Wartsila Aquarius UV takes ballast water filtration to next level with launch of ‘Manta’ filter
Wartsila Water and Waste’s Aquarius UV Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) is being launched with a completely new filtration solution. Designed by Wärtsilä Water and Waste’s partner FilterSafe, the ‘Manta’ filter features an innovative OneMotion scanner that cleans the screen in just a single rotation. Tests have shown the ‘Manta’ filter to be capable of fast and efficient screen cleaning, even with heavy dirt loads, according to the company's release.
At the DHI test facilities in Denmark, Organic Load Tests showed that the ‘Manta’ filter exceeded IMO standards by a factor of 22 without any reduction in the flow rate. Furthermore, the DHI measurements indicated the removal efficiency to be an impressive 99.96 percent of all organisms over 50 microns. The Manta is also type approved by Bureau Veritas Group (Marine).
To meet the needs of UV secondary treatment, the Wartsila Aquarius UV system utilises a ‘Manta’ filter with a 25 micron smartweave screen. The non-pleated screen prevents sediment from becoming trapped, and there is no cake build-up across the screen. Thus, each cleaning cycle brings the screen back to 100 percent cleanliness.
The Wartsila Aquarius UV BWMS is the first system to be fitted with the ‘Manta’ filter. Class and IMO equivalency testing is currently being finalised. The US Coast Guard also allows the ‘Manta’ filter to be used in BWMS installations already authorised by them.