Smith & Loveless highlights wastewater treatment system

Smith & Loveless Inc., a Lanexa, Kansas-based manufacturer of wastewater treatment machinery, highlights the Optiflow 270 Baffle System, an advanced retrofit solution designed to enhance grit removal performance in 270-degree vortex grit removal systems.

Engineered to enhance grit removal in the company’s Pista 270 Grit Chambers and improve grit capture across all flow conditions, the Optiflow 270 Baffle System elevates removal efficiencies to 95 percent for particles down to 150 microns, Smith & Loveless says.

Designed for both new and existing Pista 270 chambers, as well as select non-S&L vortex systems, the Optiflow 270 Baffle System enables facilities to maximize grit removal without major infrastructure modifications, the company says. With this upgrade, it adds, operators can achieve consistent, high-efficiency grit removal while improving long-term system reliability and reducing maintenance demands.

The Optiflow 270 Baffle System comprises up to three specialized baffle elements—Optiflow 270 LFB, B and STF—each designed to optimize vortex flow patterns within the chamber, the company says. The Optiflow 270 LFB baffle can be installed on all units where the lowest flow rate is below 60 percent of the design rate, ensuring proper influent velocity into the vortex chamber. This inlet channel baffle plays a crucial role in maintaining the forced vortex flow pattern, enabling consistent and efficient grit removal performance.

The Optiflow 270 B baffle, positioned at the chamber’s exit, enhances the toroidal flow path by reducing the weir effect and increasing fine grit retention, according to Smith & Loveless. For non-S&L 270-degree vortex grit chambers with sloped floors, the Optiflow 270 STF baffle can be applied to convert the system for optimal grit removal performance.