Liquid Phase Carbon Vessels

GAC vessels are steel pressure vessels loaded with granular activated carbon. As water passes through, dissolved organics, pesticides, and other contaminants bind to the carbon instead of continuing downstream.Riley Equipment builds vessels for everything from small process streams to high-volume municipal and industrial flows, so facilities get the same dependable performance at any scale.

Liquid phase granular activated carbon vessels are commonly used to treat contaminated water by filtering out dissolved organic compounds. The granular activated carbon media inside the vessel absorbs contaminants from the water as it's pumped through, leaving a cleaner effluent on the other side.

Riley Equipment's RL Series vessels fit most installation footprints without a major site overhaul. Each one is coated with a long-lasting polyamide epoxy resin inside and a durable epoxy mastic outside, so it holds up to harsh liquid streams over the long term. Not sure what your process needs? Our team can help design a solution that fits.

Whether you need an Empty Bed Contact Time (EBCT) of 25 minutes at 5.34 gallons per minute (gpm) or 213.73 gpm, a 5 minute EBCT at 26.72 gpm or 1,068.65 gpm, or anything in between or beyond, we have a liquid phase carbon vessel to match. The RL Series is available for rent or purchase.

Not every application fits a catalog spec sheet, which is why Riley Equipment offers both standard and custom Activated Carbon Filter vessels. Standard RL Series units cover most common flow rates and installation footprints right out of the gate, while custom-engineered vessels are built around your site's specific flow, pressure, footprint, and media requirements. From connection sizing and internal collector design to coating specifications and skid configuration, our engineering team works directly with your operations, engineering, or procurement team to match the vessel to the process rather than asking the process to fit the vessel.

Our engineering team draws on decades of combined experience sizing carbon vessels for drinking water, wastewater, and food and beverage applications, and can walk you through material, coating, and skid options before you commit to a configuration. 

RL Series Specifications

The RL Series covers seven vessel sizes, from the compact RL-30 to the high-flow RL-120, compared below by diameter, connection size, GAC fill, and max pressure.

GAC vessels serve a wide range of industries and adsorption applications:

Drinking Water Purification: municipalities and industrial facilities use GAC vessels to remove dissolved organics, taste and odor compounds, and trace contaminants before water reaches the distribution system.

Wastewater Treatment: GAC vessels polish water ahead of discharge, helping facilities meet permit limits for dissolved organics, GRO, DRO, and other regulated compounds, and treat contaminated stormwater or process water.

Food and Beverage Processing: GAC vessels remove off-flavors, chlorine byproducts, and dissolved organics from process water to protect product quality batch after batch.

There are a wide variety of options available for RL Series filters and custom liquid phase filter vessel systems alike. Contact us today to learn more about our products and services, or ask about our media and filter maintenance programs to keep your vessels performing at peak capacity.

Is a GAC vessel the same as an industrial GAC water filter?

Yes. GAC vessels, industrial GAC water filters, liquid scrubbers, and activated carbon filter vessels all describe the same equipment: a pressure vessel using granular activated carbon to adsorb dissolved contaminants from a liquid stream.

What's the difference between a standard RL Series vessel and a custom vessel?

Standard RL Series units cover most common flow rates and installation footprints without added engineering time. Custom vessels are built around a site's specific flow, pressure, footprint, and media requirements when a standard model doesn't fit the application.

How do I size a GAC vessel for my flow rate?

Vessel sizing depends on the flow rate and the Empty Bed Contact Time (EBCT) your application needs. Riley Equipment's RL Series covers EBCTs from 5 to 25 minutes at flow rates from about 5 to over 1,000 gallons per minute, and our engineers can help match a vessel to your specific requirements.

What industries use GAC vessels?

GAC vessels are used in municipal and industrial drinking water treatment, industrial and municipal wastewater treatment, and food and beverage processing, anywhere dissolved organics, taste and odor compounds, or trace contaminants need to be removed from a liquid stream.

Can GAC vessels be rented instead of purchased?

Yes. Riley Equipment's RL Series liquid filtration vessels are available for rent or purchase, which is useful for temporary treatment needs, pilot testing, or bridging a permanent installation.