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T-Screens (Tee Screens) for Submerged Intakes

T-screens — passive cylindrical wedge-wire screens mounted on the end of a submerged intake pipe in a “T”, drawing water from all sides at very low slot velocity for excellent fish protection.

T-Screens (Tee Screens) for Submerged Intakes

Intake Screening for Water & Desalination Plants

A T-screen is a passive intake screen mounted on the end of a submerged intake pipe and arranged like the letter “T”, with cylindrical wedge-wire elements on each arm. Water enters from all sides at a very low through-slot velocity, giving excellent fish and larvae protection wherever an intake pipe terminates in open water — a workhorse of modern SWRO intakes.

≤0.15
m/s slot velocity
1–10
mm slot
All-round
intake
Air-burst
cleaned

How a T-Screen Works

Passive, all-sides, low-velocity intake

Cylindrical Wedge-Wire Arms

V-profile wire on each arm presents a large, low-velocity slot area.

All-Sides Entry

Water enters radially from every direction, halving local velocity.

Air-Burst Cleaning

Periodic compressed-air burst clears slots of debris and biofilm.

Cu-Ni Antifouling

Copper-nickel construction resists marine growth between cleans.

Slot Sizing

1–10 mm slots set the exclusion size for debris, eggs and larvae.

Pipe-End Manifold

Bolts onto the submerged intake-pipe end as a drop-in module.

Typical T-Screen Parameters

ParameterTypicalNotes
Through-slot velocity≤0.15 m/sFish-protective
Slot opening1–10 mmSets exclusion size
Material90/10 Cu-Ni / super duplexMarine service
CleaningAir-burstPeriodic, automatic
MountingSubmerged pipe endOpen-water termination

Advantages & Limitations

Advantages

  • Excellent fish and larvae protection at low velocity
  • No moving parts — high reliability
  • Simple drop-on termination for an intake pipe
  • Antifouling alloy options for long marine life

Limitations

  • Needs ambient current to assist self-cleaning
  • Requires an air-burst compressor and controls
  • Clogging risk in severe debris or algal blooms
  • Diver / ROV access for inspection and major maintenance

Related Intake-Screen Topics

Continue across the screening knowledge base

Specify the right intake screen

Our engineers select, size and material-match intake screening — t-screens (tee screens) and the full train — for your debris load, fish-protection duty and downstream desalination process.

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