DRYING OF WASTE SLUDGES IN A FLUIDIZED BED DRYER WITH A MIXER

Sludge wastes are a very attractive source of many valuable compounds such as nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter. One of the interesting methods of sludge utilization is dewatering and drying. In this paper some problems of drying of two types of sludge wastes of different form and origin are presented. One of the sludges—a brewery by-product— contains spent grain suspension of brewer's yeast and diatomaceous earth. The second one is a by-product of a biotechnological process which contains mainly lime, protein, many microelements and some microorganisms. Moisture content of both sludges is about 65-70% w/w. The laboratory experiments of sludge drying in the fluidized bed dryer with a mixer, fluidized bed hydrodynamics, and the effects and advantages of sludge drying are shown.     

Design and operating experience for a fluidized bed incinerator to treat industrial hazardous scum and waste oils

The production of industrial hazardous wastes increases with population growth and industrial progress. Most industrial hazardous wastes are in the forms of sludge, scum or waste oil and have organic properties. The best way to treat those wastes is to burn them in a fluidized bed type incinerator. Because the properties of scum and waste oils are different from those of industrial sludges, the design and operation of such kinds of incinerators are also different from that for industrial sludges. This paper presents the design method and the operating experience for a fluidized bed incinerator to treat specifically industrial hazardous scum and waste oils.     

OVERVIEW AND SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS SEWAGE SLUDGE DRYING PROCESSES

ABSTRACT

An incineration process is routinely used in Japan to treat nearly all the generated sewage sludge. The drying process now is recognized to play an important role as a pretreatment process of a incineration process.

This paper provides a brief introduction to the conventionally utilized drying methods/equipment (i.e, hot gas drying, fluidized bed drying, pneumatic conveyor drying, and steam drying( for treating dewatered sludge cakes.     

DRYTNG OF PEPPER SEEDS USING A COMBINED MICROWAVE/FLUIDIZED BED DRYER

Abstract

The drying rates curves in terms of moisture content versus elapsed drying time for white pepper seeds were obtained experimentally using a fluidized bed and a combined microwave/fluidized bed. The combined microwave/fluidized bed employs a microwave field to assist convective drying. For both procedures, the drying rates were found to be dependent on the inlet air temperature and velocity. Significantly improved drying rates were achieved utilized a combined microwave/fluidized bed drying compared with a conventional fluidized bed.     

Convective Drying of Wastewater Sludges: Influence of Air Temperature,Superficial Velocity,and Humidity on the Kinetics

Abstract

The influence of air temperature, velocity, and humidity during convective drying of two different sludges (A and B) is investigated through a 3³ factorial design. For sludge A, a constant drying flux period is observed, while sludge B is characterized by a long decreasing drying flux phase. A sensitivity analysis shows that temperature is the main operating parameter affecting the drying kinetics. Mass and heat transfer coefficients as well as water evaporation capacities are calculated from drying curves. Transfer coefficients are related to operating conditions through dimensionless relations. For both sludges, a linear relation is found between water evaporation capacity and the maximal measured drying flux.     

湿污泥颗粒的流化床干燥实验及模型

在鼓泡流化床内以河砂为干燥介质,对单颗粒湿污泥的流态化干燥特性进行实验研究,得到了流化床温度、污泥初始水分、污泥粒径及流化速度对干燥速率的影响规律：流化床温度及污泥粒径对干燥速率的影响都呈指数规律;污泥的水分越大,干燥速率越大;在鼓泡流化床流化速度达到2倍临界流化速度以上时,充分流化,流化速度再增大(2~5倍临界流化速度)对干燥速率没有明显影响. 在基本的扩散传质理论的基础上,利用实验数据回归得到湿污泥在鼓泡流化床内干燥的半经验模型,为流化床污泥干燥器的设计提供了基础数据和依据.     

R&D Needs-Drying of Sludges

ABSTRACT

Sludge management is very important subject for the environmental issue in many industrialized countries, because its generated volume is the largest in all generated wastes. In sludge management field, role of drying is becoming more needful as increase of difficulty for sludge disposal and need for sludge drying is expected in the future.

In this paper, the present status of drying of construction sludge, food industry sludge and municipal sludge are mentioned as concrete examples.

To respond these needs, it is necessary to advance further R & D     

Influence of sawdust addition on drying of wastewater sludges: Comparison of structural characteristics

ABSTRACT

This work aims to investigate the structural characteristics of wastewater sludges and sludge–wood mixtures, and how the addition of sawdust affects them in a positive way for the drying process. The study was performed for a fixed bed at the pilot scale, with sludges from three different wastewater treatment plants from the Liège province in Belgium, namely, Oupeye, Grosses Battes, and Embourg. X-ray tomography was chosen to evaluate variations in the structural characteristics before and after drying, which included volume, void fraction, and exchange surface of the bed. Results first confirm that the drying rate is raised after the sawdust addition operation for all three sludges, but the increase amount is smaller while the moisture of the sludge is high. With sawdust, the average drying rates increase by factors of 1.475 (Oupeye), 1.342 (Grosses Battes), and 1.162 (Embourg), respectively. It also increases initial volume as well as void fraction and surface exchange, however after drying this addition leads to less shrinkage and void fraction, and higher exchange surface. The initial void fraction increases by 7.25 (Oupeye), 8.30 (Grosses Battes), and 14.01% (Embourg), but the final void fraction decreases 1.56 (Oupeye), 10.83 (Grosses Battes), and 25.61% (Embourg). With high initial moisture content, we observed lower porosity and higher shrinkage.     

