Operational efficiency and fouling mechanism of a novel swinging ultra-fine screen

CHENG Yuantao; ZHANG Zongsheng; ZHANG Jie; WU Zhichao; ZANG Lili

doi:10.13205/j.hjgc.202606020

Volume 44 Issue 6

Jun. 2026

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Article Navigation > ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING > 2026 > 44(6): 190-201

CHENG Yuantao, ZHANG Zongsheng, ZHANG Jie, WU Zhichao, ZANG Lili. Operational efficiency and fouling mechanism of a novel swinging ultra-fine screen[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(6): 190-201. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606020

Citation:

CHENG Yuantao, ZHANG Zongsheng, ZHANG Jie, WU Zhichao, ZANG Lili. Operational efficiency and fouling mechanism of a novel swinging ultra-fine screen[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(6): 190-201. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606020

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Operational efficiency and fouling mechanism of a novel swinging ultra-fine screen

doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606020

1. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China;
2. Shanghai Zizheng Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200086, China

Received Date: 2025-09-10
Accepted Date: 2025-11-26
Rev Recd Date: 2025-11-19

Available Online: 2026-07-06

Abstract

Abstract

In response to the widespread challenges faced by municipal wastewater treatment plants in China， such as influent grit loads exceeding design standards and insufficient carbon sources， as well as the limitations of conventional pretreatment processes （including screening， grit chambers， and primary sedimentation tanks）—namely， low removal efficiency of fine grit and poor retention of carbon sources—this study developed a novel pretreatment device known as the swinging ultra-fine screen. With a screening precision of 0.1 mm， the system was tested at a pilot scale of 1000 m³/d to systematically evaluate the pollutant removal efficiency of swinging ultra-fine screens with various aperture sizes ranging from 0.05 mm to 0.4 mm. The mechanisms were further investigated through particle size distribution analysis， COD fractionation， and characterization of the fouling layer. The results demonstrated that the swinging ultra-fine screen with a 0.1 mm aperture achieved an SS removal efficiency of 89.3%， significantly higher than the 57.4% obtained with conventional pretreatment processes. Meanwhile， the COD removal efficiency was only 9.5%， much lower than the 28.6% observed in traditional systems， indicating a carbon source retention efficiency as high as 93%. The device almost completely retained particles larger than 0.1 mm and achieved a removal efficiency exceeding 98% for particles in the 0.075 to 0.1 mm range. It also exhibited stable performance under fluctuating COD and SS conditions. Based on the experimental observations， a three-stage fouling theory for micro-screens was proposed. The 0.1 mm swinging ultra-fine screen represents a breakthrough by increasing the screening precision to 0.1 mm for the first time. It significantly enhances the removal efficiency of fine grit and effectively preserves bioavailable carbon sources， while demonstrating strong resilience to variations in water quality.
- swinging ultra-fine screen,
- pretreatment,
- fine grit retention,
- carbon source retention,
- screen fouling

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References(33)

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