GERMAN

ATV-DVWK-RULES AND STANDARDS

ADVISORY LEAFLET
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
Drying of Sewage Sludge

Februar 2004
GERMAN
ATV-DVWK-RULES AND STANDARDS

ADVISORY LEAFLET
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
Drying of Sewage Sludge

Februar 2004
ISBN 978-3-937758-72-5
ATV-DVWK-M 379E

The German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste, DWA, is the spokesman in Germany for all
universal questions on water and is involved intensely with the development of reliable and sustainable
water management. As politically and economically independent organisation it operates specifically in the
areas of water management, wastewater, waste and soil protection.

In Europe the DWA is the association in this field with the greatest number of members and, due to its spe-
cialist competence, it holds a special position with regard to standardisation, professional training and in-
formation of the public. The ca. 14,000 members represent the experts and executive personnel from
municipalities, universities, engineer offices, authorities and businesses.

The emphasis of its activities is on the elaboration and updating of a common set of technical rules and
standards and with collaboration with the creation of technical standard specifications at the national and
international levels. To this belong not only the technical-scientific subjects but also economical and legal
demands of environmental protection and protection of bodies of waters.

Imprint

Publisher and marketing: Translation:

DWA German Association for Richard Brown, Wachtberg
Water, Wastewater and Waste Printing (English version):
Theodor-Heuss-Allee 17 DWA
D-53773 Hennef, Germany ISBN-13: 978-3-937758-72-5
Tel.: +49 2242 872-333
Fax: +49 2242 872-100
The translation was sponsored by the
E-Mail: kundenzentrum@dwa.de
German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU).
Internet: www.dwa.de
Printed on 100 % Recycling paper.

© DWA Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasserwirtschaft, Abwasser und Abfall e.V., Hennef 2007
(German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste)

All rights, in particular those of translation into other languages, are reserved. No part of this Advisory Leaflet may be reproduced in
any form - by photocopy, microfilm or any other process - or transferred into a language usable in machines, in particular data
processing machines, without the written approval of the publisher.

2 December 2005
 ATV-DVWK-M 379E

Foreword
In the industrial area, drying facilities have been operated for many decades using various process tech-
niques. Since the 70s, drying facilities are to be found here and there in municipal wastewater treatment
plants. Their number increased significantly in the 80s whereby, at the same time, the overall system of
drying was taken into account more comprehensively from a technical process aspect and, in particular,
from the technical safety aspect.

In municipal wastewater treatment plants sewage sludge drying facilities are often placed ahead of incin-
erators as component of the process. Sewage sludge drying facilities can also be applied as independent
drying system before an external incinerator (e.g. power station, waste incinerating plant). With the process
of sewage sludge drying the diversity of possibilities for disposal is increased and the economic efficiency
of longer transport routes to suitable disposal facilities becomes more calculable. Finally, the process of
sewage sludge promises an increase in disposal safety.

A report on drying of municipal sewage sludge was already published in two parts Issues 10/97 and 09/99
in the KA – Korrespondenz Abwasser. Part 1 covered the theoretical fundamentals of sewage sludge drying
as well as the drying processes to be found in operation in Germany. Part 2 dealt with the evaluation of
data of a survey of ca. 30 operators of drying facilities. With this, in addition to the theoretical dimensioning
data and the practical operating results, information on weak points of the facilities was also addressed.

Authors
This Advisory Leaflet has been elaborated by the ATV-DVWK Working Group AK-3.1 “Sewage sludge dry-
ing plants” within the ATV-DVWK Specialist Committee AK-3 “Energetic utilisation and thermal treatment of
sewage sludge”.

The ATV-DVWK Working Group AK-3.1 “Sewage sludge drying plants” has the following members:

BÄCKLER, Gerhard Dipl.-Ing., Viersen

HANßEN, Harald Dipl.-Ing., Hamburg
HUSMANN, Mark Dr.-Ing., Essen
MELSA, Armin Prof. Dipl.-Ing., Viersen (Chairman)
WESSEL, Michael Dipl.-Ing., Essen
WITTE, Hartmut Prof. Dr.-Ing., Sankt Augustin

December 2005 3
ATV-DVWK-M 379E

Contents
Foreword.................................................................................................................................................. 3

Authors .................................................................................................................................................. 3

List of figures .......................................................................................................................................... 5

List of tables............................................................................................................................................ 5

1 Area of Application ................................................................................................................ 6

2 Terms....................................................................................................................................... 6

3 Basic Elements of Sewage Sludge Drying .......................................................................... 7

3.1 Water Bonding.......................................................................................................................... 7
3.2 Partial/Full Drying ..................................................................................................................... 9
3.3 Recirculation Ratio with Full Drying with Remixing.................................................................. 9
3.4 Transfer of Heat and Matter ..................................................................................................... 10
3.4.1 Convection Drying .................................................................................................................... 10
3.4.2 Contact Drying.......................................................................................................................... 11
3.4.3 Radiation Drying....................................................................................................................... 11
3.4.4 Heat Carriers ............................................................................................................................ 12
3.5 Drying Behaviour...................................................................................................................... 12
3.6 Technical Safety Aspects ......................................................................................................... 14
3.6.1 Preventative Explosion and Fire Protection ............................................................................. 16
3.6.2 Structural Fire and Explosion Protection.................................................................................. 16

4 Drying Processes ................................................................................................................... 17

4.1 Contact Driers .......................................................................................................................... 17
4.1.1 Disk-type Driers........................................................................................................................ 17
4.1.2 Thin-film Driers ......................................................................................................................... 18
4.1.3 Combination of Thin-film and Disk-Type Driers ....................................................................... 19
4.1.4 Revolving Tubular Driers.......................................................................................................... 19
4.2 Convection Driers..................................................................................................................... 20
4.2.1 Drum-Type Driers..................................................................................................................... 20
4.2.2 Fluidised Bed Driers ................................................................................................................. 21
4.2.3 CENTRIDRY Process .............................................................................................................. 22
4.2.4 Belt Driers................................................................................................................................. 23
4.2.5 Cold Air Drier............................................................................................................................ 23
4.3 Infrared Driers .......................................................................................................................... 24
4.3.1 Solar/Ventilation Driers............................................................................................................. 24
4.4 Comparison of the drying Processes ....................................................................................... 24

5 Use of Energy and Heat Recovery........................................................................................ 24

5.1 Requirement for Thermal Energy............................................................................................. 26
5.2 Requirement for Electrical Energy ........................................................................................... 26
5.3 Possibilities for Energy Recovery............................................................................................. 26

6 Reloading of the Wastewater Treatment Plant.................................................................... 28

6.1 Reloading of the Wastewater Treatment Plant through the Exhaust Vapours Condensate.... 28
6.2 Reloading through the Exhaust Air from the Treatment of the Exhaust Vapours .................... 28

7 Disposal Routes and Requirements of Product Quality .................................................... 29

4 December 2005
 ATV-DVWK-M 379E

8 Approval Requirements.......................................................................................................... 31

Bibliography............................................................................................................................................. 33

Symbols and Abbreviations (not part of the German version)............................................................... 35

List of figures
Figure 1: Water bonding to a sludge flock according to [11]................................................................ 7
Figure 2: Sorption isotherms for sewage sludge.................................................................................. 8
Figure 3: Bonding enthalpy of water to sewage sludge dependent on the equilibrium loading........... 9
Figure 4: Recirculation ratio n with full drying of the sewage sludge with remixing ............................. 10
Figure 5: Working range of the types of drier employed for sewage sludge drying [12]...................... 11
Figure 6: Transfer of heat and matter with sewage sludge drying....................................................... 11
Figure 7: Drying behaviour – convection drying................................................................................... 13
Figure 8: Drying behaviour (theoretical) with sewage sludge drying ................................................... 13
Figure 9: Drying procedure – contact drying ........................................................................................ 14
Figure 10: Spontaneous ignition temperature of cylindrical sewage sludge dust piles ......................... 15
Figure 11: Basic process flow diagram of a disk-type drying plant for full drying .................................. 17
Figure 12: Basic process flow diagram of a thin-film drier plant ............................................................ 18
Figure 13: Basic process flow diagram of a drum-type drier plant (indirect drying)............................... 20
Figure 14: Basic process flow diagram of a fluidised bed drier plant..................................................... 21
Figure 15: Basic process flow diagram of a CENTRIDRY drying plant (direct drying) .......................... 22
Figure 16: Basic process flow diagram of a belt drier plant (indirect drying) ......................................... 23
Figure 17: Simplified diagram of an exhaust vapours condensation with heat recovery....................... 27
Figure 18: Disposal routes for dried sludge, quantity taken into account 180,693 t DS/a
(Basis: 31 plants in 2001/2002) ............................................................................................ 29
Figure 19: Disposal routes for dried sludge – plant frequency (Basis: 31 plants in 2001/2002)............ 30

