Bleach Stage Washers, Pumps and Mixers;

Putting the Components Together

Bill Miller, MC Product Manager
Sulzer Process Pumps (US) Inc.
Easley,SC

BL0055-000

Bleach Stage Components

Retention
time

Washer

Pump

Mixer

Tower

Bleach Stage Feed System:

Three Essential Components to Work as One
Uniform consistency
Even flow
Accurate process control
Retention
time
Consistency
Steam usage
Even feed
Consistency
Steam usage System pressure
Brightness
Water usage
Chemical usage
Brightness

Washer

Pump

Consistency
Chemical usage
Brightness

Mixer

Tower

Washers
z Operation
z Design
z Performance

Bleach Plant Washer

z Purpose

Reduce carryover levels to bleach stage (organic and inorganic)

Adjust pH and temperature of pulp
Thicken pulp

z Method (with filtrate recycle)

Use cleaner filtrates or warm fresh water on lower showers (wash)

Use filtrates from following bleach stage on upper showers
(pH and temperature)

BL0055-031

Bleach Plant Washers in North America

z Operate above design specific loading
z Older, original part of pulp mill operation
z Primarily drum washers (vacuum and pressure)

Vacuum

reference 1

Pressure

Nip Pressure

BL0055-003

Displacement Ratio and Mat Mechanics

S = Concentration of
dissolved solids

Principles of Washing Theory

LS = kg shower/kg pulp

L=

SD

SS

LD = kg in pulp/kg pulp

Weight unit of filtrate

Subscripts:
V Inlet (vat)
S Shower

SV

D Discharge (mat)
Pulp mat

Drum

Displacement ratio = DR =
Reference 2 & 3

Wash ratio = RW= Ls/LD

SV - SD
SV - SS
BL0055-041
CD0001-005C

Drum Washing Steps

n Dilution
o Extraction
p Displacement
q Extraction

p q
o
n

reference 2
BL0055-007

Drum Washing Steps

Lower Shower- Wash

Was
Upper ShowerMedium Exchange

n Dilution
o Extraction
p Displacement
q Extraction

p q
o
n
BL0055-046

Bleach Plant Washing

Washer
Location

Washing
Goal
Acids, organics,
inorganics (Ca, Mn, etc.), pH,
temperature

Wash Filtrates
Utilized
D stage, fresh water
condensate, Eop stage

Eop Stage

Alkali, organics, pH,

temperature

D stage, fresh water,

condensate,

D Stage

Conductivity, chlorides,
anionic trash

Fresh water, condensate

D0 Stage

Vacuum Drum Designs

Center Drainage Flat Valve - Drive Shaft

End Drainage Radial Valve - Drive Trunnion

End Drainage Vacuum Filter (GL&V)

Radial Valve, Trunnion Drive
DRUM ROTATION
DISPLACEMENT SHOWER

CORRUGATED DECK

DRAINAGE BUCKET
VALVE

FACE WIRE
TAKE-OFF ASSEMBLY

REPULPER
INLET BOX

DROPLEG
WORM
GEAR
DRIVE
WORM
GEAR
DRIVE
Worm
Gear
WORM GEARDrive
DRIVE

BL0055-010
CD0022-002

Face Wire Support

FACE
WIRE

FACE
WIRE

CYLINDER
ROTATION

WINDING
WIRE

CYLINDER
ROTATION

REPLACEABLE
CORRUGATED
DECK

INTERMEDIATE GRID
WITH CROSS DRAIN
OPENINGS

INTERMEDIATE GRID
WITH CROSS DRAIN
OPENINGS
DIVISION
GRID

DIVISION
GRID
CYLINDER
SHELL

Traditional Wire Wound

CYLINDER
SHELL

Anti-Rewet Corrugated Deck

Bleach Washer Seal Tank/Dropleg Design

z

Dropleg Design:
Sized for 12 to 16
fps superficial
velocity
Straight, vertical,
drop, no jogs

Drum
Washer

Pulp
Feed

Dropleg
Recommended
ht. > 30 ft.

Baffle
To Shower
or Effluent

Vent
Filtrate
Tank
Seal
Chamber
Vat
Dilution
BL0055-016

Increase Feed Consistency

From 1% to 4%
reduces

n Dilution flow/pumping
requirement
o Extraction requirement
p Filtrate volume
q Seal tank size

Requires Inlet Box

Design

o
n

p
q

reference 2
BL0055-007

Comparison of Specific Loading Rates

For various drum washer designs,
units in ODTPD/ ft2

SWD

HWD

Vacuum washer

0.75-0.80

0.65-0.70

Pressure washer

2.5-2.7

2.3-2.5

Wash Press

2.4-2.6

2.2-2.4

Specific loading = ODTPD/(drum dia. x )(drum length)

WA0027-009

Compaction Baffle (GL&V)

End drainage, corrugated deck, deck plate
PRESSURIZED AIR

DISPLACEMENT
SHOWER

DRUM ROTATION

TAKE-OFF
ASSEMBLY

REPULPER
INLET BOX
EXTRACTION

BL0055-021
CB0051-002

Drum Displacer (Andritz)

w a s h liq u id 1

w a s h liq u id 1

wash
filtrate
2
wash
filtrate
1

r e t u r n fi lt r a te

w a s h liq u id 2

va cu um f ilt r a t e

e x t r a ct e d fil tr a t e
x - f il tr a t e

Displacement Press DP (Metso)

