RBC (Rotating Biological Contactors)

Jacopa® RBC’s are effective and robust treatment systems that fully incorporate all of the operating experience of the large number of installed units in the U.K. and Ireland, and the innovation Jacopa® has developed from the extensive operating base.Jacopa created a standard range of RBC units capable of meeting the vast majority of our customer’s requirements. Standard design features include;

• Drive unit with 100,000 hour design life
• Mechanical parts coated to WIMES specifications
• Bolt-on stub shafts
• Bearings located outside of main covers
• Build offsite

Jacopa™ RBC’s are effective and robust treatment systems that fully incorporate all of the operating experience of the large number of installed units in the U.K. and Ireland, and the innovation Jacopa™ has developed from the extensive operating base. Jacopa™ is able to provide configured standard designs to suit your individual needs (eg Asset Standard) and comply with the extensive recommendations of the Cranfield investigation and report into best practise design gained through the deep understanding of RBC operation and the biological and hydraulic processes.

The resulting new generation of RBC design has been in use now for well over 20 years. With several hundred of these improved standard RBC’s in operation at Jacopa™ , we’re proud to have brought about a far better understanding of what makes a modern day RBC a perfectly viable and reliable option for wastewater treatment.

To find ways of manufacturing RBC units more cost-effectively and to make our offers as attractive as possible, we had systematically investigated every component of our original design – right down to the very nuts and bolts. Over the past 20 years we have offered our RBC that aligns with our customers’ assets standards, we continue to innovate around these standards to bring a competitively priced RBC that complies with best practise and gives customer’s the confidence they are purchasing a Jacopa™ RBC with a 20 year design life. We have also innovated to deliver a fully build off site / factory built assembled unit, saving many hours of installation and improving safety at sites.

In order to reduce installation time, all standard Jacopa™ RBC units are manufactured completely offsite and delivered to site in one piece. Compared to some treatment systems, the Jacopa™ RBC unit can offer a very cost-effective solution and with their low power motors, they are also environmentally friendly.

Used to remove soluble, biodegradable, organic materials from domestic and industrial wastewater, a Jacopa™ RBC system can achieve a high quality final effluent that meets Environment Agency discharge consents. The Jacopa™ RBC unit can be used for BOD reduction, BOD and Ammonia reduction for nitrification and for denitrification. Each application is appraised by qualified process engineers to provide tailored recommendations ensuring a high quality final effluent is achieved every time. Both biomass thickness and speed of rotation are fundamental to the design life of a RBC plant. The biomass thickness on the media applies a load to the frames and shaft, this load creates fatigue stresses. It is therefore important to specify the assumed biomass thickness when designing a plant to demonstrate that this important element has been considered. Jacopa’s™ standard RBC design assumes a 3mm thick biomass on medium density media discs and a 2mm thick biomass on high density discs.

Rotating an RBC rotor slowly increases contact time with the waste to be treated and improves treatment. However, research has shown that rotating a rotor at less than 1.0 rpm can assist the development of Beggiatoa which is a nuisance bacteria. This not only affects process performance but also reduces the life of the plant. For this reason the Jacopa™ standard RBC rotates at the optimum speed of 1 rpm.