List of tables
Table 1: Heat media with sewage sludge drying ................................................................................ 12
Table 2: Technical safety characteristic values of dried sewage sludge as examples,
RN = Rating Number, DEC = Dust Explosion Class............................................................. 16
Table 3: Comparison of the specific advantages and disadvantages
of the individual drying processes......................................................................................... 25
Table 4: Important approval requirements for heat generators .......................................................... 32

December 2005 5
ATV-DVWK-M 379E

User Notes
This Advisory Leaflet is the result of honorary, technical-scientific/economic collaboration which has been
achieved in accordance with the principles applicable therefore (statutes, rules of procedure of the ATV-
DVWK and the Standard ATV-DVWK-A 400). For this, according to precedents, there exists an actual
presumption that it is textually and technically correct.

The application of this Advisory Leaflet is open to everyone. However, an obligation for application can
arise from legal or administrative regulations, a contract or other legal reason.

This Advisory Leaflet is an important, however, not the sole source of information for correct solutions.
With its application no one avoids responsibility for his own action or for the correct application in specific
cases; this applies in particular for the correct handling of the margins described in the Advisory Leaflet.

1 Area of Application Full drying

This Advisory Leaflet is designed to ease the
access of planners and operators of sewage
sludge treatment facilities to sewage sludge dry-
ing in that they are introduced to the technical
process requirements. The possibilities and prob-
lems of individual drying processes are prepared
so that the decision for or against the employ-
ment of a drying facility is professionally founded
and the possible choice of a drying system is
enabled on a sound basis.
2 Terms
The planner, expert, the approval authority, the
plant constructor and, finally, also the operator of
a drying plant, in addition to the basic mechanical
and process technical elements, must also take
into account the legal constraints. Furthermore,
they require information on the content sub-
stances which describe the structure and the
special behaviour of the material to be dried with
regard to the water bonding capability and the
drying process itself. Therefore, for better under-
standing, in this and in the following section some
terms and relationships are presented in brief.
For more detailed information attention is drawn
to the appropriate specialist literature.
Sewage sludge drying plant
Technical facilities for the extensive removal of
water from sewage sludge which, as a rule, has
been previously dewatered mechanically.
The finished product/end product – with dust to
granular form character – from the drying process
has a dry residue (DR) ≥ 85%.
Partial drying
The end product from the drying process has a
dry residue < 85 %.
Pasty phase
Change of the rheological properties of the sew-
age sludge with drying in the range of ca. 40 %
to 50 % DR. There results a “gluey sludge” with
critical transfer properties. Following the crossing
over of the pasty phase a crumbly/lumpy struc-
ture is often present.
Convection drying
The sewage sludge to be dried comes into im-
mediate contact with the heat carrier.
Contact drying
The transfer of heat from the heat carrier takes
place via a contact surface.
Radiation drying
The heat is created in the sewage sludge without
heat carrier using electromagnetic or infrared
radiation.
Heat carrier
Medium for heat transfer such as steam, water
under pressure and thermo oil (summary see
Table 1).
Exhaust vapours
With the drying there results a gas mixture made

6 December 2005
 ATV-DVWK-M 379E

up from water vapour, air and, possibly, from

gases forced from the sludge.
Direct drying
Vapours and heat carriers are mixed and fed
together to the drier with the drying process.
Indirect drying
The vapour flow is taken from the drier without
contact with the heat carrier.
Vapour condensation
Condensation of sludge liquor evaporated with
drying.
Non-condensable exhaust vapours
Share of exhaust vapours from infiltrated air,
carrier air etc., which are not condensable under
normal operating conditions.
3 Basic Elements
of Sewage Sludge
Drying
3.1 Water Bonding
For sewage sludge drying, as for all other basic
process technical operations which are con-
cerned with the removal of water, the knowledge
of the bonding mechanism of water to solid mat-
ter is relevant.
Figure 1 shows a diagram of a sewage sludge
flock. The figure makes it clear that sewage
sludge, with small water contents, is a porous
material with large internal and external surfaces
due to the capillaries.

Aspiration
Aeration and ventilation of plant components for
the prevention of dust deposits, condensation,
escape of odours; operation of the plant compo-
nents with underpressure.

Carrier air
Quantity of air deliberately introduced into the
drier for removal of exhaust vapours.

Leakage air, infiltrated air

Air entering through leaks with components oper-
ated with under pressure.

Free water

a Free water between the sludge flocks

Interstitial water

b Adhesion water
c Adsorption water
(mono – to polymolecular layers)
d Capillary interstitial water
e Capillary rising water
f Microcapillary water

Internal water

g Cell liquid
h Internal capillary water

Figure 1: Water bonding to a sludge flock according to [11]

December 2005 7
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
Figure 2: Sorption isotherms for sewage sludge
This structure leads to a marked hygroscopic
behaviour, which can be graphically represented
or described by means of so-called sorption iso-
therms (Figure 2).
These sorption isotherms give the equilibrium
status between material dampness and the va-
pour pressure in the environment of the material
with constant temperature. The material damp-
ness is given as water loading (quotient of water
quantity in the material and the dry residue), in
order, in opposition to the normal details in
wastewater engineering of water content, to ob-
tain a constant reference quantity for various
quantities of water with the changing relative
humidity of the air.
The relative humidity of air is defined as partial
water vapour pressure in the air with a certain
temperature referred to the degree of saturation
at this temperature. It thus reflects the relation-
ship between the quantity of water which is pre-
sent in the air in the form of vapour and the
maximum amount of water which can be taken up
by the air at a certain temperature.
With low relative humidity only a low water load-
ing appears, caused by adsorptive bonding of
water in monomolecular layer, on the surface of
the material. Increasing humidity of the air leads
to the formation of a polymolecular coating until
8 December 2005
finally, following complete covering of the surface
with a further increase of the air humidity through
so-called capillary condensation, a significant
increase of the water loading in the porous mate-
rial honeycombed with capillaries occurs.
With a non-porous, capillary-free solid a greater
water loading would no longer occur following the
adsorption of water on the surface in mono- to
polymolecular layers even with increasing air
humidity, i. e. the sorption isotherm would ap-
proach a final value asymptotically (dotted curve
in Figure 2).
The intensity of the water bonding is to a consid-
erable extent dependent on the type of water
bonding.
Figure 3 shows the bonding enthalpy of water on
sewage sludge dependent on the equilibrium load-
ing. In addition to the supply of energy for the
evaporation of water the bonding enthalpy with
drying requires an additional supply of energy for
the release of the sorptively bonded water from
the material to be dried.

