Double protection against mussel infestations: AutoFilt® Mussel Catch
Sustainable, chemical-free protection for systems containing water
Invasive mussel species such as the quagga mussel or zebra mussel are increasingly becoming a problem in many areas of process filtration, such as in aquathermal energy systems or cooling water circuits. This is because they clog pipework and block heat exchangers, which impairs the performance of the infested systems and leads to expensive maintenance work. With the AutoFilt® Mussel Catch, HYDAC offers a two-stage cascade filter that works entirely without chemicals - and protects your systems in the long term.
Find out more about our filter solutions that combat mussel infestations
Do you have questions about preventing quagga mussels or other invasive species from infesting your system? Arrange a no-obligation consultation appointment with our experts now or use our "ProFilt Navigator" digital filter questionnaire.
Mussel infestations by zebra and quagga mussels - a growing risk worldwide The small sea dwellers cause major damage to systems containing water
Invasive mussel species such as the quagga and zebra mussel are increasingly spreading in European waters. The same is therefore true for process water and cooling water. Introduced via ballast tanks, boat hulls or by migratory birds, they encounter hardly any natural predators outside their usual habitat – which allows them to reproduce rapidly.
Their tiny larvae easily get past protective grids, pumps or conventional filters and settle deep inside water systems – such as in drinking water, process water or cooling water systems.
The consequences are serious: blocked pipes cause pressure losses, increased energy consumption and a severely restricted flow – and can even lead to a complete system failure. Costly unplanned maintenance work is the result.
Conventional filter methods are reaching their limits Conventional processes are often inefficient, uneconomical or ecologically questionable
Various methods are available to combat mussel infestation in process or cooling water – but in practice, the following quickly becomes apparent: none of them offer a solution that's strong in every aspect.
Although chemical processes are effective, they are ecologically questionable. Thermal methods or UV systems, on the other hand, lead to high energy consumption and are considered uneconomical.
Sand filters and conventional automatic filters don't offer sufficient protection – they remove the mussel shells but allow the mussel larvae to pass through. Only ultrafiltration achieves complete elimination, but it's not usually profitable due to the high investment costs and operating costs.
What has been lacking to date is an economical, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution that reliably protects cooling water circuits – with dependable retention of quagga mussel larvae, zebra mussels and the like.
Our cascade filter solution: HYDAC AutoFilt® Mussel Catch
Two-stage all-round protection against small invaders from the sea
Mussel infestations in systems containing water, such as cooling water systems, is a multi-layered problem – because it's not just adult mussels, but even more so their tiny, flexible larvae that get past conventional process filters and later settle in the system.
With the AutoFilt® Mussel Catch, we offer a two-stage, chemical-free cascade filter that tackles these exact issues:
- Stage 1: The AutoFilt® RF3 candle filter retains adult mussels and coarse contamination.
- Stage 2: The AutoFilt® RF14 basket filter reliably retains fine particles and mussel larvae and is cleaned fully automatically using HYSuction nozzles.
The result: sustainable protection against mussels and mussel larvae, less maintenance for heat exchangers and other components and long-term operational reliability – without chemicals and with full system performance.
Efficient mussel retention in black and whiteLarvae removal successfully proven in long-term trials
Between April and November 2024, our AutoFilt® RF14 automatic fine filter was tested under real conditions as part of an extensive field test at Lake Constance. The focus here was on the crucial weak point of many process filtration systems: the mussel larvae.
These tiny, flexible larvae enter the pipes and heat exchangers with the water flow and settle there – with serious consequences such as blockages, loss of performance and high maintenance costs.
The results speak for themselves: No live mussel larvae were detectable in 100 % of the water samples downstream of the AutoFilt® RF14 process filter. The central cause of the mussel infestation was therefore able to be eliminated in a targeted and effective manner.
The determination of the mussel larvae population before and after the test filter was conducted by an independent limnological institute. Sampling and analysis were carried out using scientifically approved methods.
Our process filters that combat mussel infestations
HYDAC AutoFilt® RF3
The AutoFilt® RF3 is an automatic back-flushing filter for coarse protection to 50 µm and can retain mussel clusters and mussel larvae. It uses conical filter candles instead of cylindrical, which enables more efficient flow and cleaning. The flow-optimised housing ensures a compact design with high performance and low pressure loss.
HYDAC AutoFilt® RF14
The speciality of the AutoFilt® RF14 is automatic fine filtration. In contrast to the AutoFilt® RF3, the AutoFilt® RF14 has a filter basket rather than filter candles. Fully automatic cleaning is performed directly on the filter mesh using HySuction nozzles. Thanks to our special filter layer design in combination with an ideal cleaning mechanism, up to 100 % of the mussel larvae can be retained by the process filter.
HYDAC is your partner for efficient mussel removal in process filtration
Effective protection against mussels and mussel larvae
Our solution offers effective and proven protection for your water-based systems when it comes to mussels and mussel larvae such as the quagga mussel.
Reduced energy costs and maintenance costs
The effective filtration prevents clogged pipes and heat exchangers, helping you avoid higher energy consumption and costly maintenance work.
Environmentally friendly filtration solution
By dispensing with chemicals, our HYDAC AutoFilt® Mussel Catch cascade filter for mussel filtration is sustainable and environmentally friendly.
