At DC Water, sixteen grit classifiers each handle a grit slurry flow rate of 400 gallons per minute. |
With the grit classifiers having become one of Blue Plains biggest maintenance issues, DC Water set out an open bid, determined to find the best possible long-term solution.
After a comprehensive investigation, particularly into the quality of manufacturing, a shortlist of eight - and then later three - suppliers was compiled, from which Lakeside Equipment Corporation was finally chosen.
“DC Water was working with a simple design, which they liked, but that they knew needed modifying,” explained Lakeside’s Dan Widdel. “They knew it was imperative to find a system that would be stronger and much easier to maintain. Sixteen grit classifiers each handling a grit slurry flow rate of 400 gallons per minute is a big deal.”
Lakeside prides itself on being able to respond quickly and professionally to questions, Widdel explained. “From the outset,” added Widdel, “our design proposal went into great detail about what we could offer and how we could best work together.” A grit classifier might be considered a simple piece of equipment, he added, “but that doesn’t mean compromises should be made on its construction.”
With standards of construction so essential to the very detailed bid package, Lakeside was able to demonstrate not only vast experience with grit classifiers but also, more importantly, the flexibility to adapt to DC Water’s design. After the deterioration of the existing grit classifiers, DC Water was keen to see the quality of welding and structural integrity of Lakeside’s work.
Unlike the previous shaftless screw design, which sits on an interior liner and can wear through, Lakeside’s helical screw design is shafted all the way through, supported by a bearing at the bottom and a reducer on the top, so that a build-up of sand or grit provides a bed for the screw, eliminating tank lining wear.