AST AQUACULTURE BEAD FILTERS

AST Aquaculture Bead Filters – Bioclarifying aquaculture and wastewater filtration. Aquaculture Systems Technologies (AST) is the world leader in bead filter technology for recirculating aquaculture systems, ponds and wastewater. AST Aquaculture Bead Filters combine mechanical and biological filtration in one powerful unit, minimising footprint and maximising filtration power. Rely on AST and Pure Aquatics for your water treatment needs

Bubble bead filters for light loads
Propeller washed bead filters for intensive loads
Polygeysers for high waste and biological loads and denitrification
Recirculating polygeysers for high strength wastewater

PURE AQUATICS – THE HOME OF AST IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

Bubble Bead Filter (BBF)

The Bubble Bead Filter (BBF) is the entry level bead filter for lower stocking densities and feed loads. An easily back washed filter requiring no additional air pump, you can backwash this filter in a tuxedo. This filter is best utilised on ponds, aquarium systems and lightly loaded aquaculture systems.

Propeller Washed Bead Filter (PBF)

The Propeller washed bead filter (PBF) is the workhorse bead filter for heavier feed rates and stocking densities. These filters can handle higher pressures, higher ammonia levels and higher feed rates due to their more aggressive backwash. Utilising a propeller driven by a motor mounted on top of the filter, the more aggressive backwash allows better control of the biofilm thickness and more waste to be removed at backwash time.

Polygeyser Bead Filter

The Polygeyser comes in several variants but they all rely on the same backwash mechanism, Pneumatically triggered automated backwash. With the automated air backwash, flow does not need to be stopped. Back-washing can be set to certain intervals depending on loading and more frequent backwash’s means higher ammonia removal, greater solids removal, and better water quality.

Bubble Bead Filter

Classic bubble bead filter offers robust, efficient, and dependable water filtration.
Bubble bead filter bioclarifier – bubble bead filters by ast offer easy maintenance and effective filtration.

PERFECT FOR:

Aquaculture systems
Research applications
Quarantine systems
Broodstock holding, and more.
Ast’s bead filters capture 100% of particles greater than 50 microns and 48% of particles in the 5-10 micron range per pass.
In addition to solids removal, these filters provide biological filtration, breaking down the nitrogenous wastes into non-toxic substances. Our gentle backwash removes the collected solids while keeping the necessary bio-film intact.

FILTER BENEFITS:

Gentle Backwash: Does Not Harm the Bio-film
Simple: Easy to Understand and Operate
Reliable: No Internal Moving Parts
Energy Savings: Efficient Design
Low Maintenance: Backwashing is Quick
Longevity: Media Never Needs Replacement
Superior Clarification: Removes Solids Effectively

HOW DOES BUBBLE BEAD TECHNOLOGY WORK?

Bubble differs from the Propeller Bead® and Polygeyser® bead filters in its simpler, yet very effective gentle backwash. The backwash is started by shutting off the circulation pump and opening the sludge valve. As the water drains from the filter, a check valve on the effluent line closes, creating negative pressure in the filter. The potential energy of the water leaving the filter pulls air in through the air inlet.

The results in the backwash expanding and agitating the bead media in a vigorous boiling type action as it passes downward through our unique washing throat. As the beads enter the lower expansion chamber, the downward velocity decreases due to the increased cross sectional area so the beads are suspended as the water washes the solids away from the beads and out of the filter.

Once the flow of the wastewater stops, the backwash is complete. Simply close the sludge valve and turn the circulation pump back on. Your filter is now in normal operation with a clean filtration bed.

The Bubble Bead® backwash is vigorous enough to remove unwanted solids and debris, yet gentle enough maintain a healthy bio-film on the bead Media. In fact, during testing the nitrification rate actually increased with increased backwash frequency.

Propeller Washed Bead Filter

PROPELLOR WASHED BEAD FILTER -DESIGNED FOR HIGH FLOW AND HIGHLY LOADED SYSTEMS.

Utilized at some of the largest recirculating fish production facilities, zoos, and aquariums, the Propellor Washed Bead filter accepts versatile loads ranging from low to high solids due to the active motorized backwash system.

The motorized embedded propeller is used for frequent washing of the media, removing captured solids and excess media biofloc. The sludge then settles to the bottom of the unit where it is drained, reducing water loss that is normally associated with backwash processes. With Propeller Bead filters, you will only lose 10% of the water you that you would normally lose with run-of-the-mill sand filters.

