spots.
Maximum Operating Control -The
circulator speed can be changed to
obtain the optimum separation of grit
and organic matter to meet the specific requirements of each treatment
plant.
Minimum Headloss Because
an overflow weir is not required, a
major source of headloss in the grit
remover is eliminated. This results in
better plant hydraulics and reduced
pumping costs.

Applications:
The Vortex Grit Remover can be
applied anytime grit must be removed
from the influent to a wastewater
treatment plant. Standard designs,
employing tanks which range from
5-0 diameter through 30-0 diameter, are available. Any of these may
be equipped with aeration.
For specific recommendations,
please contact us at your local
Ondeo Degremont Inc. Sales Office,
or at our Richmond, Virginia, headquarters.

Advantages
The Vortex Grit Remover provides
advantages which make it an excellent choice for any pretreatment
application.
Variable Hydraulic Loading - The
optimum velocity to prevent organic
putrescible particles from settling
while allowing the grit to be separated is obviously variable based on
plant flow. To optimize the process
under variable flow conditions, constant velocity must be maintained
within the separation tank. A variable
Page 3

USA Headquarters
ONDEO Degremont, Inc.
P.O. Box 71390
Richmond, Virginia 23255-1390 USA
2924 Emerywood Parkway
Richmond, VA 23294 USA
Telephone: (804) 756-7600
Telefax: (804) 756-7643
E-mail: info@ondeo-degremont-usa.com
www.ondeo-degremont-usa.com
Manufacturers Representatives in most major cities

USA Affiliates
Degrmont North American
Research and Development Center
P.O. Box 26442
Richmond, VA 23261-6442
Telephone: (804) 225-0778
Telefax: (804) 225-8121

Ozonia North America

P.O. Box 455
491 Edward H. Ross Drive
Elmwood, NJ 07407 USA
Telephone: (201) 794-3100
Telefax: (201) 794-3358

Anderson Water Systems

44 Head Street, Dundas
Ontario L9H 3H3 Canada
Phone: (905) 627-9233
Fax: (905) 628-6623

North American Affiliates

ONDEO Degrmont Lte.
1375, route Transcanadienne #400
Dorval, Qubec H9P 2W8
Telephone: (514) 683-1200
Telefax: (514) 683-1203
E-mail: info@degremontna.ca

World Headquarters
ONDEO Degrmont, S.A.
183 avenue du 18 juin 1940
92508 Rueil-Malmaison
France
Telephone: 33 1 46 25 60 00
Telefax: 33 1 42 04 16 99

ONDEO Degremont Inc.

February 2002 Printed in U.S.A.