Figure 3: Bonding enthalpy of water to sew-
age sludge dependent on the equi-
librium loading
It is significant that, with low water loading, i.e.
with little residual dampness in the material –
then here mainly adsorption is present – a spe-
cifically higher drying energy is necessary which
is ca. 15 % to 20 % of the evaporation heat.
With increasing water loading and rising share of
capillary condensation on the water bonding, the
influence of the bonding enthalpy is negligible.
Information on the process of water separation as
well as the specific energy expense are given in
Advisory Leaflet ATV-DVWK-M 366 „Maschinelle
Schlammentwässerung [Mechanical Sludge De-
watering]“ [03] (not yet available in English) and
KOPP [11].
3.2 Partial/Full Drying
Sewage sludge drying plants serve for the more
extensive removal of water from the as a rule
previously mechanically dewatered sewage
sludge. With this one differentiates full and partial
drying.
Generally recognised definitions of both terms
are not available. Within the scope of the Advi-
sory Leaflet it is considered practical, always to
assume a product-related differentiation.
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
With a full drying the end product has a dusty to
granulate shaped character. As a rule, the drying
process, for reasons of fire and explosion protec-
tion as well as for better handling capability,
should be suitable for the creation of a granular
shaped product for subsequent utilisa-
tion/disposal steps. A rather more dust-like prod-
uct can be accepted with an immediately subse-
quent incineration. In general this specification is
met with a dry solids content above 85 %. A par-
tial drying is present if, with a drying process, a
dry solids content below this value is achieved.
With storage the following must be observed:
highly dried sewage sludge, due to the hygro-
scopic behaviour, is to be stored to a large extent
under low relative humidity and under reduced air
exchange/air entry so that the low water content
achieved by drying does not increase again
through adsorption of water from the air.
3.3 Recirculation Ratio with Full
Drying with Remixing
Following the mechanical dewatering to ca. 20 %
to 35 % DR the sewage sludge has a consistency
which, practically, does not allow an immediate
usage, for example in a disk- or drum-type drier
and, with limitations, also in a fluidised bed drier.
In addition, the sewage sludge goes through the
“pasty phase” with further water removal. Here,
with many driers, there result considerable trans-
port problems with the then pasty, gluey sewage
sludge.
In order, nevertheless, to dry sewage sludge to
less residual moisture using the plant presented,
without having to go through the pasty phase, as
a rule before input into the drier, a solids content
above the pasty phase is adjusted through the
remixing of already fully dried material with the
dewatered sludge in special mixing facilities.
If one selects the quotient from the dry solids of
the returned fully dried material and the dry solids
of the dewatered sludge as recirculation ratio
then, due to the constraints, as shown in Figure
4, a recirculation ratio of 4 to 7, i.e. five to eight
times the amount of the actual solid matter
throughput.
December 2005 9
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
Figure 4: Recirculation ratio n with full dry-
ing of the sewage sludge with re-
mixing
Example:
• Wet material after dewatering ~ 25 % DR
• Required in the mix for drier operation
~ 60 % DR
• a recirculation of n ~ 4 results
If, on the other hand, one designates the quotient
from returned quantity (with 95 % DR) to the
quantity of sewage sludge (input) for the example
in Figure 4 a recirculation ratio of 1 results via the
consideration of quantity.
For further considerations the first-given defini-
tion, i.e. the quotient from dry solids content of
the returned, fully dried material and the dry sol-
ids content of the dewatered sludge, is taken as
basis.
Dry materialreturned kg DS
Recirculation ratio n = in
Wet material kg DS
10 December 2005
The recirculation which, at first glance, appears to
be disadvantageous, however also offers consid-
erable advantages:
• Through remixing of different quantities of dry
material variations of the dewatering results
can be cushioned.
• With remixing in special mixing units, in the
ideal case a granulate with high resistance to
wear, large external surface and narrow grain
spectrum can be created in order thus to cre-
ate good prerequisites on the material side for
the drying process itself and also for the qual-
ity of the dry material.
• The dust which unavoidably results with full
drying which, from a technical safety aspect, is
dangerous can be integrated again optimally
into the material through remixing.
Figure 5 (see Page 11) shows the working range
of the drier types mainly applied for sewage
sludge drying [12].
3.4 Transfer of Heat and Matter
The sewage sludge drying procedures can be
differentiated according to the type of heat trans-
fer (see also Figure 6, Page 11):
• convection drying,
• contact drying,
• radiation drying.
3.4.1 Convection Drying
With convection drying a dry gas (flue gas, hot air,
exhaust vapour partial flow etc.) flows around or
over the material to be dried, whereby heat from
the drying gas is transferred to the material. Water
is evaporated from the material and taken up by
the drying gas and removed. The material to be
dried is in direct contact with the heat carrier.
 ATV-DVWK-M 379E

Figure 5: Working range of the types of drier employed for sewage sludge drying [12]

3.4.2 Contact Drying

With contact drying the material to be dried is

heated up statically on a surface (heat exchanger
surface) heated by a heat carrier (thermo-oil,
steam etc.) without coming into direct contact
with the heat carrier (indirect drying). The evapo-
rated water is removed together with the leakage
air entering through leaks in the system or
through a small quantity of carrier air deliberately
introduced.

The process-conditioned disadvantage of the

large quantity of vapour – to be fed to condensa-
tion or further treatment – with direct contact dry-
ing can be compensated in that the drying gas is
circulated (exhaust vapours recirculation) and
only a partial flow, which corresponds approxi-
mately to the quantity of vapour with contact dry-
ing, is removed.

3.4.3 Radiation Drying

With radiation drying the heat transfer takes place

without heat carrier with the aid of electromag-
Figure 6: Transfer of heat and matter with netic radiation or infrared radiation [14].
sewage sludge drying

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ATV-DVWK-M 379E

3.4.4 Heat Carriers 3.5 Drying Behaviour

An important criteria with the selection of the
drying system is also the heat carrier which is
required for the sewage sludge drying. A sum-
mary is shown in Table 1.
Main differentiation criteria here is the pressure
stage – dependent on which the temperature -,
with which the drying unit is operated. Steam,
water under pressure and thermo-oil are, for
physical reasons, to be employed only under
pressure. Here, for thermo-oil the high pressure
stages are not required, which are necessary with
steam or water under pressure. In general heat-
ing oil, natural gas or digester gas is used as
primary energy.
As up until now almost exclusively drying plants
following the principle of convection or contact
drying have been realised in the municipal area,
the further description of this type of heat transfer
takes up more space.
The drying behaviour for convection drying is
shown as a model in Figure 7.
Water evaporates on the surface of the wet mate-
rial heated up through the application of heat flow-
ing around it, i.e. the evaporation level is at the
surface of the material. From the inside of the
material, water is transported to the surface of the
material through capillary moisture transmission.
In this so-called first drying section the drying rate
(see also Figure 8) remains constant.

If the capillary moisture transmission is no longer

sufficient, with falling water content in the mate-
rial, to replace the evaporated quantity of water at
the surface of the material, then a drop in the
drying rate occurs at salient point KN I of the
drying behaviour curve. In the subsequent sec-
ond drying section the evaporation level moves
from the surface of the material inwards.

Table 1: Heat media with sewage sludge drying

Pressure Temperature
Employment
bar °C
Flue gas Drum-type driers ~1 ≤ 850
CHP Fluidised bed driers ~1 ≤ 350
Drum-type driers ≤ 450
Air ~1
Belt driers ≤ 160
Thin-film driers
} 5 - 11 } 150 - 180
Steam Disk-type driers
Fluidised bed driers ≤ 20 ≤ 200
Thin-film driers
Water under } 5 - 11 } 150 - 180
Disk-type driers
pressure
Fluidised bed driers ≤ 20 ≤ 200
Thin-film driers
}3-4 } ≤ 200
Thermo-oil Disk-type driers
Fluidised bed driers ≤ 20 ≤ 250
Radiation drier
Radiation ~1 < 50
Infrared drier

