REACTION TANKS

TOW-BRO® SECONDARY CLARIFIER

UNITUBE HEADER FOR TOW-BRO® SLUDGE
REMOVERS
UNITUBE HEADER FOR THE TOW-BRO® CLARIFIER — ADVANTAGES

6 REASONS WHY YOU’LL GET MORE FROM YOUR 5. Economy

FINAL CLARIFIERS WITH A UNITUBE HEADER Starts with construction. Since tank floors are
virtually flat, excavation and forming are simplified.
1. Rapid sludge removal
Computer-designed Unitube header assures No need for a separate drainline, sloping floors and
positive, rapid removal of settled concentrated special hopper designs. Torque requirements
sludge in one revolution. And you get this efficiency (moment of force) are less than other sludge removal
over a full range of flows. This rapid removal means devices since there is no scraping or ploughing of the
a fresher sludge, less chance for septicity, reduced sludge. And the superior sludge quality means lower
aeration requirements, prevention of phosphate aeration requirements -another power saver.
release. 6. Flexible operation and maintenance
2. Maximum solids concentration Compared to the headers used in most other types of
Because the undisturbed layer on the tank floor sludge removers, the Unitube header used in the
is removed first, the necessary quantity of solids Tow-Bro clarifier is simplicity itself. One valve
required to maintain the process are returned controls sludge withdrawal by pumping or gravity, an
without unnecessary dilution water. Less pumping is important advantage particularly when change in
required. Aeration basins and solids handling withdrawal rates is required. Single control allows the
systems can be designed and operated for the final clarifier to be more flexible in meeting changing
minimums since sludge is not diluted and liquid process conditions. Plugging of orifices is a rare
volumes are reduced. occurrence so frequent demands for unplugging are
eliminated. Clogging is nonexistent as compared to
3. Minimum sludge agitation other devices. Less maintenance required.
The header design and gentle removal action
reduces the chance for the concentrated settled
sludge to resuspend into the upper liquid. There is a
minimum of underwater disturbance. Sludge dilution The computer-designed Unitube header provides the
is again avoided. ultimate in rapid, uniform removal of final clarifier
flocculent sludges. The unique design, proven in
4. Balanced hydraulic design
hundreds of installations as well as in exhaustive testing
Since a sludge blanket settles uniformly over the
programs, assures effective results, simple operation,
entire tank bottom, the sludge remover must remove
less maintenance requirements, and substantial
settled solids in proportion to the area covered. The
construction and energy cost savings.
Tow-Bro® sludge remover does this over a wide
range of flows and permits low sludge blankets to be
maintained for clearer effluents.

For tanks over 42 metres (140 feet)

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 HEADER DESIGN AND ORIFICE SIZE OF THE
UNITUBE HEADER
Design Computer sized and spaced orifices
The Unitube header is a rectangular-shaped arm of The peaked top prevents the sludge from collecting on
6 mm (1/4 inch) plate steel for structural stability the header and becoming anaerobic. As the header
which is hot dipped galvanized after fabrication for revolves it cuts into the lower part of the sludge
corrosion resistance. The header is of tapered design blanket, directing the sludge through the orifices with a
with the cross-section decreasing from the center of minimum of agitation, while assuring maximum solids
the tank (where the total sludge volume is the pick-up.
maximum) to the outer tip (where the total volume is To assure the desired proportional withdrawal and
least) for a uniform sludge withdrawal velocity. The optimum headloss characteristics, all Unitube headers
constant velocities prevent the possibility of sludge are designed using a computer to achieve the correct
build-up in the header or orifice clogging. The header is hydraulic and mathematical balances.
mounted at an angle of forty-five degrees to physically
Orifice size is based on the amount of sludge that each
and hydraulically trap the sludge.
orifice must remove to assure the hydraulic balance
Activated sludge must be refluidised in order to required for proportional sludge withdrawal volumes
transport it in the sludge conveyance device. A vane over the entire tank bottom. The orifice size is
fluidises the sludge into the area of influences of the dependent on both the flow it must accept and the
orifices.

CROSS SECTION OF TOW-BRO ® CLARIFIER WITH UNITUBE HEADER

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headloss at that point in the header. The orifice size More than 75 years of experience, plus extensive
increases proportionally, with the smallest at the tank testing programs, have enabled our engineers to
center and the largest at the outer periphery. Orifices compile a data bank set-up in a computer program to
are spaced no more than 75 cm apart so that the assure precise design parameters for all municipal and
maximum distance the sludge has to travel between industrial sludges.
orifices is approximately 38 cm. This spacing Higher mass loading capabilities
eliminates the possibility of concentrated sludge going
The uniformly proportional pick-up of the Unitube
over the header or by-passing the orifice. The sludge
header over the entire tank floor permits a higher mass
must pass through only the 6 mm steel plate,
loading to be applied as compared to other removal
eliminating any clogging.
devices. The entire floor area is fully utilised.

