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Project Report Lafayette, CO, USA

By Project Report

Cutting-edge technology in use for a more sustainable water supply in Lafayette

The development of sustainable water treatment is a critical challenge for the growing city of Lafayette, Colorado, situated at the edge of the Rocky Mountains. Since 2022, the city has been constructing a new high-performance plant to enhance the region’s water supply using state-of-the-art wastewater treatment technologies. A central feature of this plant is the installation of 13 highly efficient HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration Systems from INVENT, designed specifically for challenging wastewater treatment conditions.

Lafayette has long partnered in major water projects aimed at enhancing regional resilience against changing climatic conditions. Alongside developing new water reservoirs, wastewater treatment is becoming increasingly vital for sustaining prosperity and growth in the area.

Following the planning, delivery and installation of the first HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration System by INVENT in the sludge holding tank, twelve further systems were installed by 2023 after the successful operation of the first unit. These high-performance systems primarily focus on sludge stabilization in the sludge basin through mixing and aeration as well as efficient oxygen input to reduce the biological (BOD) and chemical (COD) oxygen demand in the aerated basins. Thanks to the fluid mechanically optimized technology, the 13 HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration Systems prove to be just as efficient and reliable in continuous operation as they are in intermittent operation:

  • Improved sludge quality: The unique hyperboloid-shaped mixer body creates an optimized near-bottom flow that stirs up deposits and ensures a more homogeneous distribution of the sludge.
  • Efficient aeration: The mechanical aeration generates optimally sized air bubbles, which are evenly distributed in the basin by the rotation of the mixer body. This improves the oxygen input while reducing energy consumption. A significant reduction in operating costs is possible.
  • Decoupled Mixing and Aeration: The aeration basins have the ability to create anoxic or aerated zones within the plant by simply turning the air off while continuing to mix. This feature allows operators optimal flexibility in the process trains.
  • Reduced maintenance: The construction and design of the mixing and aeration system is designed for continuous or intermittent operation. Overall maintenance has been minimized by a top-mounted dry drive, which reduces maintenance costs but not having to drain the basins And ensures long-term operational stability.

Developed for use in demanding wastewater applications, the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration Systems form a central element of Lafayette’s innovative and environmentally conscious water supply structure. With a daily volume of up to 6.4 million gallons of water (MGD) – the equivalent of filling more than 20 large swimming pools – the city, in collaboration with INVENT, demonstrates that modern, high-performance water treatment solutions can be successfully implemented, showcasing their effectiveness and reliability.

Find out more about the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration System

Project Report from Salt Lake City

By Project Report

Water Reclamation Excellence achieved by INVENT

The Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility (CVWRF) in Salt Lake City will play a pivotal role in the sustainable management of water resources in the region. INVENT is contributing to the facility’s pioneering role by supplying and installing 30 energy-efficient HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixers in the new biological nutrient removal process. This collaboration will position the CVWRF as a beacon of innovation and sustainability in the field of water management.

Nestled in the heart of Central Valley, this state-of-the-art facility demonstrates the commitment of environmental stewardship and water conservation in Salt Lake City. Covering a sprawling area, the facility is equipped with cutting-edge technology designed to treat and reclaim water efficiently. The primary objective is to ensure that water discharged from various sources undergoes rigorous treatment processes, meeting stringent effluent Nitrogen and Phosphorous quality standards before being released back into the environment.

The facility will employ a multi-stage treatment process that begins with the removal of solid particles through screening and sedimentation. Subsequently, advanced biological nutrient removal (BNR) treatment methods will be employed to remove total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN), ensuring the effluent will meet the stringent effluent limits set by State of Utah.

BNR treatment systems are known to have large sections of biological treatment operating with lower oxygen levels (anoxic ) or even without any oxygen (anaerobic). To ensure the biology will remain suspended during these phases, efficient mixing of the wastewater is required. Efforts to maximize energy efficiency and minimize maintenance, Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility plant owners decided to apply the INVENT HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixers for this task.

In the Anoxic zones of the newly constructed aeration basins, sixteen of INVENT’s 8ft diameter HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixers evo 7 will be used to keep the biology suspended. Furthermore, twelve mixers will be used to suspend the anaerobic basins, and two will be used to suspend the return activated sludge. Alongside the 30 HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixers evo 7, CVWRF will also have INVENT mixers in their chlorination channel and side stream nutrient removal facility.