AST has both standard flow and high flow (pressurized) Propeller Bead filters. High flow filters can process flow rates of up to 1200 gpm, making them perfect for large systems that need frequent turnover.

Suitable for high loads that are typical of aquaculture applications, these filters are capable of handling ammonia loads 50% – 100% higher than standard bead filters. You will be able to lower your overall water and head loss – our innovative backwashing process is gentle enough to protect the biofilm and keep the environment healthy.

PROPELLER BEAD® BENEFITS:

Motorized backwashing process handles low to high solids loading
Suitable for high flow rates
Perfect for high volume systems that require frequent turnover
Far less water loss than sand filtration systems
Technology that has been tested and proven for over 20 years
Energy savings from smaller pumps and more efficient designs
Long-lasting: media is very resistant to clogging and caking
Superior filtration removes large and small solids

HOW DOES THE TECHNOLOGY WORK?

The Propeller Bead® filter has the most aggressive backwash of any of AST filters. Delivered by a motorized propeller that vigorously mixes the beads, the water enters through the side intake and exits from the top of the filter, trapping solids within the floating media bed.

When back washing, the pump is turned off and the water inlet valve is closed. If the system is pressurized, it must be released before operating the mixing motor. The mixing motor is turned on for 15-45 seconds until the beads fluidize. The mixing motor is shut off and the solids are allowed to settle for ten minutes minimum. Opening the drain early risks losing beads, and the solids will not be drained. The sludge valve is opened, and the concentrated sludge is allowed to gravity drain from the filter. Backwash frequency is dictated by feed rate.

After sludge is drained, the sludge valve is closed and the inlet valve reopened. Turning the pump back on puts the filter back into normal operation.

Polygeyser Bead Filter

The AST Polygeyser Bead filter is AST’s patented line of beadfilters featuring a breakthrough in filter technology: automatic pneumatic backwash for hands-off maintenance and low water loss. Learn more about our unique PolyGeyser filters below, or contact the AST team and we will help you choose the perfect PolyGeyser for your application.

AST POLYGEYSER BEAD FILTER – HOW IT WORKS

The PolyGeyser filter is a breakthrough in filter technology. It is very different from most filters on the market due to its auto-pneumatic backwash mechanism. Water enters below the bed of enhanced nitrification media and travels upward through the filtration chamber where mechanical and biological filtration take place. Simultaneously, air is introduced into the charge chamber at a constant predetermined rate to achieve the desired backwash frequency.

Once the charge chamber has reached capacity, the pneumatic trigger fires, releasing the entrained air from the charge chamber below the bead bed. The sudden release of air from the charge chamber causes the beads to mix as the air agitates the beads. As the beads drop, the bead bed expands downward while simultaneously water rushes downward through the expanded beads, sweeping the solids away and into the air charge chamber.

In the chamber, the solids settle out from the backwash waters and are later removed from the filter. Essentially, this type of filter recycles the backwash water while concentrating the waste products so that you have extremely low water loss while maximizing the nitrification capacity.

Frequent backwashing has proven advantageous for optimizing the nitrification capacity of a PolyGeyser filters. Numerous gentle scrubbing cycles promotes a higher rate of nitrification by maintaining a healthy thin biofilm on the surface of the bead media. Typical backwash cycles occur every 3-6 hours.’

PolyGeyser® Bead Filters are the newest addition to Aquaculture Systems Technologies’ line of Bead Filter Technologies. The patented PolyGeyser® Bead Filters (U.S. Patent # 5,770,080 and 6,517,724, European Patent # 0977713B, and Canadian Patent # 2,287,191) utilize the same filtration mechanism as all of our bead filters namely water from the aquatic system passes upward through the packed bed of plastic beads. The beads capture the solids, while simultaneously providing a large surface area (400 ft2 /ft3 ) for the attachment of nitrifying bacteria which remove dissolved nitrogenous wastes. Bead filters are excellent clarification units, capable of maintaining display quality water at high waste loading rates. Studies have shown that Bead Filters capture 100% of particles > 50 microns and 48% of particles in the 5-10 micron range per pass.

Under development for several years, the PolyGeyser technology exploits the biofilm protection provided by our Enhanced Nitrification (EN) Bead Media. Additionally, the PolyGeyser® Bead Filters offer a very high degree of reliability and are virtually resistant to clogging and caking by virtue of the fact that they backwash automatically using no moving parts or electronics. As a “bioclarifiers” the PolyGeyser® are capable of handling ammonia loads 50 to 100 percent higher than standard bead filters, at a fraction of the water loss and head loss!

