Integrated Clarifier - BIOWORKS® Rectangular Clarifier
The BIOWORKS® rectangular clarifier is a compact, integrated secondary settling system equipped with a travelling bridge for continuous sludge removal.
Installed directly at the end of the activated sludge basin (ASB), this clarifier design provides significant advantages in treatment performance, construction cost, and overall footprint.
Clarifier Configuration and Flow Path
The clarifier shares a common wall with the ASB, allowing mixed liquor to enter through multiple evenly spaced openings along the wall.
These openings are designed to maintain low inflow velocities, ensuring smooth hydraulic conditions and optimal settling.
Within the clarifier, sludge settles to the bottom and is collected by a travelling scraper bridge.
The bridge carries the return sludge pumps, which draw settled sludge through suction tubes into a lateral sludge trough.
From there, the sludge flows back to the ASB by gravity, maintaining stable process conditions.
Clear effluent exits over a final overflow weir located opposite the inlet.
The weir arrangement prevents scum carryover, and an optional scumboard can be installed when required.
Mechanical and Operational Features
Power is supplied through a cable reel, allowing unrestricted bridge movement.
The travelling bridge operates via a local control panel, providing straightforward, reliable control.
The integrated design eliminates the need for separate sludge return channels or external pumping systems.
Key Advantages
- Compact footprint and reduced civil construction
- Efficient solids separation and reliable sludge return
- Simplified operation and maintenance
- Lower overall investment cost compared to conventional clarifier systems