2 5 4 Solid/Liquid Separation: Scale-up of Industrial Equipment

discharge. The solids are discharged down narrow channels formed

into the filter trough between the discs. Disc filters tend to be used in
the minerals processing industries, and are now less frequently used in
the general chemicals and process industries. Cake washing and
compression are not possible on disc filters.

6.2.2.3 Horizon tal belt filters

The horizontal belt filter, see Figure 6.11, is a gravity-aided, top feed
filter. Whilst it has a large footprint for its working filtration area, it
has several advantages over both drum and disc filters. The filter is
made up of a number of horizontal vacuum chambers over which is
fitted a continuous filter belt. As the belt moves over the chambers,
vacuum is applied to dewater the suspension and form the filter cake.
The speed of the belt can be adjusted to provide sufficient dwell time
to dewater the filter cake.

Figure 6.11 Horizontal belt vacuum filter with vacuum seal belt (VSB) (Larox Pannevis)

Two basic techniques have been developed to advance the filter belt
while under vacuum. The first, and simplest, uses fixed position vacuum
chambers beneath the filter belt. The belt is stationary when vacuum is
applied, and it is necessary to fully vent the chambers to release the
vacuum before the belt can be advanced. The belt is then indexed
forward and the vacuum re-applied. In some applications, this technique
can cause undue wear and tear on the underside of the filter belt.
An alternative technique is the Larox Pannevis RT vacuum filter belt
introduced in 1967, which works on the principle of a continuously
 6 Vacuum filters 2 5 5

moving filter belt supported on reciprocating vacuum chambers, see

Figure 6.12. The filter cloth is driven forward by a variable speed
motor on the drive roller. The vacuum chamber, or support tray, is
drawn along with the belt by the grip created by the applied vacuum.
At the end of the forward stroke a sensor is activated which isolates
and vents the vacuum, thereby allowing the support tray to return to its
starting position where vacuum is re-applied and the cycle repeated.
The filter belt continues to advance during the return stroke of the
support tray, ensuring continuous discharge of the filter cake. The
return stroke time is only a few seconds, so it is not necessary to
interrupt the slurry feed or wash flows. This is a mechanically complex
filter when compared with the fixed chamber system, but is more
suitable for larger installations where the cake weight would hinder the
belt dragging system.

F i g u r e 6 . 1 2 Principle of the Larox Pannevis RT belt filter

It is possible to carry out a number of process steps on a belt filter by

simply increasing the machine length. These may include:

• Multi-stage cake washing

• Chemical reactions
• Cake vibration (for dewatering thixotropic cakes - thixotropic filter
cakes appear solid at discharge, but become semi-fluid when stored
or mechanically worked due to the entrapped liquid within the cake
structure. Cake vibration on the filter surface helps to release
2 5 6 Solid/Liquid Separation: Scale-up of Industrial Equipment

additional liquid and produces a drier and more stable filter cake on
discharge.)
• Mechanical pressing
• Thermal drying.

Horizontal belt filters are available in many sizes, and only limited by
available floor space. The arrangement of chambers makes them ideally
suited for extensive cake washing, particularly counter current. Enclosed
belt filters are also available for specialist applications.
The main limitation of horizontal belt filters is their inability to handle
very fine, slow filtering suspensions. Cake formation and dewatering
can be poor, and this leads to the filter discharging wet filter cake. Like
drum and disc filters, belt filters can be used for some fine suspensions
provided the belt length and/or indexing times are suitably adjusted.
Horizontal vacuum belt filters are very versatile in their ability to wash
filter cakes, and there are a number of possibilities that can be used
either singly or in combination:

• Co-current - the simplest displacement wash, usually with one

volume of wash liquor.
• Counter-current - often a smaller volume of wash liquor passing
through the cake several times in the opposite direction to the cake
travel.
• Reflux - circulation of a large volume of wash liquor over the same
zone with a small bleed-off and fresh wash liquor make-up.
• Reslurry - breaking up of the filter cake with sprays over a zone
without vacuum, followed by a vacuum zone.

Counter-current and reflux wash conditions are shown in Figure 6.13.