12 December 2005

The drying behaviour is determined by the follow-
ing processes:
• the heat transmission from the surface through
already dried material,
• the evaporation level which has moved further
into the interior of the material as well as
• the diffusion at the surface, of the evaporated
water from the evaporation level through dry
material.
With this the rate of drying reduces with the evapo-
ration layer moving into the inside of the material
Figure 7: Drying behaviour – convection drying
XGL XKNII
Figure 8: Drying behaviour (theoretical) with sewage sludge drying
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
and, with non-hydroscopic materials, seeks a final
drying rate (broken curve in Figure 8).
With hygroscopic materials such as fully dried
sewage sludge a second salient point KN II re-
sults in the drying behaviour if the maximum hy-
groscopic water loading is achieved in the mate-
rial. In the subsequent Drying Section III, the rate
of drying reduces further to zero until the achieve-
ment of the equilibrium dampness XGL, analogous
to the condition of the drying gases which are
taking up the water vapour. Section III. is influ-
enced decisively by the sorption behaviour.
XKNI XA
December 2005 13
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
For contact drying, with the theoretical
consideration of the drying behaviour compared
with convection drying there are, in the first
instance, unfavourable conditions.
The evaporation surface at the start of the drying
process lies at the surface of the material in con-
tact with the heat exchanger surface (see Figure
9). This results in the vaporised water having to
diffuse through the wet material to the free sur-
face of the material. In addition to an increase in
the transportation resistance this also leads to a
recondensation of already vaporised water in
counterflow – through capillary transport – to the
water flowing towards the evaporation surface.
These – with purely theoretical consideration –
unfavourable conditions are, in practice, not rele-
vant, particularly since, with the contact drying of
sewage sludge, the material is not in a stationary
layer but rather is dried with intensive thorough
mixing in order to bring new product surfaces
continuously in contact with the surface of the
heat exchanger.
With this, it results in ever more product parts
being brought into contact with the surface of the
heat exchanger and new free surfaces of the
material appearing for the release of vapour, with
results comparable to convection drying. From
what is presented above, under mechanical
and/or process technical criteria, the following
conclusions can be drawn:
• with the drying of sewage sludge to slight re-
sidual moisture (of the order of 90 % to 95 %
DR) the bonding enthalpy of the sludge liquor
is to be taken into account with the balancing of
heat and/or the dimensioning of the drier, fur-
Figure 9: Drying procedure – contact drying
14 December 2005
thermore, the drying rate reduces (Drying Sec-
tions II and III). Resulting from this, with the
design of driers, a significant reduction of the
water evaporation performance with increasing
final solid matter content is to be assumed.
Longer retention times and thus larger driers
are the result.
Taking into consideration the physical processes
such as vapour diffusion, heat conduction
through already dry material etc., particular atten-
tion is to be paid with drying to slight residual
moisture (Drying Sections II and III) that, for good
heat and material exchange of the sewage
sludge, a loose structure with large surface, i.e.
possesses a granular structure. Under the aspect
of a uniform dryness it turns out that the individ-
ual particles should have approximately the same
size. Attention is to be paid, especially with con-
tact driers, to sufficient mixing of the material.
3.6 Technical Safety Aspects
Fully dried sewage sludge, with its relatively high
organic components, represents a fuel approxi-
mately comparable with brown coal and hard coal
and, associated with this, similar hazard potential.
For safe handling of this combustible material,
above all with the more or less large volume of
dust, a comprehensive knowledge of the hazard-
ous properties is necessary depending on the
process, resulting from the drying. The technical
safety characteristic parameters which describe
these properties are determined in specially test
procedures whereby, as a rule, it is differentiated
between the stored static material and/or dust and
the dust which is stirred up [04].
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
For the characterisation of static material – with-
out a claim to completeness – the following pa-
rameters are relevant:
• the burning behaviour following ignition using
an outside source (e.g. sparks). The course of
the reaction is described by a rating number
RN 1 to RN 6.
• the deflagration. It describes the possible con-
tinuous decomposition/disintegration of a sub-
stance, also with the absence of atmospheric
oxygen, combined with an appropriate in-
crease in temperature and possible release of
gas following external ignition.
• the glow temperature. It is the lowest, con-
stantly maintained surface temperature (e.g.
heat exchanger surface), at which the stored
material begins to glow, become incandescent
or burn.
spontaneous temperature
Figure 10: Spontaneous ignition temperature
of cylindrical sewage sludge dust
piles
• the spontaneous ignition temperature. This is
understood to be the ambient or storage tem-
perature at which spontaneous ignition of a
combustible substance takes place following
previous spontaneous heating. Spontaneous
ignition is further influenced by the type of
storage, structure/grain distribution of the ma-
terial and the storage time. Figure 10 [04]
shows the relationship between spontaneous
ignition temperature and stored quantity for a
cylindrical piling of sewage sludge dust. Con-
sequently, with an ambient tempera-
ture/storage temperature of ca. 80 °C, a spon-
taneous ignition with only ca. 1 m3 with
sufficient storage time is to be reckoned with!
The hazard potential of a stirred up combustible
dust floating in the air is characterised by:
• the maximum explosion pressure and the
maximum temporal rise in pressure with a dust
explosion with random dust concentration in a
closed container. These two parameters de-
scribe the explosion vigorousness (Kst value).
Important influencing parameters are grain dis-
tribution and average grain size of the com-
bustible dust.
• the lower explosion limit which gives below
which dust concentration an automatic explo-
sion propagation in the dust/air mixture is no
longer possible.
• the minimum ignition energy, i.e. the lowest
value of the capacitance-stored electrical en-
ergy with which a discharge over a spark gap
ignites the most easily ignitable dust/air mix-
ture.
• the ignition temperature, which gives the lowest
temperature at which stirred up dust still just
ignites on a hot surface.
Table 2 (Page 16) summarises the technical
safety characteristic values determined on a di-
gester sludge dried in a pilot plant facility.
It is recommended, with all planning of a full dry-
ing plant, that the specific technical safety
characteristic values are determined and taken
into account.
To guarantee an assured operation, protective
measures against the occurrence or effects of
fires and dust explosions are to be planned de-
pending on the hazard potential.
With this, both preventative and also structural
measures, both singly and in combination, are to
be mentioned.
December 2005 15
ATV-DVWK-M 379E

Table 2: Technical safety characteristic values of dried sewage sludge as examples,

RN = Rating Number, DEC = Dust Explosion Class

End product Screened Screened Stirred up Stirred up

Sample
milled ≤ 1 mm > 1 mm dust dust

Median [µm] 60 115 2300

Combustibility RN RN 3 RN 3 RN 3

Glow temperature tG [°C] 260 260 260

Dust explosiveness DEC 1 DEC 1

max. explosion overpressure

6.5 5.9 3.1 6.5
Pmax [bar]
Rate of pressure rise
79.0 41.0 6.0 79.0
KST [bar • m • s-1]
Lower explosion limit
250 750 - 250
ExL [g • m -1]
Ignition temperature
450 450
TIG [°C]

3.6.1 Preventative Explosion and 3.6.2 Structural Fire and

Fire Protection Explosion Protection

The following should be avoided: • Fire suppression, provision of extinguishing

facilities.
• explosive dust/air mixture e.g. through inerting, • Explosion resistant construction for the maxi-
• active ignition sources, mum blast pressure.

• creation of hot spots, • Explosion resistant construction for reduced

• high material temperatures,
• too long storage times/large storage volumes
as well as
• creation of dust.
At the same time, depending on the drying sys-
tem, measures for the identification of hot spots
and fires are required such as, for example tem-
perature measurement as well as carbon dioxide
and dust concentration measurements.
maximum explosion pressure combined with
blast pressure relief.
• Explosion resistant construction for reduced
maximum blast pressure combined with explo-
sion suppression.
• Technical explosion neutralisation or explosion
abortion.
Intermediate piling of wet or dewatered as well as
partially dried sludge in silos also deserves par-
ticular attention from the aspect of a possible
methane aspiration.

For technical safety reasons, due to the develop-

ment of residual gas, attention is to be paid in any
case to sufficient aspiration and methane monitor-
ing. Whether an inerting, in particular with interme-
diate storage, is necessary, is dependent on the
individual case. For further details see [06].

16 December 2005

Further information on technical safety with the
realisation and operation of sewage sludge drying
facilities is to be taken from DIN 19569-10 [13]
and the VDMA (Association of German Mechani-
cal Engineering Establishments) – Standard
Sheet 24437 [14].
4 Drying Processes
With the following description, peripheral plant
components fundamentally necessary such as, for
example, sewage sludge intermediate buffering,
sewage sludge feeding, are not dealt with in detail.
For the required treatment of exhaust vapours
there are statements summarised in the separate
Section 6.1 “Reloading of the wastewater treat-
ment plant using exhaust vapour condensate”.
Process technically, both raw as well as stabi-
lised sludge can be treated physically in all the
following drying facilities. The use of raw sludge
is, however, out of the question from a technical
emission aspect with plants whose exhaust va-
pours are fed directly to the outside air without
condensation/treatment. Furthermore, the drying
of raw sludge – in particular its partial drying – is,
as a rule, only sensible if this dried material is fed
directly into an available locally integrated incin-
eration plant.
For the case of high fibre content the employment
of solid matter separators (e.g. strain presses)
has proved itself on a commercial scale. Particu-
lar attention is to be given to the monitoring of the
recirculation ratios with corresponding full drying
plants and thus to the total solids content set.
Figure 11: Basic process flow diagram of a disk-type drying plant for full drying
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
4.1 Contact Driers
4.1.1 Disk-type Driers
Disk-type drying plants (Figure 11) are – depend-
ent on their structural shape – in a position to dry
sewage sludge both partially as well as fully. With
this, a full drying is made possible using a mixing
unit placed before the drier. Plants with which
remixing takes place in the charging area also
come into consideration as special structural
shapes.
The drying unit consists of a stator and an inter-
nal rotor. The rotor is made up of a hollow shaft
with hollow disks welded on to it. A heating me-
dium, either saturated steam at up to ca. 10 bar
or thermo-oil, flows through these and passes the
heat to the dewatered sewage sludge. As possi-
ble process variant the stator can additionally
also be heated up. As there are permanently
large amounts of sewage sludge with different
degrees of drying to be found in disk-type driers,
a rapid shut-down of the plant is not possible,
particularly as the heated disks still possess a
large heating potential. Through this, above all,
there is the danger with a sudden stoppage and a
subsequent long period of inactivity that a baking
on of the sewage sludge to the disks can take
place. Therefore several hours should be allowed
for start-up and shut-down.
December 2005 17
ATV-DVWK-M 379E

