1

Filtration
Topic 3-c
Continuous Filtration
Rotary Filters
P
out

P
in

Slurry
r
d
b
P
in
= inside operating pressure (vac)
P
out
= atmospheric pressure
d = distance of axis of rotation to the
surface of slurry
r

= radius of the drum
N

= number of revolutions per time
q
T
= total time per cycle
q
R
= filtration time
Nomenclature Working Equations
Where:
q
T
= 1 / N
A
T
= surface area of drum, 2prL
A
R
= area of filtration, brL
q
R
= q
T
(A
R
/A
T
) = q
T
(brL/2prL)
= q
T
(b/2p) = (V
R
2
+2V
R
V
e
)/ K
2
Case I - Axis is above the surface of slurry
cos (b/2) = d/r
Evaluation of central angle, b
r
d
r
d
b
Case II - Axis is below the surface of slurry
cos (/2) = d/r
b = 360 -
Evaluation of central angle, b
r
d
r
d

A leaf filter with an area of 2 m
2
is operated
at CPF at 45 KPa. 10 m
3
of filtrate are
delivered in 1 hr forming a compressible
cake (s = 0.25). If the same slurry is used
in a rotary filter where:
D = 1 m; L = 3 m; Pin = 40 KPa
slurry is 30 cm above the axis
rotation rate = 2 rpm
How much filtrate will be delivered?
Example 1
Solution
3
Example 2
A continuous filter is to yield 6 m
3
/h of
filtrate from the slurry of previous problem.
The pressure drop is limited to 350 kPa.
How much filter area must be provided if
the cycle time is 3 min and the drum
submergence is 50%.
Solution
Problem 3- Assign
It is necessary to increase the capacity of a rotary
vacuum drum filter. The crystals (5%) In the slurry have
a density of 100 lb/cu ft and produce a incompressible
cake having a porosity of 45 percent. The filtrate has a
density of 65 lb/cu ft. The following changes have been
suggested.
a) double the vacuum: 0.707
b) double the submergence (double the area) 0.5
c) double the speed (rpm) 1.414
d) double the fraction of solids in the slurry 0.677
What will be the percentage change in the quantity of
cake produced per unit of time for each of these
suggested changes?