JMS Plate Settler Systems
Advanced Design ... Highest performance ... 100% Stainless Steel



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Plate Settler Theory
In 1904, sanitary engineering pioneer Allen Hazen of the Lawrence (Massachusetts) Experiment Station proposed that sedimentation is a function of basin surface area and is independent of detention time. The fundamentals of Hazen’s theory are the basis for Stoke’s Law, which is a mainstay of sedimentation design to this day.

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Plate Settler Design The plate settler was born when early engineers added diagonal steel plates into an open sedimentation basin, significantly increasing the “effective projected horizontal surface area” of the basin (right). The advanced, stainless steel plate settler systems now available from JMS (below) can be designed for any basin geometry and sludge collection system, can reduce the footprint of a conventional sedimentation basin by as much as 90%, and can significantly increase the treatment capacity and improve effluent quality of existing basins.

Although the century-old concept remains the same, the increasing need for more water treatment in less space has spurred dramatic improvements in the performance, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of plate settler systems. Compared to similar-output sedimentation basins without plate settlers, a JMS plate settler system requires a much smaller footprint, performs consistently better, is more reliable, and even costs less when all capital, construction, and operational costs are factored in over the life of the system.

TYPICAL APPLICATION RATES AND EFFICIENCIES Application Rate* Efficiency** Equiv. Surface Loading Rate*** 0.25 90% 6.35 0.30 80% 6.75 0.30 90% 7.59 0.35 80% 7.82 0.35 90% 8.88 0.40 80% 8.98

* gpm/sf of effective projected horizontal surface area ** % of total projected horizontal surface area used in the design *** gpm/sf within the actual plate settler “plan view” surface area Blue highlight indicates most-commonly specified design application rate & efficiency

Dual Side-Loaded Effluent Troughs Plate settlers with a single trough over the plates have some inherent weaknesses (reduced visibility of and access to the plates, as well as velocity accumulations and imbalanced flow from the plates to the troughs). Our dual-sided troughs solve these problems: • Minimizes distance settled water travels to trough ... to control velocity accumulations that imbalance flow across plates. • Provides unobstructed view of and access to top of system. • Our Troughs, Weirs, and Baffles are 316 Stainless for added corrosion protection.

2VNP™ (Adjustable V-Notch Weirs) Top tube and orifice-type plate settler systems are limited by the available flow area within the tube. When plant flow increases, velocity accumulations increase exponentially, causing different head pressures at each orifice that imbalance the system. The JMS 2VNP (2 V-Notches per Plate) Adjustable Weirs automatically fine-tune water elevations to accommodate fluctuations in plant flow, further promoting even flow in the system: • Two 45° V-notch weirs per plate for even flow distribution across plates. • 45° angle minimizes mal-distribution along length of trough. • Adjustability allows for precise leveling of system based on changes in plant flow ... to maintain even flow across all plates.

We have built upon our successes by monitoring and analyzing process performance data and applying that accumulated knowledge to the design of products and system improvements that can be applied to all of our systems, as well as enabling us to select just the right combination of technologies
for your particular needs.

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System Integration In addition to plate settlers, JMS has been building flocculators and other products and systems for the water and wastewater industries for over 40 years. This vast and broad experience allows us to design, configure, and construct integrated systems that optimize efficiency and process performance.