How computational fluid dynamics analysis and guided design modifications achieved 94% TSS removal and 62% chemical benefits at a UK craft brewery.
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| Client | UK Regional Craft Brewery | Application | DAF — Brewery Wastewater Pretreatment |
| Document Ref | RB-CS-DAF-001 | Date | April 2026 |
| Key Result | TSS Removal 78% → 94% | chemical reduction | 62% ferric chloride reduction |
A UK craft brewery operating a 50,000 hl/year facility experienced suboptimal solids removal in their existing Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) system. Despite operating within conventional design loading parameters (10 m/h hydraulic loading, 0.03 A/S ratio), TSS removal remained at 78% — insufficient to protect downstream advanced biological treatment from organic overload and prevent sewer discharge surcharge penalties.
Reynolds & Bauhm conducted a comprehensive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of the DAF contact and separation zones. The simulation revealed a severe white water distribution maldistribution (uniformity index 0.61) causing a central high-velocity jet and corner stagnation zones. This hydraulic short-circuiting reduced effective bubble-floc contact time by 52%.
Through CFD-guided design modifications — manifold re-orificing, deflection baffle addition, and contact zone geometry adjustment — the brewery achieved validated performance improvements:
| Metric | Baseline | Optimised | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSS Removal | 78% | 94% | +16 percentage points |
| Contact Time Uniformity (COV) | 0.48 | 0.12 | 75% more uniform |
| White Water Distribution Uniformity Index | 0.61 | 0.91 | +49% improvement |
| Ferric Chloride Consumption | 85 mg/L | 32 mg/L | 62% reduction |
| Sludge Volume Index | 185 mL/g | 112 mL/g | Improved settleability |
| Downstream Biological Overload Incidents | 3-4/month | 0 | Eliminated |
Facility: 50,000 hl/year craft brewery with on-site effluent treatment
Existing Treatment Process: Screening → EQ Tank → DAF (2-cell) → Aerobic SBR → Discharge to sewer
Influent Characteristics:
Software: ANSYS Fluent 2024 R1 with Eulerian multiphase model
Model Configuration:
Baseline (left) vs. Optimised (right) contact zone velocity distribution. Note the elimination of the central high-velocity jet and corner stagnation zones.
The CFD analysis revealed that the existing manifold design created a preferential flow path to the centre of the contact zone, with 40% of white water exiting through just 15% of the nozzle area. This created a high-velocity central plume (0.35 m/s) that short-circuited directly to the outlet, while corners experienced near-stagnant conditions (<0.02 m/s) with excessive contact time.
| Modification | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Manifold Re-Orificing | Redistributed nozzle sizes from uniform 8mm to tapered 6-10mm pattern | Uniformity index 0.61 → 0.91 |
| Deflection Baffle | Added 45° angled baffle 200mm below manifold | Eliminated central jet, improved lateral distribution |
| Contact Zone Extension | Increased contact zone depth from 1.2m to 1.5m | +25% contact time, improved floc-bubble aggregation |
| Outlet Weir Modification | V-notch weir replaced with submerged perforated outlet | Reduced surface velocity, eliminated dead zones |
Post-modification performance was validated over a 3-month operational period. The brewery confirmed sustained TSS removal of 92-95% across varying loading conditions, with no downstream biological overload incidents. Chemical consumption was monitored via automated dosing records.
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Reynolds & Bauhm CFD engineers can diagnose hydraulic issues in your contact zone, identify short-circuiting, and validate design modifications before capital investment. Contact us to discuss your application.
Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.