Entrapped Air Flotation (EAF)

The Entrapped Air Flotation (EAF) technology treats industrial wastewater streams by reducing the levels of solids, fats, oil, greases, chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand.

Enviromental Challenge

The Entrapped Air Flotation technology is primarily sold into the Food & Beverage industry. This is a market being driven by global growth, increasing demand for water reuse, more restrictive regulations focused on wastewater discharge limits, and an increased focus on energy reduction.

GE sought a solution that improves treatment performance, compared to conventional Dissolved Air Flotation technology.

Innovative Solution

GE's Entrapped Air Flotation technology treats industrial wastewater streams by removing biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and total suspended solids using significantly less ferric sulfate than dissolved air flotation technology using similar treatment chemistries.

In addition, EAF generates sludge that is higher in solids content. This means customers can render the sludge for beneficial reuse. For example, in the meat processing industry, reclaimed oils can be used to provide nutrients in animal feed, soap manufacturing or bio-diesel while the solid bi-products can be used as high-value fertilizer. The separated water can be returned to the waste treatment operation.

Environmental Impact

At one food processing plant, replacing the dissolved air flotation system with GE's EAF reduced the amount of sludge production by 20 million pounds per year and improved the quality of the sludge so that it could be rendered for beneficial reuse. Reuse in this case avoided the need to haul sludge by 180,000 truck-miles per year and avoided over 368 metric tons of CO2 emissions, or as much CO2 as absorbed by 100 acres of Southeastern U.S. forest.

Cutting Costs

With less energy required to treat wastewater, electricity and sludge removal costs are reduced. For example, a typical Entrapped Air Flotation system treating a wastewater stream of 52 million gallons of water per year uses 60% less electricity or 16,000 fewer kWh per year for compressors and pumps than an equivalent dissolved air flotation system, saving $4600 in electricity costs per year at 2007 average U.S. prices.