Through the small separation of the disks it is
possible to create a large heating surface density
– related to the drying volume. This means that
disk-type driers can be built very compactly. Spe-
cific evaporation performances result with
• full drying plants of ca. 7 to 10 kg H2O/(m2·h)
and
• partial drying plants of greater than
11 kg H2O/(m2·h).
Due to the slow rotation of the rotor (peripheral
velocity ca. 1 m/s) the sewage sludge is thor-
oughly well mixed and continuously produces a
new boundary area for drying. With the design of
drive the demands of the start-up condition are in
particular to be satisfied.
In addition, transport paddles are mounted on the
rotor disks through which the sewage sludge is
conveyed axially in the drier. The exhaust va-
pours released are removed via the exhaust va-
pour dome in the upper area of the stator. With
this the cross-section significantly influences the
rate of removal which must be dimensioned for
the removal of dust.
The disks of the drier are subjected to high wear
and corrosion stresses which – through suitable
selection of material and/or appropriate wear
reserves – have to be taken into account. The
rotor has a not inconsiderable weight so that al-
ternate bending stresses have to be taken into
account.
With full drying the degree of drying of the prod-
uct as a rule is set via the quantity of sludge fed
in which is proportional to the filling level of the
sludge in the drier and the ratio to remixed dry
material. Either pressure cells or gamma radia-
tors are employed to monitor the filling level. Ex-
perienced plant operators additionally use the
electricity consumption of the drive motor as in-
dex for an insufficient return mixing. On ap-
proaching the pasty phase the power consump-
tion increases steeply due to the increased
resistance [25, 24].
4.1.2 Thin-film Driers
Thin-film driers (Figure 12) consist of a horizontal
stator with double-walled cylinder and an internal
rotor. The heat energy in the form of saturated
steam or thermo-oil is fed to the drier via the dou-
ble jacket of the cylinder. If the drier is heated us-
ing thermo-oil a guiding spiral is used to balance
out the energy transfer in the double cylinder.
The internal rotor with its welded distributor and
transport elements has the task of building up
and stripping the dewatered sewage sludge into
a 5 mm to 15 mm thick layer on the inner cir-
cumference of the stator. In this manner a con-
tinuous renewal of the boundary contact surface
is ensured.

Figure 12: Basic process flow diagram of a thin-film drier plant

18 December 2005

The design of the rotor ensures a spiral-shaped
transport of the dried material along the heating
surface up to the discharge side. Through the
freely swinging pivoted flaps of the rotor a con-
tinuous thorough mixing and disintegration of the
agglomerates, which possibly form in the pasty
phase, is achieved. The rotor can be matched to
different sludges through the modification of the
paddles (rotor design). Due to the continuous
renewal of the surface and small quantities of
sludge in the drier as well as continuous thorough
mixing and the thus associated self-cleaning ef-
fect the critical pasty phase can be run through
without problem, without the sewage sludge stick-
ing to the heating surfaces.
The rotor can be run with very different peripheral
velocities from 7 rpm to 75 rpm which, in any
case, sharply increases the already heavily me-
chanical stressing of the inner side of the stator
and also the paddles.
The dewatered sewage sludge is fed into the
drier from above. The sludge is conveyed through
the drier and is removed as product at the under-
neath of the drier. This is then loaded for example
into containers via spiral conveyors.
Basically, with a thin-film drier, a partial as well as
a full drying is possible. With operation using
higher degrees of drying far above the pasty
phase, the evaporation no longer takes place in a
thin-film but in a type of bulk material with which
the contact surfaces shrink significantly. From
this results a smaller heat transfer so that larger
heating surfaces are required. With degrees of
drying from up to ca. 65 % DR one has to reckon
with a specific evaporation performance of 25 to
35 kg (H2O)/(m2·h). With higher degrees of drying
the necessary evaporation performance is con-
sidered as economically critical. The start-up and
shut-down can be carried out respectively without
problem in ca. 1 hour as only relatively small
quantities are to be found in the drier.
Relevant for the degree of drying with thin-film
driers is the dry residue of the sludge supplied
and the amount of sludge fed in. The speed of
rotation of the paddles influences the structure of
the product and is, as a rule, not modified during
operation. As thin-film driers are employed pri-
marily for full drying small variations of the dry
solids content to be achieved are accepted so
that following a single setting of the operating
parameters a further control is not absolutely
required [25, 24, 07].
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
4.1.3 Combination of Thin-film and
Disk-Type Driers
Combinations of thin-film and disk-type driers are
employed exclusively for full drying. With this first
the advantage of passing through the pasty
phase without problem with thin-film driers is
used. The drying process is then interrupted with
a dry solids content of ca. 55 % to 60 %, as from
here thin-film driers function uneconomically. The
partially dried sludge removed is then fed directly
to a disk-type drier for full drying. The disadvan-
tage of the design of two drying units is compen-
sated through the return mixing saved as thus the
disk-type drier with the same throughput per-
formance can be dimensioned significantly
smaller. With this the peripheral equipment corre-
sponds with the single process.
4.1.4 Revolving Tubular Driers
With revolving tubular driers a rigid bank of tubes
located inside the drier is heated up using satu-
rated steam. The sewage sludge is continuously
mixed through the rotating jacket and is thrown
on to the bank of tubes. With this, yielded as
product after sieving and fine dust separation, is
a dust-free granulate with a dry solids content of
ca. 90 % to 95 %. Tubular rotary driers can be
dimensioned, dependent on the desired require-
ments, with water evaporation performances of
100 kg (H2O)/h up to 8 000 kg (H2O)/h. As with all
contact driers there are only small quantities of
exhaust vapour produced which, for example, are
condensed via a quencher. A regulated start-up
and shut-down of the plant takes respectively ca.
1 hour. Due to the plant technology a mix-back is,
as a rule, to be planned.
December 2005 19
ATV-DVWK-M 379E

4.2 Convection Driers Control of the process takes place primarily via the
temperature profile of the sludge. With constant
sludge input the exit temperature of the air-
4.2.1 Drum-Type Driers
exhaust vapour mixture is measured whereby
changes which occur are, in their behaviour, pro-
Drum-type plants (Figure 13) are employed ex-
portional to the dry residues in the drier discharge.
clusively for full drying. As a running through of
The thermal output introduced via the burner is
the pasty phase in the drier is not possible there
drawn upon as control quantity. The preceding
has to be an upstream mixing unit.
mixer unit is responsible for the granulate struc-
ture to be set. [05]
Drying takes place in a continuously rotating
drum. Transportation through the drum takes
From a DR content of 88 % and upwards the
place, depending on the type, using the flow of
dried material exit temperature, other than from
hot gas, through guide plates together with the
the properties of the sewage sludge, is also de-
degree of filling of the drum or through a suitably
pendent on the DR content and can therefore be
sloped attitude of the drum.
used for control. Due to the relatively long pas-
sage time of the sludge through the drier the con-
The process gas is separated from the dried sew- trol is very sluggish which can lead easily to oscil-
age sludge via a solids separator (bag filter or lations.
cyclone) which is then fed to a sieve plant. The
coarse grains are crushed in a mill and fed to the
The advantage of this type of control is that a
mixer with the sieved fine material. The dried
measured value is used as command variable
material is removed directly from the and is pro-
which, even if non-linear, depends directly on the
duced in a grain spectrum according to the
actual parameter to be regulated, that is the DR
choice of sieve.
content of the dry granulate.

The input of heat into the drier can take place in

two ways: either a stream of hot gas is heated up
using a heat exchanger to ca. 400 °C to 450 °C
and is then fed into the cycle or the burner gas is
fed directly into the drier (direct drying). The aspi-
ration air produced by the process is fed into the
burner.