During design, INVENT Environmental Technologies Inc. advised CVWRF to use the newest mixer-body design, the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixer evo 7. The new mixer was introduced to optimize mixing efficiency at even lower energy consumption. The research for this innovative mixer was performed by INVENT and applied modern computational fluid dynamics (CFD modelling) and 3D printing for rapid prototyping. While this new type of mixer is already used on various large plants worldwide, the CVWRF was the first to use this type of mixer in the state of Utah.

In conclusion, the Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility will set a standard for responsible water reclamation practices through its comprehensive biological treatment processes and the implementation of modern energy efficient treatment equipment. In an era where water scarcity is a global concern, the Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility will stand-s as a testament to the power of proactive and environmentally conscious water management.

Learn more about our HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixer

Wastewater treatment in industrial park

By Project Report

German Industrial Park equipped with three INVENT HYPERDIVE®-Mixers

In order to optimally treat the industrial wastewater of the Weinheim Industrial Park in Germany, INVENT’s mixers and experience were used. Three HYPERDIVE®-Mixers were able to be installed and put into operation.

Approximately 50 companies have settled in the Weinheim Industrial Park near Mannheim, Germany, in an area of more than 800,000 m². Nearly 6,500 employees go in and out every day. Of course, wastewater is also produced in a corresponding scale, which is biologically treated in the mixing and equalization basin belonging to the park.

For treatment, it is necessary to swirl up sludge near the bottom of  the basin and move it into a flow. To accomplish this, the HYPERDIVE®-Mixers from INVENT were chosen. These are submersible drive mixer systems that can be very easily integrated into already filled systems and do not require any bridge construction.

Functionality of the HYPERDIVE®-Mixer

The HYPERDIVE®-Mixer is a vertical mixer with a hyperboloid mixer body installed close to the ground and a submerged drive in a cage design. Due to its hyperboloid shape, it generates a strong radial bottom flow and thus keeps particles in suspension. It also ensures complete mixing of the feed flows. It is therefore  the optimum mixer for all suspending and homogenization tasks required for water and wastewater treatment, especially in very deep basins.

The tripod base is made of solid coated steel, making it sufficiently heavy to hold the HYPERDIVE®-Mixer firmly in place during operation and at rest. It holds the submersible drive and leads the electric cable past the mixer body. A stainless steel lifting cable is attached to the top of the frame and allows the entire unit to be easily lifted in and out. The drive shaft and hub connection of the HYPERDIVE®-Mixer are also made of high-quality stainless steel, making them highly resistant to corrosion.

The hyperboloid mixer body is connected to the lower end of the shaft via a shaft/hub connection. This enables easy and quick installation as well as easy detachment even after many years of operation. In operation , the connection is safely protected against spontaneous detachment. Due to the optimized shape and the transport ribs seamlessly integrated into the mixer body, the entire hyperboloid mixer is not only particularly efficient and streamlined, but also absolutely non-clogging.

The Weinheim Industrial Park has made the right choice

Those responsible for the Weinheim Industrial Park decided on HYPERDIVE®-Mixers and thus made the right choice. The submerged mixers were installed and put into operation within a very short time in 2022. Since they are made exclusively of high-quality materials and are virtually maintenance-free, wastewater treatment will hardly be on the industrial park’s agenda in the next few years.

Learn more about INVENTs industrial wastewater treatment
HYPERCLASSIC Evo 7 INVENT Emmen

New mixers for the wwtp Emmen

By Project Report

New mixing systems replace tried-and-tested ones – and save energy and costs

The operators of the municipal wastewater treatment plant in the Dutch city of Emmen commissioned INVENT to replace the 17-year-old HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixers with the latest generation models.

The Netherlands have to cope with some demanding tasks in the field of municipal wastewater treatment. The high population of the comparatively small country, the intensive agricultural use and the associated water consumption make wastewater treatment there a supreme discipline. It is gratifying to note that the Netherlands has a very dense network of wastewater treatment plants to which almost 100% of households are connected. This requires outstanding quality and great reliability of the installed products and is reflected in the use of INVENT technology in many Dutch wastewater treatment plants.

One example is the municipal plant in Emmen, a town with more than 50,000 inhabitants in the northwest of the country. Already since 2006, seven HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixers have been reliably performing their duties in the activated sludge tanks here. Thanks to the unique hyperboloid-shaped mixers, the wastewater is mixed evenly and efficiently.

The systems could easily be used for years to come, but intensive research and development work has enabled the technology to be further improved in the meantime. The HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixer Evolution 7 has a fluidically optimized mixer body that requires less energy than older models and consequently operates more cost-effectively.

