High Efficiency Inclined Plate Sedimentation Tank with Compact Footprint and Online Backwashing for Wastewater Treatment

1. Overview

Shandong Zhongqiao Enlightenment Environmental Protection Equipment Co., Ltd. is a national high-tech enterprise specialized in the R&D, design, production, and manufacturing of integrated wastewater treatment equipment. Founded in 2013, the company operates two production bases covering more than 40,000 square meters with an annual output exceeding 800 sets of integrated wastewater treatment equipment, making it a trusted manufacturer of high-end environmental protection equipment.

Among its comprehensive product portfolio, sedimentation tank and clarifier equipment plays a pivotal role in the solid-liquid separation stage of wastewater treatment. Zhongqiao Enlightenment offers two primary sedimentation technologies — the Lamella Sedimentation Tank and the Inclined Tube Settling Tank — both designed to achieve rapid, efficient removal of suspended solids and particulate matter from water bodies across municipal, industrial, and specialized treatment scenarios.

Zhongqiao Enlightenment's sedimentation equipment is engineered based on shallow-tank sedimentation theory and advanced laminar-flow hydraulics, delivering 3–5 times the surface load of conventional horizontal-flow sedimentation tanks while occupying as little as 1/25 of the footprint.

2. Lamella Sedimentation Tank

The Lamella Sedimentation Tank is a new type of high-efficiency water purification and clarification technology featuring rapid sedimentation characteristics, primarily used to remove solids and particulate matter from water bodies. It has been widely applied in solid-liquid separation processes such as raw water clarification, wastewater treatment, and sludge thickening.

This technology demonstrates particularly significant advantages under conditions with higher suspended solids concentration, enabling efficient sedimentation of all solids within a specified timeframe. The separation process is straightforward and economical.

2.1 Working Principle

The Lamella tank utilizes a parallel inclined plate structure with a plate spacing of 50–100 mm and an inclination angle of 50°–60°. Water flows in a laminar regime (Reynolds number < 200, Froude number 10⁻³ ~ 10⁻¹), ensuring stable, uniform flow conditions that maximize particle settling efficiency. Coagulant and flocculant are dosed upstream, causing flocs to form and settle onto the inclined plates. Clarified water exits at the top while settled sludge slides down the plates under gravity to the sludge outlet at the bottom.

Process flow:  Coagulant Dosing → Flocculant Dosing → Lamella Sedimentation → Clarified Water Outlet → Sludge Discharge

2.2 Key Performance Parameters

2.3 Product Advantages

· Space-saving modular design — Occupies only 1/25 of the area of a conventional horizontal-flow sedimentation tank, ideal for sites with limited space.

· High processing efficiency — Surface load 2–4 times that of traditional sedimentation tanks; sedimentation efficiency 3–5 times that of inclined tube tanks.

· Superior hydraulic performance — Laminar flow regime ensures stable settling; stronger resistance to shock loads and adaptability to high-turbidity raw water.

· Online backwashing without shutdown — Optimized sludge discharge system prevents blockage; maintenance costs are significantly reduced.

· Low operating cost — Despite slightly higher material costs (20–40%), operating costs remain low over the equipment lifecycle.

3. Lamella vs. Conventional Inclined Tube Sedimentation Tank

4. Inclined Tube Settling Tank

The Inclined Tube (Plate) Sedimentation Tank is an efficient combination sedimentation tank designed based on the theory of shallow-tank sedimentation, also known as a shallow-tank sedimentation tank. It sets up many dense inclined pipes or plates in the settling area to allow suspended impurities in the water to settle along the inclined surfaces.

Water rises and flows along the inclined pipes or plates, while the separated sludge slides down along the inclined surfaces under the action of gravity to the bottom of the pool, where it is then discharged in a concentrated manner. This design significantly shortens the sedimentation path and increases the effective settling area within a compact footprint.

· High Efficiency — Treatment capacity is 9–25 times that of horizontal-flow tanks. Sedimentation efficiency is 3–5 times that of conventional inclined tube tanks, with flow rate increased by 15–25%.

· Compact Footprint — Modular design significantly reduces land occupation. Ideal for treatment plant upgrades and space-constrained installations.

· Shock Load Resistance — Stronger resistance to shock loads, suitable for high-load treatment scenarios with variable influent quality.

· Easy Maintenance — Optimized sludge discharge system reduces blockage risk. Lower long-term maintenance costs compared to conventional designs.

5. Role in the Wastewater Treatment Process

In Zhongqiao Enlightenment's integrated wastewater treatment systems, sedimentation tanks serve as the essential solid-liquid separation unit within the treatment process chain. Depending on the target discharge standard, the sedimentation stage is configured differently:

5.1 Grade A Standard Process (with MBR)

Influent → Grille Channel → Equalization Tank → Anoxic Tank → Aerobic Tank → Membrane Tank → Clear Water Pool → Discharge

In the Grade A process, the MBR membrane tank replaces the conventional sedimentation stage, achieving superior solid-liquid separation with membrane filtration.

5.2 Grade B Standard Process (with Sedimentation)

Influent → Grille Channel → Equalization Tank → Hypoxia Tank → Aerobic Tank → Sedimentation Tank → Clean Water Tank → Discharge

In the Grade B process, the sedimentation tank serves as the primary solid-liquid separation unit after biological treatment, removing activated sludge and producing clarified effluent.

6. Material & Construction

6.1 Carbon Steel Series

Manufactured with large-scale production machinery including bending machines, shearing machines, plate rolling machines, laser cutting machines, and automatic welding machines. Robust construction suitable for standard municipal and industrial wastewater treatment.

6.2 PP New Material Series

Produced via integrated forming PP new material tank production line with automatic welding, engraving, bending, and butt welding equipment. Superior corrosion resistance for high-corrosion and extreme-condition applications.

6.3 Integrated Structure Design

Modular structure design conforming to fluid mechanics characteristics. Integrates pretreatment, biochemistry, sedimentation, and post-treatment into 3–4 compact units, saving ~60% floor area and ~80% construction period compared to traditional plants.

6.4 Chaos Cloud IoT Platform

Independently developed IoT platform supporting one-click private deployment with cloud monitoring, cloud operation, cloud analysis, and cloud management for real-time equipment status and fault alarms.

 Why Choose Zhongqiao Enlightenment

· R&D Strength — The R&D department brings together process designers, industrial designers, mechanical engineers, and environmental engineers. Creo mechanical simulation modeling optimizes equipment structure through 3D modeling and fluid dynamics analysis.

· Manufacturing Capability — Two production bases with CNC assembly lines for both carbon steel and PP new material. Complete MBR membrane production line with independent and controllable whole industrial chain.

· Smart Operation — Chaos Cloud IoT platform with VPN transparent transmission for remote program modifications. Multi-level permissions, mobile app alerts, and 24-hour fault response protocol.

· Full-Process Service — From design and manufacturing to installation, commissioning, and after-sales — a professional business team and responsive after-sales team escort product quality and customer service.