Unitube Header

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 HEADER DESIGN AND ORIFICE SIZE OF THE UNITUBE HEADER

Since the probes were located upstream of

Typical Test Runs
the corresponding numbered orifice, the
The performance of the Unitube header has been demonstrated in over flow indicated from the dye dilution was the
1000 units in the field and in complete testing programs. cumulative flow up to, but not including, the
The test shown here, in an operating plant, was designed to demonstrate orifice. For example, the flow indicated from the
the accuracy of the computer-designed Unitube header and to compare dye concentration in a sample taken at probe
its actual performance to the theoretical. The results verified header Number 6, is the sum of flows through orifice
hydraulics and conclusively showed that actual flow withdrawal Numbers 7 to 18.
corresponds with desired withdrawal for uniform sludge pickup from
the clarifier floor. And, the desired withdrawal was obtained over the full
Illustration shows
design flow range of the header. percentage
cumulative flow
Test Conclusions within the header
plotted against
The following conclusions are the result of this study on the Unitube the tank radius.
header performance. Ideal withdrawal
distribution for a
1. The actual pickup of sludge from the clarifier floor is in excellent given orifice spacing
is also indicated.
agreement with the desired withdrawal. Proportionately larger volumes
of sludge are removed at greater distances from the tank center in
accordance with the set geometry.
2. Variations in sludge concentration do not change the performance.
Methods and Apparatus
The measure
To accomplish the program it was necessary to directly measure flow flows fall within
and pressure head within the Unitube header. To determine performance an experimentally
acceptable range
under actual operating conditions, measurements were made with the
of values around
header rotating in settled activated sludge. The method and apparatus the theoretically
used to accomplish these objectives are shown elsewhere on this page. ideal distribution.
Most individual runs
A dye dilution technique was developed to measure flow within the show exceptional
agreement with
header. A fluorescent dye (fluorescein) was metered into the end of the the ideal flow
header. Sludge flow entering each orifice diluted the dye in proportion distribution.

to the total flow in the header. By taking samples through the sample
tubes between each orifice, the cumulative flow to that point could be
calculated from the dye concentration.
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Update your clarifier with a Unitube header Evoqua Water Technologies has long been the industry
You can improve the performance of your present leader in processes and equipment for effective sludge
activated sludge clarifiers by retrofitting existing scraper removal. Our history of more than 75 years of experience
or riser pipe mechanisms with a Unitube header. Steep can be used to solve problems associated with activated
floor slopes and special hopper designs with rake type sludge clarifiers such as improper inlet location, inlet
mechanisms are not required and operating torque loads jetting, clogged collection pipes, high sludge blankets,
are reduced so existing sludge pipes, drives and bridges high rotational speeds, inaccessible flow adjustment
can be reused. devices, low return solids, concentrations, rising solids
and vortexing in shallow sludge boxes causing sludge
The highest solids concentrations possible, faster pumps to cavitate. To find our more about how to put
removal rates, lower operating torques, and greater Evoqua to work for you, contact us.
operator flexibility assured by the Tow-Bro® Unitube
header means greater capacity, clearer effluent, lower
costs and quicker response time to changes in the
biological system.

DESCRIPTION OF CLARIFIER TESTED

Tow-Bro® clarifier, center effluent troughs, half bridge
drive with full diameter walkway, one header.
Diameter 25.9 metres (85 feet)
Side water depth 3.7 metres (12 feet)
Header rotation 27 min/rev
Effluent flow
Average 17.4 ML/D (4.6 MGD)
Minimum 8.7 ML/D (2.3 MGD)
Maximum 40.1 ML/D (10.6 MGD)
Underflow
Average 8.7 ML/D (2.3 MGD)
Minimum 4.9 ML/D (1.5 MGD)
Maximum 22.7 ML/D (6.0 MGD)
Sludge velocity through header
Average 0.5 m/s (1.63 FPS)
Minimum 0.3 m/s (1.06 FPS)
Maximum 1.3 m/s (4.25 FPS)
*Please note measurements are rounded to the nearest single decimal place.

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885 Mountain Highway, Bayswater, VIC, 3153, Australia

1300 661 809 (Ph) / +61 3 8720 6597 (Int) sales.au@evoqua.com www.evoqua.com.au

Envirex and Tow-Bro are trademarks of Evoqua, its subsidiaries or affiliates, in some countries.

All information presented herein is believed reliable and in accordance with accepted engineering practices. Evoqua makes no
warranties as to the completeness of this information. Users are responsible for evaluating individual product suitability for specific
applications. Evoqua assumes no liability whatsoever for any special, indirect or consequential damages arising from the sale, resale or
misuse of its products.

© 2015 Evoqua Water Technologies Pty Ltd Subject to change without notice BC-TOWBROSEC-BR-0915