The latest version of the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixer provides customers with a revolutionary improved version of the classic hyperboloid mixer – as usual, corrosion- and maintenance-free. For this reason, the operators in Emmen have decided to replace six of the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixers with models of the latest version. Competitors’ mixers are also being replaced, as the plant operators would prefer to rely on the quality of the original from INVENT in the future. This measure has already enabled the Emmen wastewater treatment plant to save 25% of its energy consumption.

Emmen is not an isolated case, but just one of several plants that are converting to HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixers Evolution 7 because of their higher energy efficiency. Other examples can be found in Dordrecht and Hellevoetsluis in the province of Zuid-Holland. The Dordrecht wastewater treatment plant was even able to save a remarkable 58% of its energy consumption thanks to the replacing former models with the latest version of the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixer, while the Hellevoetsluis wastewater treatment plant was able to save 23%.

Meanwhile, the INVENT research department is working on the continuous further development of the mixers and is certain that Evolution 7 will not be the last HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixer version.

Learn more about our HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixer
INVENT Oman Meerwasserentsalzung HYPERCLASSIC

Desalination with INVENT Mixers

By Project Report

Drinking water desalination using INVENT Mixing Technology

INVENT mixers have been used reliably for years for the desalination process of water from the sea in Oman.

Clean water is a scarce commodity, especially in arid, i.e. hot and dry, climatic zones. Affected countries bordering on oceans have a way out of the shortage: desalination of seawater. Worldwide, more than 20,000 seawater desalination plants supply millions of people, plus animals, plants and the adjacent economy with drinking water. Countries in North Africa and Middle East are particularly dependent on this form of freshwater production. The high standard of living on the Arabian Peninsula, for example in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar or Oman, would not be possible without the abundant freshwater extracted from the sea.

Several process technologies are available for seawater desalination. After multi-stage flash evaporation, in which the fresh water is extracted by means of heating and condensation, desalination plants have become established that operate on the principle of reverse osmosis. In this process, saltwater taken from the sea is forced under high pressure through special membranes designed to allow water molecules to pass through, but not larger molecules. The process involves several stages, requiring special mixing systems such as those developed and built by INVENT.

One of the largest seawater desalination plants using INVENT technology is located in the Sultanate of Oman. This seawater desalination plant is located in the north of the oil and gas-rich state, in Al-Ghubra, a suburb of the capital Muscat. The plant has been operating since 2016 and enables the extraction of 191,000 cubic meters of drinking water per day. In operation are 32 HYPERCLASSIC® and two CYBERPITCH®-Mixers.

The mixers are integrated in the flocculation process, which serves to separate the finest solid particles. The HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixers with their hyperboloid-shaped mixer bodies ensure particularly gentle suspension and homogenization of the liquid in the flocculation tanks, while the two CYBERPITCH®-Mixers are used for rapid homogenization in the neutralization tanks.

Sustainable seawater desalination will continue to gain in importance in the future, and with it the plants and components required for this purpose. In Al-Ghubra work is currently underway to expand the plant with a production capacity of an additional 300,000 cubic meters of water per day. INVENT will accompany the developments with know-how and commitment and provide innovative products.

For more information, contact our INVENT office in United Arab Emirates:

INVENT Middle East (FZE)
SAIF Office Z3-06
P.O. Box 121720 Sharjah
UAE

Contact INVENT Middle East (FZE) now

INVENT technology in the food industry

By Project Report

Challenging water treatment project for a potato processing plant

Aviko is building a completely new production facility for deep-frozen French fries and potato flakes in Poperinge. Once in full operation, it will process 175,000 tons of potatoes per year, which equates to a waste water flow of more than 2,500 m3/day. Veolia Water Technologies was chosen to construct the treatment plant so that the heavily polluted water – the chemical oxygen demand reaches 26 tons per day – can be discharged and reused.

The wastewater from the potato processing industry has traditionally been difficult to manage. With a high starch content, non-negligible levels of fat from the fryer and a generally high concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus, wastewater treatment poses a complex problem. But the very strict discharge standards in Poperinge, with a maximum of 1 mg total phosphorus, complicate matters made, as well as Aviko’s desire to realize as compact a system as possible. “The ambitions for this project were very high,” confirms Michel Danau, Sales Manager at Veolia. “Thanks to our shared expertise, we have achieved the goals.”