Hood

Shredder
Conveyor

Pulp
Outlet
Pulp
Inlet
Shower Vat
Pipes
Press Wash
Roll
Water
In

Filtrate
Outlet

BL0055-022

Bleach Stage Components with Wash Press

32% cs

Filtrate

12% cs

Pulp

Wash press/conveyor
Pump

Mixer

Tower

Drum Utilization for Various Washer Designs

Vacuum

Pressure
4% feed

Nip Pressure

4% and 10% feed

Formation Extraction
Displacement
Final Extraction

BL0055-003

Low Level ECF Fiberline

ODoEopD Sequence

BL0055-027
CB0047-001

Effect of EO Washing on D Stage Brightness

Development

Brightness, %ISO

85
80
75

100%

70
65

83%

60

(EO) washer efficiency

(CD)(EO) bleached,
2.7 kappa number
softwood kraft pulp

55
50
45
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

ClO2 consumed in D stage, % on pulp

Reference 4

Bleach Washing Measurements

z

D0 washer

EOP washer

Displacement Ratio: Cl-, Ca++, TDS, cond.,

Eop stage: pH , chemical demand
Discharge consistency
Displacement Ratio: COD, TOC, cond., Na+
D stage: pH and pH control, chemical demand
Discharge consistency

D washer

Displacement Ratio: Cl-, cond.,

Stock prep. chemicals
Discharge consistency

BL0055-043

Solids for Washing Measurement

z Soluble
z Easy to measure
z Relevant to process

BL0055-043

Penalty for Poor Bleach Plant Washer Performance

z Higher

extracted kappa number and lower

final brightness
z Increased chemical usage

ClO2
Hydrogen peroxide (Eop)
NaOH
H2SO4

z Scale

and/or pitch deposition

BL0055-034

Medium Consistency Pumps

Medium Consistency Pumps Purpose

Bleach Stage
Deliver non-pulsing, stable pulp flow
z Remove air
z Reduce mixer load
z Improve bleach chemical control
z

Positive Displacement Pumps

What goes in
is what comes
out

z No pulp fluidization
z No air removal
z Uneven pulp flow due
to lack of feed control
z No speed control, belt
drive
z Vibration
z Low head requirements
at higher stock
consistency due to air
content, no CV

Positive Displacement Pumps

Screw feeders
Closed pocket rotors
Belt drive

Fluidization

0902.cdr

Air Content in Stock

0903.cdr

Five Functional Zones of Medium

Consistency Pumping
A. Fluidization Zone, fiber network disrupted by high shear
forces.
B. Gas Separation Zone, air is separated from the stock.
C. Pumping Zone, impeller vanes pump stock towards
discharge
D. Fiber Return Zone, fibers entrained with air from zone B are
returned to the pump discharge.
E. Degassing Zone, air is removed to the degassing unit.

Medium Consistency Pump

0035.cdr

Medium Consistency Pump Control System

Medium Consistency Pumping - Variables

Raising consistency from 10% to 12% increases

friction loss by 53%.

Increasing production from 1000 to 1500

ADST/D increases friction loss by only 6%.

Raising pH from 7 to 10 decreases friction loss

by 43%.

Dropping temperature from 200F to 100F

doubles the friction loss.

Questions?

0904.cdr

Mixers
z Design
z Operation
z Performance

Mixer Purpose
Reduce degree of non uniformity in chemical/pulp distribution.
Assure each fiber sees equal chemical concentration.
z Reduce non uniformity by:
z

larger mixer retention time

chemical pre-distribution
proper metering of flows
eliminate stock flow pulsation
maintain uniform consistency and pressure

Three Basic Steps for Mixer Load

Optimization
n Pre-distribution

bulk flow
macro-mixing, >10 mm scale

o Fiber mixing

turbulent shear, diffusion

0.5-10 mm scale

p Micro-mixing

Diffusion, small scale fluid motion

<0.05 mm scale

Chemical Addition Configuration

High-Shear/High-Intensity Mixers

Mixer and Liquid Chemical Addition

Viewed from Motor

ClO2 Mixer Variance Testing

ClO2
MicroMixing

Mixer

Fiber
Mixing

Pulp and
Pulp

ClO2

Mixer

Pre-distribution

Chemical Mixer - Average Flow Field

2308ppt

Mixing Index (M) Measurements

Liquid mixing only
z

M = s/x

S is standard deviation of measured quantity

X is mean value of measured quantity
pipe surface temperature measurements
also determines equivalent chemical charges

Mixing index has same definition as inhomogeneity

or variance

Mixing Inhomogeneity Testing

Portable recorder
z Eight (8) surface thermocouples
z

Insulated
Calibrated

Eight (8) temperature data sets after ClO2

Thirty (30) minute intervals

One (1) stock temperature reading before ClO2

One (1) ClO2 temperature

ClO2 Mixer Variance Testing

ClO2

Mixer

TC

TS

Pulp and
Pulp

ClO2
T1
T2

T8
T7

Mixer
T3

T6

T4
T5

Balance Calculations

Inhomogeneity Calculations

Importance of ClO2 Line Configuration

Optimized for Pre-Distribution Addition
25
20
15

inhomog,%
#ClO2/T(act)

10
5
0

before before before before

after

after

after

Conclusion
Bleach Stage Feed System Components
Will impact
z Pulp consistency
z Process flow stability
z Process control accuracy
z Bleach chemical usage
z Brightness ceiling

BL0055-049