What Is a Filter Press?

The filter press is one of the oldest and most trusted dewatering equipment. It is used for wastewater treatment in various industries and applications. The working principle of the filter press is to separate out solids from liquids and remove impurities and suspended solids in industrial wastewater. This allows plant managers to easily dispose of garbage while sending clean water back to their system.

Filter presses separates liquid and solid. Specifically, the filter press separates liquid and solid through pressure filtration of a filter medium. The slurry is then pumped into the filter press and then dehydrated under pressure.

What is a filter press?

Filter press is a device used for liquid-solid separation. Specifically, filter presses use pressure filtration to separate liquids and solids, where the slurry is pumped into the filter press and dehydrated under pressure. Basically, each filter press is designed according to the volume and type of mud to be dewatered.

Filter press history

The filter press originated in England in the middle of the 19th century, when the embryonic form of the press was used to extract vegetable oil from seeds. However, it was not until the mid-20th century that engineers were able to develop the world's first automatic horizontal filter press.

It is this long historical advancement that enables filter presses today to achieve significantly lower energy and maintenance costs compared to their belt press and centrifuge counterparts. In fact, the total operating filtration cost of a filter press can easily be 1/6 of the cost of what it would be for a belt press or centrifuge.

filter press

Although there are many different styles of modern filter presses, plate and frame filter presses are the oldest and most tested type of dewatering equipment available. Filter presses are particularly useful because the remaining solids are cheaper and easier to move than the entire slurry. With the clean water that filter presses return, factory managers can discharge it to local municipalities, watersheds, or use it in their own closed-loop system, creating highly efficient process.

How does the filter press work?

The working principle of the filter press is to pump the slurry into the machine to make the solids evenly distributed in the filling cycle. The solids build up on the filter cloth to form a filter cake; the filtrate exits the filter plate through the corner holes and enters the manifold to produce clean filtered water.

The filter press is a pressure filtration method, so when the filter press feed pump generates pressure, solids will form in the chamber until they are completely filled with solids to form a filter cake. Once the chamber is full, the cycle is complete and the filter cake is ready to be released. In many high-capacity filter presses, fast-action automatic plate shifter is employed, speeding up the cycle time.

We are filter press suppliers. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in our products.

A Beginner’s Guide To Pumping Slurry

If you have ever pumped slurry, you know it is one of the most challenging fluids to move. It is abrasive, viscous, sometimes corrosive, and contains a lot of solids. There is no doubt that the slurry is very difficult for the pump. But the more you know about what you are pumping, the better your pumpselection becomes, setting a you up for longer mean time between failure.

What is "slurry"?

Slurry is any mixture of fluid (such as water) and powdered solids. In mining, steel processing, foundries, and power generation, slurry is used as a convenient method of handling bulk solids. Slurry usually flows under gravity, like a viscous fluid, but it can also be pumped in as needed.

Slurry pump

Slurry is generally divided into two categories: non-settling or settling. The non-settling slurry is composed of very fine particles, giving the illusion of an increase in apparent viscosity. These slurries usually have lower wear properties, but they do require very careful consideration when choosing the right pump, because their properties are different from ordinary liquids.

Settling slurry is formed by coarse particles, which tend to form unstable mixtures. When choosing a pump, special attention should be paid to the calculation of flow and power. Most slurry applications consist of coarse particles and therefore have high wear properties.

The following are the common characteristics of slurry:

Abrasive

Thick consistency

Does it contain a lot of solids

Usually resolved quickly

Need more power than "water pump" to run

Slurry pump selection

Choosing the right pump for the slurry is the key to maximum benefit. The basic components of the pump, such as the size and design of the impeller, structural materials and discharge structure, must be considered to ensure that the pump can resist the wear caused by the abrasive slurry. Compared with low-viscosity liquid pumps, slurry pumps are generally larger in size and usually require more horsepower to operate because of their lower efficiency. Bearings and shafts must also be stronger and more rigid.

Slurry pump considerations

If you have experience in pumping slurry, you know that this is not an easy job. The slurry is heavy and difficult to pump. They can cause excessive wear of the pump and its components, and if the movement speed is not fast enough, they can block the suction and discharge pipes. Most importantly, it is a challenge to make the slurry pump last for a reasonable time. However, there are things you can do to extend the life of your slurry pump and make pumping slurry less challenging.

Find the best operating point to make the pump run as slow as possible (to reduce wear), but fast enough to prevent solids from settling and clogging the lines

In order to reduce wear, the exhaust pressure of the pump should be reduced as much as possible to the lowest

Follow proper piping principles to ensure that the slurry is delivered to the pump consistently and evenly

Pumping slurry brings some challenges and problems, but with the right engineering and equipment selection, you can experience years of worry-free operation. When choosing a slurry pump, it is important to work with a qualified engineer, because if not selected correctly, the slurry may cause serious damage to the pump.

We are slurry pump suppliers. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in our products.