Compact but powerful

An area of ​​55 x 60 m. That was all Veolia had to ensure the treatment of the waste water. But the first important measure is implemented in advance, according to Sam Varga, project manager at Veolia. The waste water, which is rich in starch and fat, is kept separate during the entire production process. The main flow, namely the starchy water, goes straight to the treatment plant, where we separate the starch in a lamella separator and then separate the water, sludge and biogas using a UASB. Only then is the much smaller amount of fatty waste water, which has already undergone flotation treatment during production, fed into the main stream. In this way we avoid fats interfering with the anaerobic process.” The common effluents are treated according to a biological process based on nitrification/denitrification followed by ultrafiltration. What is special, however, is that both cases involve a double procedure. “We not only rely on pre- and post-nitrification/denitrification, but also supply two MBR (membrane bioreactors) that are connected in series. This is the only way to meet the stringent nitrogen and phosphorus requirements at such high flow rates.

The focus is on recycling

The extensive purification and removal of phosphorus also paves the way for water to be reused in the production process. For this purpose, an RO unit was installed after the MBR. “In a first step, we can only feed back a limited part of the wastewater, but later we hope to increase this proportion even further,” says Cor Koole, project manager at Aviko. “At the moment we are still reaching the limits of the wastewater standards with the reverse osmosis concentrate.” However, Aviko and Veolia are considering other options for further using the various wastewaters. “In consultation with the city of Poperinge, we have set up a buffer tank where we collect rainwater and our waste water. These waters can be used by local sports associations and some farmers to irrigate pitches and fields. And of course we also produce biogas in the biogas treatment plant, which we can use to supply our boilers.”

For people and the environment

To ensure the ergonomics of the operators and the comfort of local residents, the company has also invested heavily in ventilation and insulation. “All sludge tanks are installed indoors and all rooms are equipped with ventilation, extraction and exhaust air treatment,” says Danau. “Rooms that are more prone to odor nuisance are delimited with airlocks and particular attention has been paid to sound insulation in the pump rooms. These aspects are often neglected, but the advantage of a new plant is that they can be integrated as early as the design phase.”

Learn more about the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration System

Text (German original) written by: Veolia Water Technologies Belgium

Aerobic treatment for pulp and paper industry

By General, Press Release, Project Report

Energy-efficient and proven: Mixing and aeration system for aerobic treatment in the paper industry

INVENT uses the example of a large manufacturer of paper and cardboard products for the pulp and paper industry to show why they are the ideal solution for wastewater treatment in this industry.

Some industries are plagued by particularly high energy and water consumption and therefore aim to reduce both sustainably. This is particularly true for the pulp and paper industry. Water treatment plays an essential role here, with INVENT Umwelt- und Verfahrenstechnik AG providing the best suited products.

An excellent example of the practical use of INVENT technology in paper wastewater can be found in the north of Germany, more precisely in Varel in the district of Friesland. The Papier- und Kartonfabrik Varel (paper mill), located on the outskirts of the small town, employs around 600 people on its site. It is not only a major regional employer but also one of the largest production sites in the German pulp and paper industry with a production capacity of around 925,000 tonnes.

The mill has a proud history stretching back 84 years. It mainly produces classic raw materials for the packaging industry and has been progressively modernized and expanded over the decades. As early as 1976, the company was one of the first paper mills in Germany to install a biological wastewater treatment plant. As part of the company’s growth, the plant was expanded to a two-step treatment plant in 1994.

The next expansions – in which INVENT technology came into action for the first time – took place from 2012 through 2014. HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration Systems were installed in stainless steel cages for aerobic wastewater treatment. One advantage of this cage solution is that it can be removed for installation and maintenance and put back in place, even in a filled tank.

The HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration System uniquely combines the characteristics of a mixer with those of an aerator, offering very flexible areas of operation and application. Firstly, it provides sufficient oxygen to the activated sludge during the aerobic process to break down the organic load. Secondly, the aeration tank is mixed homogeneously so that both the heavy activated sludge and small particles are kept in suspension.

Due to the energy-efficient operation, high quality and durability of the components the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration System has made a name for itself as the industry standard in the aerobic treatment of paper wastewater in recent decades.

When the operators of the Papier-und Kartonfabrik Varel decided to invest 280 million euros in the production site in 2019, this also entailed a significant expansion of the wastewater treatment plant – and thus an order over another 13 of the trusted HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration Systems with a cage from Erlangen, Germany.

HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration System in the Pulp and Paper Industry

Providing clean water in Qatar

By General, Press Release, Project Report

HYPERCLASSIC® systems provide clean water in Qatar

While star athletes are running on the soccer fields of Qatar, things are also running smoothly at the country’s largest wastewater treatment – thanks to the reliable hyperboloid mixing and aeration systems from INVENT.

The desert is alive! Wherever animals and people settle in the driest regions of our planet, water plays a vital role. The fact that some countries experience an economic boom despite the desert climate comes down to other causes, such as natural resources like oil and gas.

The resources that bubble up each day make dreams come true, build ultramodern cities with trading centers and tourism infrastructure, and even create living spaces in the desert for millions of people. Now more than ever, Qatar is in the public eye as the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The capital of Doha and the neighboring city of Al Rayyān in particular is right now playing host to sports-loving businesspeople, media representatives, and private individuals from all over the world. More than one-third of the 2.8 million inhabitants of the desert state live in the city of Doha. Residents and guests need food and in particular water for drinking and domestic use. This is a challenge in the dry, hot climate of the Persian Gulf, and every drop of freshwater is precious.

The city planners are prepared for this. The vast majority of the freshwater is sourced from seawater desalination plants. This is then pumped into the water circulation system and used for human consumption or agriculture. The water and wastewater treatment plants are indispensable parts of this system in this and other modern cities.

The largest in the country is currently the Doha West wastewater treatment plant. Since it was put into operation in 2009, the plant has been expanded several times and is now able to treat an average of 280,000 cubic meters of water each day. Slightly more than 50 percent of the treated wastewater is used for agriculture and around 40 percent is used to water green spaces in the city. The rest is fed into the ground to raise the groundwater level.

To ensure that the plant works smoothly, the client chose technology from Germany – from INVENT, to be precise. No fewer than 48 HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration Systems and 24 HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixers reliably perform their duties in various tanks at the plant each day.

In this way, INVENT technology is contributing to Doha not only being a modern city, but also a green one in which residents and guests can enjoy spending time outdoors and where thriving agriculture is possible nearby. Once the World Cup is over and the next large event is being planned, the HYPERCLASSIC® systems will continue to turn—the final whistle won’t be blown on them any time soon.

For more information, contact our INVENT office in United Arab Emirates:

INVENT Middle East (FZE)
SAIF Office Z3-06
P.O. Box 121720 Sharjah
UAE

Contact INVENT Middle East (FZE) now
HYPERCLASSIC Mixer Aerator Balen

Mixing and Aeration in the pharmaceutical Industry

By Project Report

HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration System at Ajinomoto Omnichem

In recent years, the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration Systems have been developed into complete solutions for the industrial and municipal wastewater treatment. The characteristics of a mixer and those of an aerator are uniquely combined by the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration System.

A recent example is the company Ajinomoto Omnichem in Belgium, leader in pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates. The cooperation between Ajinomoto and INVENT began already in 1998, when two HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration Systems were initially installed in Balen and another ten in Wetteren. After these functioned to complete satisfaction, the plant in Balen was extended by five additional machines. After 20 years of reliable service the first two systems were replaced by two of the latest generation in 2020. The mixing and aeration systems in Balen and Wetteren provide mixing and aeration for COD removal and nitrification. Even with a low oxygen demand, a sedimentation-free operation can be ensured. The oxygen content remains homogeneous throughout the basin due to the generated flow.

The objective of low-maintenance, yet energy-efficient mixing and aeration, could be achieved with INVENT’s HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixing and Aeration Systems in both plants of Ajinomoto Omnichem.

Dordrecht INVENT HYPERCLASSIC Rührwerk

INVENT in the Netherlands

By Project Report
Dordrecht INVENT HYPERCLASSIC municipal

Hyperboloid mixers in Dordrecht

The wastewater treatment plant in Dordrecht, Netherlands, relies on INVENT’s hyperboloid technology. Back in 2005, 22 HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixers were installed at the municipal wastewater treatment plant. After 16 years of successful operation, they were replaced by even more energy-efficient mixers of the 7th generation in 2021. This is not an exception: A large number of wastewater treatment plants that INVENT has equipped since the mid-1990s follow the example of the wwtp Dordrecht and continue to rely on the Hyperboloid-Mixers.

Thanks to their low energy consumption and high reliability, INVENT and the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixer became well-known among Dutch water association 25 years ago. Since then, more than 700 of the unique hyperboloid mixers have been delivered throughout the Netherlands for the mixing of municipal wastewater. Until today, the HYPERCLASSIC®-Mixer is the most widespread vertical mixer.