Figure 13: Basic process flow diagram of a drum-type drier plant (indirect drying)

20 December 2005

4.2.2 Fluidised Bed Driers
Fluidised bed driers (Figure 14) are a combina-
tion of contact and convection drier. The fluidised
bed drier is the only unit with which the drier –
with the exception of the external blower – has no
moving parts. The principle of fluidised bed drying
is based on the blowing in of vortex air/gas, until
a stationary fluidised bed has formed. The parti-
cles here are held in suspension and are mixed
intensively. With the formation of a stationary
fluidised bed the physical behaviour of the sys-
tem changes. Characteristic are
• the extensively constant temperature gradient
over the cross-section,
• the fluid-like behaviour of the particles in the
fluidised bed,
• the constant pressure loss with varying flow
rates (ignoring the tuyère level pressure loss),
and
• the improved heat and material transport
through combined contact drying (on the steam
pipes located in the fluidised bed) and convec-
tion drying through the heated vortex air/gas.
Fluidised bed drying plants are employed for full
drying. The gas fed in via a tuyère bottom serves
primarily for the creation of the fluidised bed and
for the removal of the released exhaust vapours.
A removal of the already dried sewage sludge
using the gas stream is prevented through a fluid-
Figure 14: Basic process flow diagram of a fluidised bed drier plant
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
ised bed-free zone (freeboard) in the upper
reaches of the drier where the entrained sewage
sludge again falls back into the fluidised bed due
the effect of gravity. Finer dust particles are sepa-
rated in a succeeding cyclone and fed to the wet
sludge using a mixer. The baking-on of material
within the drier is not possible as the wet sludge
fed in from above falls directly into the fluidised
bed and there rapidly forms a stable surface. The
circulation gas is fed to a condenser and fed back
into the drier via a blower. Due to this concept
only small quantities of gas are yielded which can
then be fed on, for example, via a biofilter.
The supply of heat into the drier takes place via
coiled pipes in the fluidised bed. These act in a
similar fashion to immersion heaters and are fed
with saturated steam or thermo-oil. Due to the
short contact time of the sewage sludge with the
heating rods these can be operated at higher
temperature levels. Baking-on of material and
excessive wear on the heating coils are not an-
ticipated as the fluidised bed, with moderate par-
ticle velocities, provide for a permanent self-
cleaning.
The dewatered sludge is structured by the fluid-
ised bed and is removed as product with a grain
diameter of ca. 1 mm to 5 mm laterally from the
drier. As the product is produced dust-free in can
be conveyed to a silo without further sieving.
December 2005 21
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
Fluidised bed driers can be controlled easily via
the temperature. A rapid and simple, controlled
start-up and run-down is possible. For this first
the heating and then the input of wet sludge are
switched off. In the case of an emergency shut-
down no critical operational conditions occur due
to the low temperature level. The drier can be
restarted later without further measures.
Fluidised bed driers, with a specified heat input,
are so regulated via the quantity of sludge fed in,
that a temperature of 85 °C is set in the fluidised
bed. From this it results that there is a dry residue
of 95 % in the product [25, 24, 08].
4.2.3 CENTRIDRY Process
With the CENTRIDRY process (Figure 15) dewa-
tering and drying are carried out in one unit. The
thin slurry fed in can be brought directly to a dry
residue level of 50 % to 95 %. In this way no initial
dewatering of the sludge is necessary. As the
process, however, reacts sensitively to variations
of the dry residues in the input, the thin slurry has
to be fed to the drier via a homogenising tank for
blending. The drying of the sewage sludge, due to
the concept described below, takes place upwards
directly above the pasty phase. Plants which func-
tion according to the CENTRIDRY process can
therefore be constructed very compactly.
Solids
separator
Thin slurry
Homogenising tank
Air supply
Burner
Oil/gas
Figure 15: Basic process flow diagram of a CENTRIDRY drying plant (direct drying)
22 December 2005
The blended thin slurry is first dewatered using a
centrifuge installed within the drier. The centrifu-
gal effluent produced with this is ejected directly
from the process and, together with the exhaust
vapour condensate, is fed to the wastewater
treatment plant. The dewatered sewage sludge at
the solid matter discharger is converted into fine-
grained material by an impact plate and is sub-
jected to the heating gas flow. The heating gas is
sucked in against the axial transport direction of
the centrifuge and leaves the drier together with
the dried sewage sludge in the area of the input
thin slurry. Drying takes place within a few sec-
onds. The required amount of heat is fed to the
circulation via fuel gas. Through the cyclic opera-
tion of the drying gas an inerting is achieved us-
ing appropriate levels of moisture from the water
evaporation and the fuel gases fed in.
The exhaust vapours removed are passed
through a cyclone with rotating batch-dosing unit
in which the dried sewage sludge is separated
from the gas flow. The product yielded has a
relatively broad grain spectrum. The exhaust
vapours are, in addition, drawn off using a blower
and fed to exhaust vapour treatment. The off-gas
from the exhaust vapour treatment can be
passed to the combustion chamber.
Pressure, temperature, throughflow, filling level and
rate of rotation of the centrifuge are drawn upon for
control. As at no time are there large quantities of
sludge in the system a rapid start-up and shut-
down of the plant is possible without problem.
Exhaust vapour
treatment
Dry material
Centrifugal effluent
to the wastewater
treatment plant
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
Figure 16: Basic process flow diagram of a belt drier plant (indirect drying)
For a stable operation of the drying an as con-
stant as possible dry residue level in the drier
input is desirable. With variations which occur the
input quantity can be regulated, for example via a DS
probe. As the contact times between the hot gas vol-
ume flow and the sewage sludge which has to be
dried are very short, an increase of the hot gas quan-
tity has barely any effect on the drier efficiency, but
can have an influence on the degree of drying via
the temperature level.
4.2.4 Belt Driers
Belt driers (Figure 16) are in a position to dry
dewatered sewage sludge to a dry solids content
of greater than 90 % directly through the pasty
phase. For this it is absolutely necessary to have
a preceding pelletisation as the grain structure is
ultimately already set here. For this the sewage
sludge is pressed through a perforated plate and
is then ejected directly on to the drier belt. It is
necessary that the sewage sludge has sufficient
stability so that it forms an as even as possible
heaping structure on the belt. For drying the sew-
age sludge is transported through the drying
chamber on a perforated conveyor belt made from
VA steel and with this is acted upon from below
by hot gas. As the sewage sludge in the drying
chamber is subjected to no mechanical loading,
on one hand there is no danger of baking-on and,
on the other a desired grain spectrum can be set
via the pelletising.
The hot gas is fed into the individual chambers
from below via several blowers and, together with
the exhaust vapours, again removed from the
upper reaches of the drier. The drying gas is fed
to the circulation while a partial flow is ejected
from the process and treated. As the hot gas has
higher temperatures the drying takes place at a
corresponding temperature level of from ca. 120
°C to 130 °C. Local overheating is avoided
through the even heaping with defined height.
The end-product, depending on the pelletising
set, is produced in oblong form with a diameter of
from ca. 3 mm to 5 mm.
With belt driers there are three possibilities avail-
able for intervention with the control of the drying.
These are the quantity of sludge fed in, the trans-
port velocity of the belt and the heat energy sup-
plied. The layer height on the belt results from the
sludge quantity and the transport velocity. The
individual blowers for each chamber regulate the
quantity of hot gas input so that a defined tem-
perature level is set in each chamber [25, 05, 08].
4.2.5 Cold Air Drier
An initial dewatering is required for drying in cold
air driers. Furthermore, the dewatered material
must be crushed.
The material to be dried is loaded continuously
on to a travelling screen so that a 3 cm to 5 cm
high, loose heaping results. This remains ca. 1 to
1.5 hours in the drier and is subjected continu-
ously to large amounts of air from the environ-
ment. Dependent on the respective structural
shape it is possible to dry a sewage sludge vol-
ume flow of 2 – 8 m3/h to a dry solids content of
70 % to 90 %. As the principle of the cold air drier
December 2005 23
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
is based exclusively on the natural drying poten-
tial of the ambient air large amounts of air are
required in order to achieve the described results.
In addition, with an air temperature of less than
10 °C and a relative humidity of more than 80 %,
very unfavourable conditions result so that a pre-
heating of the ambient air is necessary. With this
process exhaust vapours occur in only very diluted
form due to the system. The requirement for ex-
haust air filters is to be examined.
4.3 Infrared Driers
4.3.1 Solar/Ventilation Driers
Solar drying cannot be clearly allocated to the
process-technical standard terms used for sub-
division in Section 2 as with its mechanism both
infrared drying and convection drying are used.
This type of drying serves for the removal of wa-
ter using meteorological conditions. The use of
primary energy is reduced to a minimum.
A surface sealed from the subsoil is, for example,
covered by a greenhouse-like structure using
highly transparent film or glass. The drying proc-
ess takes place in the space thus created.
Through solar radiation the ambient temperature is
heated up depending on the weather conditions
and, with this, the water absorption of the existing
air is increased. Exhaust air shafts as a rule lead-
ing upwards feed this air outside. Regulation can
take place by means of opening and closing of
doors/windows. The exchange of air can be im-
proved through the employment of ventilators.
Essentially the drying time is dependent on the
air temperature in the drying plant, the water
saturation of the outside air as well as the air
exchange rate within the plant [09, 10].
Mechanical stirring facilities are used in order to
be able to turn over the sewage sludge to en-
courage the drying process within the plant.
Depending on the method of operation and the
local climatic conditions 500-950 l/m² of drying
surface are achievable annually in Germany. The
evaporation performance varies dependent on
the season considerably. Ca. 70 % of the annual
evaporation is achieved in the summer. There-
fore, in winter, a part of the sludge has to be
stored.
24 December 2005
The electrical energy requirement of the technical
process facilities is ca. 30 kWh/t.
Solar-/ventilation driers can achieve a dry solids
content of more than 85 %. Exhaust vapours with
this process result, depending on the system, in
only very dilute form. Exhaust air filters have up
to now not shown themselves to be necessary.
Nevertheless, it is recommended that there
requirement is examined.
4.4 Comparison of the
drying Processes
Each of the described drying processes have
specific merits but also disadvantages. These are
presented in Table 3. With this no claim to com-
pleteness is made, however, with the specifica-
tion of a desired drying target the circle of proc-
esses which come into consideration can be
rapidly narrowed down with the aid of the table.
The ultimate decision for one or other process
cannot be removed from the planner particularly
as here the question of investment and operating
costs also have to be taken into account.
5 Use of Energy and
Heat Recovery
Fundamentally flue gas, air, steam, hot water,
thermo-oil or radiation heat can be employed as
heat medium for the drying of sewage sludge.
With these the heat can be provided either via an
allocated heat generating plant, for example in a
steam boiler plant or as waste heat, for example
from a neighbouring central heating plant. With
this, as primary energy, digester gas, natural gas
or heating oil are used. If the sludge is digested in
a wastewater treatment plant then digester gas is
also available as fuel for heat generation for a full
drying plant. If the waste heat from sludge drying
is employed for digester heating then sufficient
biogas is available as fuel.
 ATV-DVWK-M 379E