FEED VVASN PEED WASH

l»X,

COiMTER CURREMT WASH REFLUX WASH

Figure 6.13 Counter-current and reflux wash on a horizontal belt filter

 6 • Vacuum filters 2 5 7

In order to remove additional liquid from the filter cake, compression

can be applied, either by an impervious belt on the top of the filter cake -
generating compression by the vacuum seal - or by rollers applying
additional squeezing pressure. The Larox Pannevis VSB filter is an
example of horizontal belt filter with the cake compression facility. Both
of these compression techniques can be mimicked by laboratory tests.
Additional handling of the solids can sometimes be avoided by drying
the filter cake while still on the filter, thereby providing a dry cake
discharge. This can be achieved by thermal drying which uses hot air,
up to 120^^0, to produce dry cakes down to 0.1% Vw moisture. Due to
differences in latent heat it takes longer to dry aqueous based cakes
than solvent based cakes. The cake structure must be open to air flow
to ensure even drying throughout the depth of the cake. For low
permeability filter cakes infra-red drying can be considered.
Cake discharge from horizontal filters occurs at the belt return roller.
Here the vacuum is vented so that the cake is loose on the belt surface.
As the belt moves around the tight wrap of the return roller, the solids
fall away. For instances where there is some cake adhesion, a deflector
blade can be fitted.

6.2.2.4 Multiple tipping pan filters

A simple extension to the tipping pan filter concept is the multiple
tipping or tilting pan filter. Figure 6.14. In this case there are several
pans mounted on a carousel. As the pans move around the central hub,

F i g u r e 6 J 4 Multiple tipping pan filter (Filtration Services Ltd)

2 5 8 Solid/Liquid Separation: Scale-up of Industrial Equipment

they go through the standard filtration cycle of filling, cake formation

and dewatering (and washing if required). At the point of discharge,
the pan inverts - usually by a mechanical cam - to discharge the solids.
In recent years this type of filter has been replaced by horizontal belt
filters.

6.2.2.5 Table filters

Table filters (Figure 6.15) share many features of the multiple tipping
pan filters. The table surface is made of a series of fixed segments that
rotate around a central hub. Cake discharge from the table is by a
screw conveyor. This type of filter is suitable for very fast settling and
easily dewatered solids. Again, in recent years, this type of filter has
generally been replaced by horizontal belt filters.

F i g u r e 6 . 1 5 Pilot-scaletablefilter (Filtration Services Ltd)

6-2.3 Common components

Vacuum filters of different types and manufacture operate in essentially
the same manner. Each filter is made up of generic parts. It is the
assembly of these generic parts that differentiates one machine from
another. These parts are described below:
 6 • Vacuum filters 2 5 9

• the filter medium for the physical separation of the solids from the
carrying liquid;
• the filter medium support, usually a polypropylene or nylon drainage
mat, with suitable drainage channels on the filtrate side;
• drain-lines for the transportation of the filtrate and entrained air
from the filter to a filtrate receiver;
• a filtrate receiver to disengage the air stream from the filtrate;
• a solids discharge system to remove the solids collected on the
filter medium and thereby refresh the filtering surface;
• a vacuum source to provide the driving force for solid/liquid
separation;
• a filtrate discharge system to continuously or intermittently
evacuate the filtrate from the filtrate receiver.

Rotary (drum and disc), horizontal belt and pan filters utilise the same
basic ideas in their construction and operation. The variations in design
are as a result of their operating duties. Horizontal belt and pan type
filters are generally used on easily dewatering or rapid settling sus-
pensions, or where extended washing or drying cycles are required.
Rotary filters are unsuited to rapid settling suspensions, and have much
shorter dewatering cycles. However, they tend to have a much smaller
footprint when compared with equivalent belt filters. Information on
the various types of vacuum filter will be presented later in the chapter.

6.2.3.1 Rotary valve assembly (for rotary drum and disc filters)
The rotary valve assembly is fundamental to the operation of the rotary
drum and disc filters. The valve is used both to continually remove the
filtrate and entrained air from the filter and, at the same time, provide
control of the vacuum to the various sections of the filtering surface
(i.e. filtering, dewatering and drying zones). Figure 6.16 illustrates the
basic principle of the rotary valve for a drum filter. The valve body
remains static while the individual filtering panels rotate about a
horizontal axis. Each panel is connected via a drain-line to the terminal
plate. Between the terminal plate and the valve body is a low-friction
polymeric wear plate. As the filtration panels rotate, they go through
the filtration, dewatering, drying and discharge zones. The zones are
isolated by means of either internal bridges within the rotary valve, or
via a bridge plate. Figure 6.16 shows the internal bridge option. Figure
6.17 is a more detailed illustration of a rotary valve for a vacuum drum
filter with internal bridges (configured for scraper discharge). Although
several different types of rotary valve assemblies are available, their