The Hydro-Flo Inclined Plate Clarifier (IPC) offers a large settling surface area in a very
small footprint. The separation of solids is independent of clarifier length and width and is most strongly related
to the available projected surface area. The Hydro-Flo IPC uses a series of closely spaced inclined plates to provide
the required settling surface area. The driving force for this separation is gravity operating on the entrained
solids.
The Inclined Plate Clarifier or lamella was first described and quantified by Hazen in 1904.
The lamella consists of a series of closely spaced flat plates inclined at an angle of from 45 to 60 degrees from
horizontal. Preconditioned water with entrained solids enters the plate area at or near the bottom and flows upward
between the plates. This is referred to as a counter current flow pattern. The path length, plate spacing, and angle
of the plate are usual engineering variables. As the flow rises between pairs of plates the heavy solids with a
specific gravity higher than the surrounding water will settle onto the top surface of the lower plate and slide
down the inclined surface to be collected in the sludge hopper. Clear, near solids free water, exits the top of
the plate area and overflows an adjustable weir.
This technology has been successfully applied to a wide variety of industrial processes
including:
• Solids from scrubber water
• Lime containing solids from:
• Fluoride removal
• Phosphate removal
• Vegetable fluming
• Solids and turbidity from surface water
• Cooling tower blow down
• Heavy metal precipitation
• Stone washing of textiles
• Filter backwash water
• Abrasive polishing
• Paint booth solids
• Bottom ash
• Mill scale
• Food grade starch
Preconditioning Requirements
Most clarifier applications require preconditioning of the wastewater using a coagulant and a flocculating
polymer. The more common coagulants are inorganic salts such as alum, ferric chloride, ferrous sulfate, lime, sodium
hydroxide or organic polymers. The preconditioning requirement is usually site specific and will impact operating
cost, effluent quality, sludge volume and possibly water reuse.
The Hydro-Flo Dissolved Air Flotation System can handle most any difficult wastewater application
as a stand alone system or with any combination of chemical inputs including liquid polyelectrolytes, dry powders,
and organic and inorganic wastewater chemicals with any injection rates.
Advantages of the Hydro-Flo Inclined Plate Clarifier:
• The Hydro-Flo Inclined Plate Clarifier is available in a number of different configurations designed to solve
a tremendous variety of wastewater conditions, making it the most versatile system available.
• Clarifier plates at set at a 55 degree angle for optimum settling of solids.
• Large diameter integral sludge auger operates at a slow speed to thicken and convey sludge to discharge of clarifier.
• Non-clogging inlet diffusion chamber that distributes flow evenly over width of separator.
• Clarifier is much smaller than other clarifiers having the same settling area.