Heron Innovators has introduced its advanced Suspended Air Flotation (SAF) system for efficiency and effectiveness in solid/liquid separation in the food, dairy and animal products industries. The Suspended Air Flotation is designed to enhance separation efficiency, resulting in cleaner effluent and drier skimmed solids. Additionally, it can also reduce operating costs through lower energy consumption, decreased flocculant and coagulant usage, and reduced operator attention and maintenance requirements. SAF systems occupy a small footprint while increasing hydraulic flow and solids loading capacities.

SAF utilizes charged microbubbles, known as aphrons, that do not dissolve. An aphron is a double-walled bubble, 7-25 µm in size, that will not coalesce and has a greater surface area and longer lifespan than traditional DAF bubbles. Aphrons can possess either a cationic or anionic charge. This electrostatic affinity and the resulting surface tension advantage allow aphrons to effectively adhere to, attract and encapsulate contaminant particles.

Heron Innovators offers custom designed systems that are plumbed, wired and tested with flotation and ancillary equipment all on a single skid. This plug-and-play design minimizes installation time and costs normally associated with field integration of pumps, pH control, chemical feed and other associated equipment. 

The SAF system installations are custom fabricated from type 304 stainless steel. Standard system features include a Suspended Air Generator, ClearMixer, ClearFloater (flotation cell), serpentine-style floc mixer, influent flow meter and process control panel. If needed, coagulant metering pump, polymer dilution system, chemical staging, pH sensor/controller and acid/base metering pumps can be supplied as options.

SAF systems are available in sizes ranging from 50 gallons per minute (gpm) to greater than 8,000 gpm. Smaller flows can be treated by batch processing. Skid-mounted systems are available with capacities from 50 gpm to 2,800 gpm.