ANALYSIS OF THE DRYING OF RESIDUAL SLUDGE: FROM THE EXPERIMENT TO THE SIMULATION OF A BELT DRYER

ABSTRACT

The drying of residual sludge is a current environmental problem not sufficiently described in the literature, hence research investigations on this dewatering process are required. This paper proposes a modelling of a conveyor dryer belt. However the study of residual sludges dewatering in order to design or simulate drying equipment requires some experimental investigations. An analysis in terms of drying kinetics is proposed in this paper. Specific experiments were also needed in order to better describe some particular aspects such as crusting, shrinkage, and particle size impact. According to these data some analytical expressions have been derived and integrated in a belt dryer model. The set of air operating conditions (T, RH, v) was reduced to a single parameter, the drying potential. The results of the simulations show that a conveyor belt dryer is not well adapted to activated sludge. This is essentially due to a crust phenomenon. For a PVC industrial sludge this kind of dryer is more efficient and allows drying with reasonable residence times. Several simulations were run in order to point out the relevant parameters of the process.     

INVESTIGATION ON THE INCIPIENT FLUIDIZATION AND HEAT TRANSFER IN A CENTRIFUGAL FLUIDIZED BED DRYER

Abstract

Based on the continuum theory, a physical model of gas-solid two phase flow in a centrifugal fluidized bed has been proposed. A set of governing equations to describe the fluidization state are obtained and solved numerically after some simplifying. The quantitative experimental study on the characteristics of the incipient fluidization in the centrifugal fluidized bed is performed to examine the proposed model. Gas-solid two phase heat transfer in CFB during a drying process is also conducted. The influences of bed thickness, particle diameter, physical properties of particle, rotating speed of the bed and the gas superficial velocity on heat transfer characteristics are examined. A correlation that can be used to calculate the heat transfer coefficients in the drying process in CFB is obtained.     

COMBINED DRYING OF CRYSTALLOCOLLOIDAL MATERIALS

ABSTRACT

Principles of a new high-effective technique of granulating and drying some materials are discussed. The material properties are shown to affect the granulation and drying processes. Methods to describe falling and fluidized bed drying are suggested.     

Vibrofluidized Bed Drying of Adipic Acid

ABSTRACT

Adipic acid is a white crystalline solid and is the most industrially important of all aliphatic dicarboxylic acids. Drying is the principal unit operation after its crystallization. The acid has a tendency to agglomerate when moistened, due to its high cohesiveness. The fluidization regime does not occur and the particles cannot be adequately treated in a conventional fluidized bed. This article deals with the drying of adipic acid in a vibrofluidized bed. The equipment used in the drying tests was specially designed and constructed to maintain the fluidized regime of fine particles of moistened adipic acid. The drying curves presented the constant and the falling rate periods, yielding final moisture contents that depend mainly on the drying temperature. The quality of the dried acid was also verified by the crystals' granulometric analysis, which showed breakage of crystals for drying at higher air temperatures. Results showed to be satisfactory for drying adipic acid with moisture content up to 5.1% w.b. in the vibrofluidized bed, keeping a high degree of bed homogeneity and quality of the fluidized state.     

BATCH VIBRATING FLUID BED DRYER FOR SAWDUST PARTICLES: EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

ABSTRACT

In a batch experimental equipment, the behavior of a sawdust dryer in a vibrating fluidized bed is analyzed. Empirical data concerning fluidization velocities, pressure drops and drying kinetics was obtained, and advantages of using vibration in the drying chamber, relative to a conventional fluidized bed, are shown. This technique is presented as an alternative to solve problems of solid agglomeration and bed defluidization. Results show that it is possible to dry sawdust with more than 2 kg/kg moisture, in a vibrating bed keeping a high degree of bed homogeneity and high quality of fluidized state.     

Drying of water treatment process sludge in a fluidized bed dryer

The drying characteristics of water treatment process (WTP) sludge were investigated with a fluidized bed. The equilibrium moisture ratio of WTP sludge increased with relative humidity and decreased with temperature of drying air. However, equilibrium moisture ratio of WTP sludge was more sensitively dependent on relative humidity than temperature of drying air. When the sludge was dried in a batch fluidized bed, the drying rate of sludge decreased as the moisture ratio of sludge in the bed decreased. The periods of constant drying rates were apparently not observed on the drying rate curves. In addition, the maximum drying rates were increased with bed temperature and superficial air velocity. As the fluidized bed was operated continuously, the degree of drying of WTP sludge increased with bed temperature but was weakly dependent on superficial air velocity. However, the drying efficiency was decreased with bed temperature and relatively insensitive to superficial air velocity and increased with feed rate of sludge.     

