Sustainable protection against mussel infestation
With the AutoFilt® Mussel Catch, HYDAC presents an innovative, purely mechanical solution that efficiently protects cooling circuits and heat exchangers against mussel infestation. The core of this system is a two-stage cascade filter that specifically retains both mussels and their larvae—without the use of any chemical agents.
Mussels and mussel larvae block cooling circuits
In many water-based systems, such as cooling water circuits or aquathermal energy systems, invasive mussel species such as quagga and zebra mussels pose a major challenge as they can become established and clog the systems. Mussel larvae are particularly problematic, as they are small enough to pass through conventional filters unhindered. As fully grown mussels, they later block pipes and heat exchangers—which jeopardizes the flow rate, efficiency, and operational safety of the system in the long term.
This is why an effective solution needs to reliably eliminate microscopically small larvae as well as adult animals.
Our solution: HYDAC AutoFilt® Mussel Catch
HYDAC addresses this problem with the AutoFilt® Mussel Catch, a mechanical filter system that works without chemical additives. It consists of two successive stages: a coarse filter removes larger mussels and particles, while a fine filter specifically catches the smallest of larvae—including quagga and zebra mussel larvae. This is how the system offers sustainable, chemical-free protection for cooling circuits, pipework, and heat exchangers.
Independent tests by a limnological institute show that over 99% of larvae are eliminated, which underlines the high effectiveness of our solution. Find out more about how they work, technical details, and possible applications here:
Giuseppe Alex Ruffino, Project Manager for Process Filtration at HYDAC Process Technology
With the AutoFilt® Mussel Catch, we have developed a solution that combines three decisive advantages: it has been proven to reliably protect against mussel and larvae infestation and significantly reduces operating costs thanks to its high efficiency. It also actively contributes to sustainability by completely dispensing with chemicals. This is how we're setting new standards in protecting industrial cooling water systems against mussel infestation.
