VTA mudinator^® and VTA Biocitran^®

More and more municipal sewage sludge is being thermally utilised. In Bavaria, for example, almost two thirds of the sludge produced is already incinerated nowadays. Only last year, the limit values for land-based utilisation were tightened further in Germany, and the phase-out of agricultural utilisation is becoming an issue. With a completely new approach, VTA now offers an impressive solution to make sludge disposal more economical for wastewater treatment plant operators. Building on many years of experience with ultrasound in patented countercurrent disintegration (GSD), VTA’s experts developed another innovation in the course of three years of research and development work – the VTA mudinator^®.

Polymer can have a better effect

This process also uses ultrasound to treat the sludge. In contrast to disintegration, the cell structures in the sludge are not broken up because the frequencies are different and the energy used is lower. The sludge structure is, however, modified to produce optimum charge balancing with the polymer that is subsequently added. The flocs that are formed are more shear-stable, improving dewatering of the sludge. Conditioning in the VTA mudinator^® takes place immediately before the addition of the polymer, which can therefore be used much more effectively.

A powerful combination

The VTA mudinator^® becomes particularly powerful when combined with the new VTA Biocitran^®, a specially developed high-performance product for improving sludge dewatering. Based on an innovative development, this product with selected additives ensures increased dewaterability, better floc stability and a visibly distinctly clearer centrate.

Enormous savings potential

The result is that the dry substance is increased by up to 5% and the backcharge in the plant is reduced. Polymer consumption can be reduced by up to 30%. Last but not least, the new technology also saves costs for the transportation of the sludge for utilisation or disposal, because there is considerably less water to be ‘driven all over the place’. The VTA mudinator^® can be used at any treatment plant where sludge is dewatered. Overall, annual savings of several hundred thousand euros can be expected, even at a medium-sized plant.