Method and apparatus for the solid-liquid-separation of material mixtures and suspensions

An apparatus for separating a solid-liquid mixture comprising:

• a filter chamber (2) for receiving said solid-liquid mixture, said filter chamber (2) including a fixed outside cylinder (12) and an inner perforated rotatable cylindrical filter basket (14) the exterior surface of which is covered with a filter cloth (18), an annular volume being defined between said fixed outside cylinder (12) and said cylindrical filter basket (14), said filter chamber further including an outer solid matter stripper (20), an inner contact brush (22) and a filtrate outlet (23);
• a worm extruder pump (29), an inlet of which is in fluid communication with said annular volume;
• at least one variable volume, squeeze-pressure chamber (8), including:
• a lower fixed squeeze-pressure plate (30);
• an upper fixed counter-pressure plate (32);
• a filter belt (28);
• an upper liftable and lowerable squeeze-pressure plate (34) having a surrounding seal (36);
• tie rods (50) between the lower squeeze-pressure plate (30) and upper fixed counter-pressure plate (32) for taking the tensional forces;
• and
• hydraulic cylinders (38, 40, 42) for moving the upper squeeze-pressure plate (34) together with the seal (36)
• wherein a continuous feed (4) introduces said solid-liquid mixture into said annular volume, wherein filtrate passes though said filter cloth (18) and said inner perforated rotatable cylindrical filter basket (14) into an interior volume defined by said cylindrical filter basket (14) and exits through said filtrate outlet (23), while a concentrated volume of the remaining solid-liquid mixture flows into said worm extruder pump (29) which then transports said remaining concentrated volume to said at least one variable volume squeeze-pressure chamber (8) through a connection line (10), where the remaining concentrated volume of the solid liquid mixture is further separated by the pumping pressure created by the worm extruder, wherein filtrate passes through filter belt (28) and is drained off downwardly from the squeeze-pressure chamber (8) through channels (39) in said lower fixed squeeze-pressure plate (30) leaving a filter cake (41) on said filter belt (28).