Apparatus for preparing a material for high pressure deliquification

A belt filter press for deliquifying a material, said belt filter press comprising:

• a. a lower belt having a first path of travel and an upper belt having a second path of travel, said lower and upper belts travelling together and converging towards one another in a wedge zone through which a material is progressively compressed between said lower and upper belts, the angle of convergence between the lower and upper belts defining a wedge angle which corresponds to the degree of pressure exerted on the material in the wedge zone;
• and
• b. a lower belt support for supporting said lower belt in said wedge zone and an upper belt support for supporting said upper belt in said wedge zone, at least one of said belt supports being moveable while said lower and upper belts are moving in said respective first and second paths of travel in order to adjust the wedge angle in the wedge zone, said lower belt support including lower belt support members extending cross-wise below and in contact with said lower belt, said upper belt support including upper belt support members extending cross-wise on top of said upper belt, said lower and upper belt support members being alternately and oppositely arranged in at least a portion of said wedge zone so that the upper and lower belts and the material therebetween are threaded through said respective support members in a shear-inducing serpentine manner, resulting in the material between said belts being massaged in addition to being compressed in the wedge zone, at least a portion of said lower belt support members including a medial support section flanked by two end closure support sections, said end closure support sections extending upwardly and outwardly from said medial support section, whereby the marginal edges of said lower and upper belts lie in a substantially sealed arrangement on said end closure support sections.

A belt filter press for deliquifying a material, said belt filter press comprising:

• a. a first belt having a first path of travel and a second belt having a second path of travel, said first and second belts travelling together and converging towards one another in a wedge zone through which a material is progressively compressed between said first and second belts, the angle of convergence between the first and second belts defining a wedge angle which corresponds to the degree of pressure exerted on the material in the wedge zone;
• b. a first belt support for supporting said first belt in said wedge zone and a second belt support for supporting said second belt in said wedge zone, at least one of said belt supports being movable while said first and second belts are moving in said respective first and second paths of travel in order to adjust the wedge angle in the wedge zone;
• and
• c. at least one sludge retaining wheel provided at each marginal edge of the first belt for sealing the marginal edges of said first and second belts in the area of said wedge zone, said sludge retaining wheel preventing the migration of the material between said first and second belts, thus enabling the use of a smaller wedge angle in a wedge zone.

A belt filter press for deliquifying a material, said belt filter press comprising:

• a. a first belt having a first path of travel and a second belt having a second path of travel, said first and second belts travelling together and converging towards one another in a wedge zone through which a material is progressively compressed between said first and second belts, the angle of convergence between the first and second belts defining a wedge angle which corresponds to the degree of pressure exerted on the material in the wedge zone;
• b. a first belt support for supporting said first belt in said wedge zone and a second belt support for supporting said second belt in a said wedge zone, there being a first side of said first and second belt supports and there being a second side of said first and second belt supports at least one of said belt supports being movable while said first and second belts are moving in said respective first and second paths of travel in order to adjust the wedge angle in the wedge zone;
• and
• c. first rack and pinion assembly at said first side and a second rack and pinion assembly at said second side said first and second rack and pinion assemblies being operatively associated with one another for uniformly moving said first and second sides during adjustment of the wedge angle.