These filters offer superior biofiltration and an innovative automatic pneumatic backwash mechanism with no moving parts or electronics.

Perfect for smaller, more compact systems and applications, these filters features automated backwash for easy maintenance.

These low profile filters are made for large volume applications. They are pump-configurable and feature airlifted technology for advanced energy savings.

These new filters feature automated backwashing and are capable of handling large volumes of water under pressure, while gently backwashing the media.

These units are intended to operate for months with periodic pass-bye inspection to assure that the air blower and input pumps are operating. The air blowers drive the recirculation loops and only the beads, water, and air move within the unit – there is nothing to break, not even a check valve. These filters can even be buried, as all vital components can be reached from the top.

Endurance Polygeyser Bead Filter

Endurance Polygeyser Bead filter – an advancement of our patented PolyGeyser® technology with the addition of many new enhancements and increased performance features.

FEATURES INCLUDE:

Automatic pneumatic backwash enabling the filter to operate for extended periods of time without intervention, saving time and labour
Lowest water loss filter in the industry, less than 5% of traditional filters
Large sludge storage chamber that concentrates the sludge minimizing servicing needs
Superior solids removal and biofiltration in one filter, delivering crystal clear water
Low profile design allows for “airlift” water pumping, minimizing energy costs
Elegant, simple design with no moving internal parts and no replacement media ever required, guaranteeing trouble free operation
Units arrive pre-filled with bead media which never needs replacing

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS:

Optional automatic sludge discharge making the filter virtually maintenance free
Optional UV light add-on to assure algae control even under warm water conditions

ENDURANCE POLYGEYSER BEAD FILTER: STANDARD CONFIGURATION

These exceptional filters backwash automatically, several times a day. The user does not need to turn off the pump or close any valves during the backwash sequence. The filter does not require an electric timer. The backwash cycle is regulated by the air that is injected into the charge chamber. The filters clean and recycle the dirty water produced in backwashing every two to three hours. Sludge is only removed once or twice a week.

1) ENDURANCE POLYGEYSER BEAD FILTER – NORMAL FILTRATION

The water moves from the inlet up through the bead bed. The bead bed provides surface area for the water purifying bacteria and captures solids within the aquatic system. Air is slowly injected into the charge chamber, gathering in the top of the filter. As more air enters, this places downward pressure on the water level. The water level drops trapping water in the settling zone, and solids from the last backwash settle into the sludge basin. The rate of air injection controls the length of time between backwashing events.

2) ENDURANCE POLYGEYSER BEAD FILTER – EARLY BACKWASH

Air has made its way through the trigger into the bead bed. The bubbles agitate the beads; knocking solids and biofilm off the beads. As the air pressure in the charge chamber drops, the dirty water from beneath the bead bed sweeps through the chute carrying the solids into the adjacent compartment. No water flows out of the filter during the short 3 – 5 second backwash event; instead the dirty backwash water is captured in the charge chamber and the sludge basin. The beads float in the drop zone where they continue to be scrubbed by the escaping bubbles.

3) ENDURANCE POLYGEYSER BEAD FILTER – LATE BACKWASH

Water flows downward through the mixing bead bed and more solids are washed from the beds to settle towards the bottom. The downward flowing water sweeps into the middle compartment, flushing the solids that have accumulated on the bottom of filter and depositing them into the sludge basin. The water level rises in the shorter chambers.

4) ENDURANCE POLYGEYSER BEAD FILTER – END BACKWASH

Eventually the water rising in the sludge chamber floods the trigger, bringing water movement in the charge chamber and sludge basin to an end. Trapped solids begin to settle as the filtration chamber is refilled with the water from the inlet. The beads float back in place to reform the bead bed. As soon as the water rises to the outlet, filtration resumes.

ENDURANCE POLYGEYSER BEAD FILTER – PERIODICALLY DRAIN SLUDGE

At the end of the backwash, the beads rise back to the top of the filter. Most settled solids have been swept to the sludge chamber. The filter will continue to filter and backwash itself several times a day. After the sludge has built up, the user can open the sludge valve to drain the concentrated sludge from the filter.

The filter backwashing frequency is usually set for a few hours, so the filters will backwash several times a day. Sludge accumulates in the sludge basin. Every few days, perhaps once a week, the sludge drain must be opened to let the sludge out. A natural fertilizer, the sludge can be poured out on the lawn or nearby plant where it will naturally degrade.

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