US 5,863,429 AGranted

Method and apparatus for removing water from sludge and similar substances

OwnerAlbert Bahrinventor

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Abstract

In a method and apparatus for removing water from sludge the sludge is introduced into an intermediate chamber from which it is fed into at least one sludge chamber having a filter surface. A hydrostatic pressure is built up in the sludge chamber to remove the water. The sludge chamber is then opened and the filter surface moved out of the sludge chamber to remove the filter cake. The hydrostatic pressure is generated by the sludge being transferred out of the intermediate container, after the continuous feed of sludge thereto has been cut off, by positive displacement of the volume of sludge from the intermediate container into the sludge chamber. The feed of sludge into the sludge chamber may occur simultaneously at a plurality of points from a corresponding number of intermediate containers.

Claims34

Dependent claims

Apparatus for removing water from sludge comprising:

at least one sludge chamber which is closed on all sides and which includes a sludge inlet for introduction of the sludge,
at least one filter surface for removal of water from the sludge introduced into the sludge chamber, said filter surface having respective sides,
pressure plates on the respective sides of the filter surface and subjected to opening movement and closing movement with respect to said sludge chamber,
means for producing relative movement of the pressure plates with respect to each other,
means for displacing the filter surface for discharge of filter cake on the filter surface after the opening movement of the pressure plates with respect to the sludge chamber, and
means for producing a hydrostatic filtration pressure in the sludge chamber and filling the sludge chamber, in the form of at least one intermediate container in fluid communication with said sludge inlet of said sludge chamber, the intermediate container comprising a piston-cylinder means including a cylinder housing and a piston displaceable therein and a drive means for displacement of said piston, the piston-cylinder means having a sludge inlet for a feed of sludge into said cylinder housing and a sludge outlet in fluid communication with the sludge inlet of said sludge chamber, alternately actuable valve means at the sludge inlet and the sludge outlet of the piston-cylinder means, and means for alternately actuating said valve means,
wherein the sludge chamber is defined by an upper filter surface and a lower filter surface, and further including a flexible seal arranged between the upper and lower filter surfaces surrounding the sludge chamber, and
wherein said flexible seal comprises a one-piece elastic body extending around a periphery of said sludge chamber, said body having a cross-sectional shape defining a recumbent V having a tip directed outwardly away from said sludge chamber, free ends of the recumbent V forming a respective sealing lip, and, provided at horizontal and vertical spacings from said sealing lip inside of the recumbent V, first and second mutually oppositely disposed bend locations at which an angle included between limbs of the recumbent V is adapted to increase.

5 more elements

Apparatus for removing water from sludge comprising:

at least one sludge chamber which is defined by at least one filter surface for removal of water from sludge introduced into the sludge chamber,
upper and lower pressure plates between which said filter surface is enclosed and forming top and bottom walls,
a flexible seal surrounding the sludge chamber and forming side walls thereof, said sludge chamber having at least one sludge inlet for introduction of the sludge,
means for producing a closing and opening relative movement of the pressure plates with respect to each other to create an opened position and a closed position of the sludge chamber,
means for displacing the filter surface with respect to the sludge chamber for discharge of filter cake on the filter surface when the sludge chamber is in the opened position,
means for producing a hydrostatic filtration pressure in the sludge chamber including at least one intermediate container in fluid communication with said sludge inlet of said sludge chamber, the intermediate container comprising a piston-cylinder arrangement including a cylinder housing, a piston displacement therein, and a drive means for displacement of said piston, the piston-cylinder arrangement having a sludge inlet for feeding sludge into said cylinder housing and a sludge outlet in fluid communication with the sludge inlet of said sludge chamber,
alternately actuable valves at the sludge inlet and the sludge outlet of the piston-cylinder arrangement,
means for alternately actuating said valves, and
further pressure-producing means, on which the lower pressure plate is supported, for displacing said lower pressure plate to reduce a volume of the sludge chamber by reducing a distance between said upper pressure plate and said lower pressure plate after the hydrostatic filtration pressure is reached and the valve at the sludge outlet of the piston-cylinder arrangement is closed so as to generate an additional mechanical pressure for removing water from the sludge in the sludge chamber.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.