Dissolved Air Flotation

Plate Dissolved Air Flotation (PDAF)

Plate Dissolved Air Flotation

Plate Dissolved Air Flotation-High Rate

Plate Dissolved Air Flotation-High Flow

Custom Plate Dissolved Air Flotation Systems for Oil, Grease & Solids Removal

Pan America Environmental has been manufacturing industrial wastewater treatment equipment for 35+ years. The PD line of Plate Dissolved Air Flotation systems combine traditional DAF technology (microbubble flotation for removing oils, grease, fats, floccs and  suspended solids) with inclined lamella plates in the flotation zone to dramatically increase effective surface area, promote laminar flow, and enhance overall efficiency in a compact design.

To learn more about acceptable effluent guidelines, visit the EPA - Learn about Effluent Guidelines.

PDAF Key Design & Performance Features

• Lamella Plate Pack: Inclined plates (typically 55–60°) modules significantly increase the effective settling/flotation surface area (often 5–10x or more compared to conventional DAF). This allows higher hydraulic loading rates while maintaining excellent separation.
• Microbubble Generation: Produces ultra-fine air bubbles (typically 10–50 microns) that attach efficiently to floccs, oils, grease, and fine suspended solids, causing them to float rapidly to the surface.
• High Removal Efficiency: Excellent removal of Total Suspended Solids (TSS up to 90–97%), oils & grease (FOG), fats, algae, and colloidal particles. Often achieves 60–80%+ COD reduction depending on application and chemical conditioning.
• Compact Footprint: Requires significantly less space (often 1/5 to 1/10 the area of conventional sedimentation or standard DAF tanks) due to the lamella enhancement and rapid flotation. Ideal for space-constrained industrial sites.
• Laminar Flow Promotion: The lamella pack creates quiet, laminar flow conditions that minimize turbulence, allowing better bubble-particle attachment and preventing dislodgement of floated solids

Operational Features

• Skimming System: Full-coverage or adjustable mechanical skimmer (chain, rotating, or polyurethane scrapers) for efficient removal of floated sludge/foam. Some designs include self-cleaning or adjustable mechanisms for high-sludge-volume applications.
• Short Retention Time: Typically, 15–45 minutes, enabling high throughput and faster processing compared to gravity sedimentation.
• Integrated Lamella Polishing: Clarified water passes through the lamella section for final polishing, improving effluent quality and protecting against overloads. Flow & settle paths are co-current.
• Flexible Hydraulic Loading: Designed for rates of 5–20 m³/m²/h or higher in enhanced models, depending on wastewater characteristics.

Construction & Build Features

• Durable Materials: Tanks typically constructed from 304/316/316L stainless steel, or corrosion-resistant polypropylene and stainless steel for long service life in aggressive wastewater environments.
• Skid-Mounted & Pre-Assembled: Models are factory-built, tested, and delivered modular or skid-mounted for quick installation and minimal on-site assembly.
• Modular Design: Scalable and expandable; available in various capacities (from small packaged units to large flows >1,500 gpm).
• Containerization: PD models are design for installation in shipping containers.
• Designed for shipping: The PDHF and PDHR models are designed to accommodate flatbed shipping.
• Sectional design: The PDHR models are a sectional design to accommodate easier handling in shipping.

Control & Efficiency Features

• Automated Operation: Includes recycle pump, air saturation (whitewater) system, level controls, and PLC-based automation for consistent performance with minimal operator intervention.
• Energy Optimization: Efficient air dissolution and recycle systems keep power consumption relatively low.
• Chemical Integration: Works seamlessly with coagulation/flocculation dosing for enhanced floc formation and better bubble attachment.
• Low Maintenance: Few moving parts in the lamella section; easy-access designs for cleaning and maintenance.
• Controls Platform: Use of the Intell-i-Touch HMI controls platform makes setup and operation more intuitive and feature laden for the operator.
• Monitoring: The Intell-i-Watch interactive monitoring for multiple sensors for alerting/data logging/analysis for processes, energy, motors, water: level, flow, pH, pressure, temperature. pH sensor LifeTracker degradation alerts and much more.

Additional Benefits of Plate Dissolved Air Flotation

• Versatility: Suitable for a wide range of industrial wastewater applications (food & beverage, oil & gas, chemical, municipal, pulp & paper, etc.), especially where light, floatable, or oily contaminants dominate.
• Improved Effluent Quality: Produces clearer effluent with lower TSS and FOG levels, often ready for further treatment (e.g., biological or filtration).
• Safety & Integration: Options for explosion-proof designs, ventilation, foam suppression, and easy integration with upstream chemical dosing or downstream sludge handling (thickeners, dewatering).

Industrial Applications

Ideal For:

• Food & Beverage: Dairies, cheese/ice cream production, bakeries, vegetable/seafood/poultry processing, canning, prepared foods, rendering, slaughterhouses, pet food.
• Oil & Gas: Frac/produced water, refineries (refinery wastewater, stripped sour water), petrochemical plants, natural gas processing.
• Other Industries: Biodiesel, pulp & paper, steel mills and coke-making, vehicle/tank/truck wash, bilge/ballast water, algae removal, drinking water pretreatment, aircraft maintenance, and more.