Table 3: Comparison of the specific advantages and disadvantages of the individual drying
processes

Drier type Advantages Disadvantages

Transit of the pasty phase without Danger of local overheating ⇒ high

problem danger of fire
Belt driers
Slight wear in the drier Match sewage sludge dewatering to
Product quality easily adjustable pelletising

Rapid start-up and shut-down possible Drier reacts sensitively to variations of

Transit of the pasty phase without the DR content in the input
problem Relatively high portion of dust in the
Centridry driers
Well suited for medium-sized wastewa- product
ter treatment plants with sufficient
sludge yield

Robust process Full drying energetically unfavourable

Insensitive to variations in DR content ⇒ large constructional unit
Thin-film driers in the input
Transit of the pasty phase without
problem

No mixing back necessary Two independent drying units necessary

Thin-film-/ ⇒ increased throughput Under certain circumstances high dust
Disk-type driers Use of drier-specific advantages in and fibre portion in the product
the individual drying phases

Good heat transmission Discontinuous operation unfavourable

Compact construction Mixing back dependent on drying target
Disk-type driers Well suited for large throughput required
quantities Under certain circumstances high dust
and fibre portion in the product

Robust process Discontinuous operation unfavourable

Well suited for large throughput Low heat transmission coefficient
Drum-type driers
quantities Mixing back required
Easily adjustable product quality

No moving parts in the drier High pressure loss

⇒ barely any wear To date models for smaller throughputs
Fluidised bed driers Transit of the pasty phase without only
problem
Even product structure

Specifically low energy costs Requirement for surface area

Solar driers/ Simple technology Performance dependent on weather
Ventilation driers conditions
Long drying times

