New Line of Agitators Launched  

With a new line of top-entry agitators, ITT now offers broadest range of wastewater mixing solutions. The Flygt Top-Entry Agitator is specially designed for demanding denitrification, digester and sludge mixing applications. They round out the mixing solutions portfolio from the company that pioneered the first submersible mixers over three decades ago.

Engineered for energy efficiency, hygienic handling, and ease of installation and service, Dieter Neitemeier, marketing director for biological treatment at ITT’s Water & Wastewater business, said the three top-entry models were developed to offer additional reliable and efficient choices to serve customer needs. Aside from increasing regulation, Neitemeier said, a big
challenge municipal wastewater processors face today is managing sewage sludge. More municipalities are turning to improved biogas recovery systems, such as anaerobic digestion, to optimize profitability, generate on-site power and ultimately help the environment. Benefits of anaerobic digestion include odor control, improved soil nutrients and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Broader and better mixing options with top-entry agitators solve many of these requirements.

ITT’s top entry agitator product manager, Per Selenius who has a 30-year career with these products, was brought on board two years ago for final rollout of the Flygt top-entry agitator. He stressed, "As for applications engineering and support and helping the customer in making the right selections and layout of the mixers and the tank, we are second to none there,  regardless of mixer type.“

The top-entry agitators come in two blade styles, hydrofoil stainless steel and composite polyurethane – the banana blade used on Flygt low-speed mixers – for optimum performance in different fluids and/or tank types. An advantage of the banana style is high density rag or fibrous material don‘t attach due to the heavily backswept impeller, Selenius said. And the hydrofoil style is particularly effective in high temperature applications above 50-60° C.

The Flygt Top-Entry Agitator is available in three base models. The model 4850 serves many mixing applications and includes banana blade impellers, with an optional bottom support assembly to affix longer shafts to the basin floor. The models 4860 and 4870, which are for digester mixing, include hydrofoil blades, a patented rotating stabilizer that secures the variable- length shaft to the digester bottom, and a patented leveling flange with gas seal that makes it easy to adjust the shaft to true vertical by just one person. These two models also feature a wear-proof water lock to prevent leakage of harmful gases and agitator breakdown. Through its global sales and service network, ITT continues to follow emerging customer needs and constantly improves its offerings to provide new and innovative solutions. With the new top-entry agitators, it owns the broadest product portfolio for mixers available including low-speed mixers, compact mixers and jet mixers.