DRYING OF PULP AND PAPER SLUDGE IN A PULSED FLUID BED DRYER

ABSTRACT

Hydrodynamics and drying kinetics for the pulp and paper primary sludge dried in a pulsed fluid bed dryer with relocated air stream are presented. Batch experiments have indicated that drying of disintegrated sludge to the required 12% moisture content takes place during the first drying period at practically constant material temperature close to the wet bulb temperature with respect to the inlet air conditions. Equations were developed for pressure drop, minimum pulsed-fluidization velocity, dynamic bed height, and volumetric mass transfer coefficient. Continuous experiments under drying conditions determined from the average residence time concept have confirmed that transportation of disintegrated sludge along the dryer follows the plug flow model.

     

Drying and Heat Transfer Characteristics for a Novel Fluidized Bed Dryer

Abstract

The use of a fluidized bed dryer with a lateral air flow and mechanical agitation to the drying of sludge from a wastewater treatment plant was investigated. Experimental curves of moisture content vs. drying time, as well as heat transfer coefficients and the size characteristics of the products, were determined at temperatures between 80°C and 110°C, a stirring rate of 55 rpm and air velocity of 0.9 m/s for 3 kg sludge batches with initial moisture contents of 0.55 and 0.65 (d.b.). Experimental drying kinetics were compared with values derived from three models based on Fick's second law, namely: the constant diffusivity model, the simplified variable diffusivity model, and the modified quasi-stationary model.     

A Cheap,Fast and Simple Way to Measure Sorption Isotherms of Granular Materials

ABSTRACT

A set-up and a method are described with which sorption isotherms of granular materials can be measured. The set-up uses a recirculating air flow through a fluidized bed of granular materials. The measuring procedure starts with drying the granular material completely. A known amount of water is added to the fluidized bed. At equilibrium between the amount of water in the granular material and the circulating air the air humidity is measured. The method is demonstrated using silica gel.     

Forced Convective Drying of Wastewater Sludge with the Presentation of Exergy Analysis of the Dryer

The main objective is studying the fundamental aspect, by means of drying kinetics and the application of forced convective drying of wastewater sludge with the determination of the optimum drying conditions. The drying system is composed of two units; small samples of 2.5 g are dried in the first unit and a bed of sludge weighing 250 g is dried in the second unit. The experiments are performed under air temperatures varying between 80°C and 200°C. The range of the air velocity and its humidity is 1–2 m/s and 0.005–0.05 kg_water/kg_{dry air}, respectively. The experiments are performed for two different sludges: activated sludge (AS) and thermalized and digested sludge (TDS). Usually, three main drying phases are observed during drying of bed of sludge. These phases are reduced to only two for small samples. Determination of the influent parameters shows that the temperature of the drying air and sludge origin can profoundly influence the drying kinetic of the sludge. The exergy analysis of the two units of the drying system allows selecting 140°C, 2 m/s, and 0.05 kg_water/kg_{dry air} as optimum drying conditions with an exergy efficiency reaching 90%.     

Drying of Inorganic Particulate Compounds

ABSTRACT

Inorganic particulates are usually dried in a fixed bed, fluidized bed, or spray dryers. These compounds are easy to dry, once their physical structure, with high porosity, allows moisture content removal with low resistances. For fluidized bed of alumina particle evaluations, a laboratory-scale drying unit was built. The drying experiments were carried out with alumina particles with different diameters to evaluate temperature and air flow rate effects on drying kinetics and bed height. In another case, the dehydration of a mixture of rare-earth chlorides in a fluidized bed was studied, aiming at the production of anhydrous rare-earth chlorides, used to obtain mischmetal by electrolytic and metallothermic processes. The spray drying experiments were carried out in a pilot plant. Spray drying is a technique largely applied in industrial processes to dry solutions or suspensions, converting their solid parts into a dried powder. A set of rare-earth drying experiments was carried out, aiming at the development of techniques to obtain a powder that could satisfy international morphological requirements. The results allowed evaluating the effects of air flow rate, feed concentration, atomizer model, rotation velocity, and atomization pressure on powder density and particle size distribution.     

REMOVAL OF CHROMIUM FROM HANFORD TANK SLUDGES

ABSTRACT

Recent studies suggest that the chromium content in sludge wastes stored at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site will determine the amount of high-level borosilicate glass produced in immobilizing those wastes for disposal. Removing chromium from the sludge solids would reduce the mass of high-level borosilicate glass, which would likely result in a significant cost savings. We have been investigating oxidative leaching methods for removing chromium from Hanford wastes for a number of years. In these methods, chromium(III), which is insoluble under alkaline conditions, is converted to the soluble chromate ion. We have removed chromium on a laboratory scale from several different Hanford tank sludges. The most effective leaching agents investigated to date are permanganate and ozone, which readily oxidize chromium(III) to chromium(VI) under alkaline conditions.