BAR RACKS AND

SCREENS, COURSE
SOLID REDUCTION
ANORMA,APOLINARIO,ATIENZA,BAJO,BALLECER
The nomenclature of racks and screens is typically based on their
purpose and the size of the openings.
Trash Rack Fine Screen
Bar Rack Cleaning Mechanisms

●Chain-driven
●Reciprocating rake
●Catenary
●Continuous belt
CHAIN-DRIVEN
RECIPROCATING RAKE
Chain-Driven

● front-cleaned, front-return chain-driven screens are more

efficient in retaining captured solids, but they are less
rugged and are susceptible to jamming
● seldom used for plants receiving combined sewage.
● Both types suffer from the disadvantage of submerged
sprockets that require frequent operator attention and are
difficult to maintain.
Reciprocating Rake
● They are front cleaned, front return. Thus, they are
effective in capture and discharge of screenings without
carryover.
● They have the advantage that all parts requiring
maintenance are above the water line.
● The disadvantages is they have a requirement for a high
overhead clearance to accommodate the raking
mechanism.
Advantage Disadvantage
Catenary Screen

● The catenary screen is a front-cleaned, front-return

chain-driven screen. In contrast to the chain-driven
screens, it has no submerged sprockets. It can handle
heavy objects. It has a large footprint.
Advantage Disadvantage
Continuous Belt

● The continuous belt can handle both fine and coarse

solids. It has no submerged sprocket.

Advantage Disadvantage
Bar Rack Design Practice
Capacity and Redundancy

● Two or more mechanically cleaned screens are provided

so that one unit may be taken out of service without
impairing performance
● The design should provide that each unit can be isolated
from the others.
Location

● In nearly all cases, screens should be installed ahead of

the grit chambers to prevent fouling of the grit chamber
equipment.
Velocities
● The approach velocity should be at least 0.4 m/s to
minimize deposition of solids in the channel.
● The velocity through the screen should be less than 0.9
m/s at peak flow rates to minimize forcing of material
through the screen (GLUMRB, 2004).
● Sizing the channel for velocity control by widening the
channel at the screen.
Channels
Dual channels must be provided. Typically they are
constructed of concrete.
● They must be capable of being isolated by the use of
slide gates or recesses in the channel walls for the
insertion of stop plates or stop logs.
● The term stop log is derived from the early use of
wooden logs set in a groove to stop the water flow.
Channels
● Modern stop plates are made of extruded aluminum.
● The channel invert should be 75 to 150 mm below the
invert of the incoming sewer (GLUMRB, 2004).
● The floor of the channel should be level, or should slope
downward through the screen without pockets that may
trap solids.
● Fillets are provided to minimize the accumulation of
solids.
Fine Screen
Fine Screen Options

● The screen size (opening) is often based on the

downstream processes to be employed. These include
the following:
Band screens

● Perforated panels attached to a drive chain act as the

screening mechanism. The flow pattern may be through
the front and back side of the panel. In this configuration
a brush and spray bar clean the back side of the screen.
Bar screens

● These are similar to bar racks but with finer openings.

They are front clean/ back return.
Drum screens

● The screening medium is mounted on a cylinder that

rotates in a flow channel.
● The flow may be from inside the drum to the outside with
screenings captured on the interior surface, or the flow
may be from the outside in
Step Screens

● This design consists of two step-shaped sets of thin

vertical plates. One is fixed and one is movable. They
alternate across the screen face.
● The movable plates rotate in a vertical motion to carry
the solids up to the next step and ultimately to the top
where they are discharged
Fine Screen Design
Practice
Location

● Fine screens are placed downstream of coarse screens.

When a facility receives only wastewater that has already
been screened, such as from a force main or from a
screened lift station.
Velocities

● The average approach velocity should be in the range

0.6 to 1.2 m/s. It should be greater than 0.3 m/s at low
flow and less than 1.4 m/s at peak flow (Keller et al.,
2006).
Channels
● The channel dimensions are selected to achieve the
approach velocity constraints. They generally are limited
to depths of 7.5 to 9 m.
● Baffles or concrete fillets in the lower portions of the
upstream channel have been suggested as a means of
reducing the area and increasing the velocity at low flow
while providing greater cross-sectional area during peak
flow events (Keller et al., 2006).
Materials

● The screens are typically made of stainless steel (bars,

mesh, or wedge-wire) or perforated plates made of
synthetic material.
Headloss where :
H L= headloss, m
Q = flow rate through the screen, m 3 /s
g = acceleration due to gravity 9.81 m/s
2
C =coefficient of discharge for the screen
(C for a clean screen is 0.6. Actual values
of C and A depend on the screen design)
A =effective open area of submerged
screen, m2
Screenings Handling

● The amount of solid material collected by fine screens is

considerably greater than with coarse screens because
of the smaller screen openings.
● Some examples are 87 to 93 percent for 3 mm band
screens, 78 to 81 percent for 6 mm band screens.
COARSE SOLIDS REDUCTION
COARSE SOLIDS REDUCTION

● An alternative to capturing coarse solids on bar racks

and/or screens is to use a mechanical device to shred or
grind the solids and return them to the flow.
COARSE SOLIDS REDUCTION

common devices are:

1. comminutors
2. macerators
3. Grinders.
Comminutors

● A typical comminutor uses a stationary horizontal screen

to intercept the solids in the flow and a rotating or
oscillating cutting bar to shear the material.

● The solids are reduced in size to between 6 and 20 mm.

Macerators

● Macerators are slow-speed grinders that typically use

two sets of counter rotating blade assemblies. The
tolerance on the macerator blades assemblies is small
enough (typically, 6 to 9 mm) that the material passing
through is effectively chopped.
Grinders

● Grinders pulverize the solids by a high-speed rotating

assembly. The cutting blades force the material through
a stationary grid that encloses the assembly.
Design Considerations

● They may be located downstream of grit chambers to

reduce wear on the cutting mechanism.
● typically they are placed ahead of grit chambers to
prevent rags, bags, and other debris from fouling the grit
removal equipment.
Design Considerations

● Typical headloss through these devices is 100 to 300

mm and can approach 900 mm in large units at
maximum flows.
● Because these units are sold as stand-alone devices,
● no detailed design is required.
-------------------------------------------------
----

Thank you for listening 

Rainwater

● Also an important source of water, although on a relatively small scale.