December 2005 25
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
If drying is followed by sludge incineration the
steam from the low-pressure system can be re-
moved from the waste heat boiler facility or from
the bleeder of a steam turbine. Here, an eco-
nomic analysis must support the concept decision
in the individual case.
It is of particular importance to determine the later
recovery/utilisation and or disposal route of the dry
material and the degree of drying necessary for
this before making the decision on a drying sys-
tem. If the sewage sludge is to be partially dried in
order to be treated thermally in a succeeding
mono-sewage sludge incineration plant, drying
should take place only to the extent that a self-
sufficient incineration is possible. This is the case
with digested sewage sludge with a DR content of
40 – 45 %; with raw sludge ca. 35 % DR.
5.1 Requirement for
Thermal Energy
The theoretical energy requirement for the evapo-
ration of a tonne of water under normal pressure is
627 kWh. Added to this, for the heating up of water
from 20 °C to 100 °C, a quantity of heat of 93 kWh
and for the heating of the solid matter 14 kWh.
Direct losses via the surface of the drier or via the
efficiency of the heat generator is somewhat more
than 100 kWh, of which energy conversion takes
ca. 80 percent. Only the surface and energy con-
version losses can be changed through optimised
planning and implementation. However, as they
only make up less than 10 percent of the energy
input, there is practically no possibility for energy
saving with the sewage sludge drying itself. Basi-
cally for the optimisation of the overall process, the
dewatering machinery – centrifuge, belt filter press
or chamber filter press – preceding the drier
should have an as high as possible solid matter
separation. Here, for economic and technical rea-
sons, there are limits set.
5.2 Requirement for
Electrical Energy
With the drying of sewage sludge electrical cur-
rent is required primarily for the drive of drying
units. In addition there are numerous of ancillary
equipments, for example sewage sludge trans-
port, treatment of exhaust vapours or the boiler
plants. The consumption figures for the overall
system vary, depending on the process, between
70 and 110 kWh per tonne water evaporation.
Basically the requirement for electrical and ther-
mal energy increases with higher sewage sludge
dry solids content.
5.3 Possibilities for
Energy Recovery
With the drying, increasing quantities of exhaust
vapours are produced with increasing dry solids
content. With contact drying processes one is
concerned with approximately water vapour satu-
rated, 100 °C hot exhaust vapours if the share of
leakage air is kept small. With direct drying proc-
esses the exhaust vapours are overheated, while
the water content is significantly smaller. Funda-
mentally the exhaust vapours must be condensed
as they are odour intensive due to the organic
content matter.
A large portion of the water evaporation energy is
contained in the exhaust vapours. It can be used
relatively easily through various processes.
Through condensing out the heat of the exhaust
vapours can be used for the digester and building
heating. As the temperatures of the exhaust va-
pours as a rule are higher than the flow tempera-
ture of the hot water circuits, the heat decoupling
and the integration of the exhaust heat utilisation
plant into the existing inventory is usually instru-
mentally simple and easy to manage.
Equally simply a part of the exhaust vapour heat
can be utilised in that the thin slurry to be dewa-
tered is preheated. In practice a preheating up to
60 °C has proved itself, whereby an improvement
of the dewatering capability of the thin slurry can
be achieved. The energy expenditure for the
heating up of the sludge in the drier can be
halved through preheating. The increased tem-
peratures in the sludge liquor (centrifugal efflu-
ent/filtrate) reduce the technical expenditure and
the energy requirement of a succeeding nitrogen
removal facility (intensive biology/stripping).
December 2005 26
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
Figure 17: Simplified diagram of an exhaust vapours condensation with heat recovery
The heat recovery facility shown in Figure 17 is
explained in detail.
The exhaust vapours extracted from the drier
should first be freed from dust before entry into
the condensation phase This applies primarily
with full drying plants but is also recommended
with partial drying plants if, for example, the heat
decoupling takes place via plate heat exchang-
ers. As the exhaust vapours always contain dust,
fats and other dirt the exhaust vapours as a rule
are settled in injection condensers with circulation
water system. In the pump driven water circula-
tion, there is then, for example, either a tube or
plate heat exchanger for the heat decoupling
from the hot water circulation. The exhaust va-
pours condensate is then drawn off and must be
treated in the wastewater treatment plant. In a
second stage the surplus heat is employed in a
so-called co-condenser for the heating of the raw
sludge or the digested sludge via cascades. If the
co-condenser is employed for the heating of the
digested sludge before the dewatering stage then
the greater part of the heat introduced is lost with
the sludge liquor. Therefore only the surplus ex-
haust vapours heat should be fed to the co-
condenser, if process technically the higher
sludge liquor temperature i not, from a system
aspect, be required in a succeeding treatment
facility. As in the summer months the demand for
heat of a digestion plant falls significantly a vari-
able condenser is usually essential as third con-
densation stage. Process water can be used as
cooling medium. The employment of an air-
cooled heat exchanger is basically possible.
Hot water circulation conditioning/building
Heat should be recovered at a sufficiently hot
temperature level so that, for digester and build-
ing heating, a flow temperature of up to 90 °C is
achieved.
The greater part of the primary energy applied
with sludge drying is used for the evaporation of
water, which is transferred in the exhaust vapours
and which can be recovered as condensation
heat. With this the mass ratio between water
vapour content of the exhaust vapours and the
leakage air is of great significance. With convec-
tion drying processes the exhaust vapours con-
sist of ca. two thirds inert gas (air), while with
contact drying only ca. 5 to 10 percent of the
exhaust vapours consist of leakage air. The par-
tial pressure of the water vapour in the drier ex-
haust vapours is accordingly, with convection
driers, is only ca. half so high as with contact
driers. This leads to saturated steam tempera-
tures with convection driers only reach about ca.
80 °C and thus the necessary flow temperatures
for heating up the heating water with many old
plants can be achieved only with additional tech-
nical installation.
The recoverable heat is calculated as follows:
⎛ Enthalpy exhaust vapours ⎞
⎜ ⎟
Recoverable ⎜ to the condenser ⎟
= ⎜1 – ⎟ x 100 [%]
heat Enthalpy exhaustvapours
⎜ ⎟
⎜
⎝ to the drier ⎟
⎠
December 2005 27
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
With convection driers, under the above given
constraints, only 25 percent, with convection dri-
ers, however, 75 percent of the heat introduced
can be recovered with existing heating plants
without great technical expenditure.
A further possibility of the utilisation of exhaust
vapours heat exists in preheating the combustion
air of the boiler plant indirectly via heat exchang-
ers. This variant is frequently employed with con-
vection drying processes. The direct input of the
exhaust vapours in the combustion air is not ad-
visable due to the content substances of the ex-
haust vapours (see Section 6.2).
Exhaust vapours are basically corrosive; all parts
in contact with the products, such as pipes and
heat exchangers, are to be manufactured from
corrosion resistive steels.
If one blows the exhaust vapours into the inflow
stream of the wastewater treatment plant one can
raise the wastewater temperatures in the aeration
tank slightly for the support of nitrifica-
tion/denitrification. This from an apparatus point
of view simple use of heat is, however, only eco-
nomical in borderline cases.
6 Reloading of the
Wastewater Treat-
ment Plant
6.1 Reloading of the Wastewater
Treatment Plant through the
Exhaust Vapours Condensate
The loading of the exhaust vapours condensate
is dependent on the pre-treatment of the sludge
(e.g. anaerobic or aerobic stabilisation/degree of
stabilisation), on the sludge or grain temperature
during the drying process and on the system
pressure. The concentration of ammonium in the
condensate rises with increasing heating up of
the sludge during drying.
With contact drying the ammonium concentration
lies significantly above convection drying. The
maximum ammonium loading of the exhaust va-
pours with contact drying is some 2,500 mg/l and
with convection drying some 500 mg/l, whereby
the range of variations, even with stationary drier
28 December 2005
operation is considerable The minimum values lie
at 25 to 50 percent of the maximum values.
The loading of exhaust vapours with BOD5 and
COD is dependent on drier type only indirectly
and is determined almost exclusively by the dust
content. Fluidised bed driers without succeeding
dust removal show high loading levels of the ex-
haust vapours condensate of up to 7,000 mg
COD/l. With systems which form dust a dust
separation should not be dispensed with.
As the amount of condensate itself with full drying
of the sludge makes up only 10 percent of the
centrifugal effluent/filtrate quantity from sludge de-
watering, the significance of the reloading of a
wastewater treatment plant by the exhaust vapours
condensate is to be classified as small and has a
subordinate role as criterion for a decision on a
system. This does not, however, apply for central
drying facilities in which the sludge of several
wastewater treatment plants are dried but the ex-
haust vapours condensate is fed only to the local
wastewater treatment plant.
6.2 Reloading through the Exhaust
Air from the Treatment of the
Exhaust Vapours
As a rule the exhaust vapours in a spray con-
denser are precipitated (see Section 5.3; Fig-
ure 17). This can be operated using the wastewa-
ter treatment plant effluent, process water or
cooled exhaust vapours condensate. The ex-
haust vapours condensate, dependent on the
manner of operation of the spray condenser, is
fed to the inflow of the wastewater treatment
plant either together with the cooling medium or
as concentrate. The parts of the exhaust vapours
which are non-condensable which are ejected
with the air from the condenser have to be
treated separately due to reasons of odour.
For this, bio-/compost filters, bio washers, ab-
sorption/adsorption plants or an incinerator come
into consideration. The incineration of the non-
condensable exhaust vapours can take place in
the heating boiler of the drier or externally such
as, for example, in a neighbouring combined
heating plant, a mono-sewage sludge incineration
plant or in a coal-fired generation plant.
With convection driers, due to the considerably
larger volume of exhaust vapours, air (outside air
which, with vacuum pressure operation, is forced

into the circulation and which is led to incineration
with a part of the exhaust vapours as non-
condensable volume flow) and thus also a high
loading of the burner of the boiler plant both the
nitrogen oxide concentrations and also the car-
bon monoxide concentrations are significantly
higher than with contact driers.
With convection driers concentrations of 50 mg/m3 -
69 mg/m3 carbon monoxide and 125 mg/m3 -
260 mg/m3 nitrogen oxides occur. Compared with
this concentrations of below 5 mg/m3 carbon mon-
oxide and ca. 100 mg/m3 nitrogen oxides occur
with contact driers.
The selection of the burner and the incineration
air system requires particular attention with the
selection of a convection drying systems.
Figure 18: Disposal routes for dried sludge, quantity taken into account 180,693 t DS/a
(Basis: 31 plants in 2001/2002)
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
7 Disposal Routes and
Requirements of
Product Quality
Basically dried sewage sludge can be fed to all
disposal routes in which mechanically dried sew-
age sludge can be employed. These are
• landfill (without thermal treatment)
• incineration (energetic recycling/utilisation or
thermal treatment for landfill)
• agiculture/recultivation (material recy-
cling/utilisation or composting)
• agricultural utilisation
• pyrolysis/gasification (energetic recy-
cling/utilisation or material landfill).
The current status (2001/2002) of the possible
disposal routes can be taken from Figures 18 and
19. There is a predominance of thermal recy-
cling/utilisation and disposal routes whereby be-
hind the keyword “Pyrolysis” two drying plants are
concealed whose sewage sludges are passed to
the same pyrolysis plant.
December 2005 29
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
Figure 19: Disposal routes for dried sludge – plant frequency (Basis: 31 plants in 2001/2002)
This analysis of the disposal routes shows that,
through the drying, the currently possible disposal
routes of the sewage sludge can be maintained
and, possibly, also improved. Nevertheless, with
the planning of a drying plant future develop-
ments must be taken into consideration. In this
area the following modifications can have a rele-
vant influence:
• the legal constraints from the aspect of envi-
ronmental protection,
• the constraints from the aspect of labour pro-
tection.
The constraints of environmental protection are to
be viewed differently for the individual disposal
routes. This is gone into in more detail below. In
addition, attention is drawn to Section 8 “Approval
Requirements” of this Advisory Leaflet.
From the point of view of labour protection there
are also limiting constraints. These were already
subjects of discussion in section 3.6. Technical
safety aspects of sewage sludge drying can be
seen not only in the course of sewage sludge
drying but also with the subsequent steps of
transport, storage and recycling/utilisation. Gen-
erally valid information on this is currently not
available. The safety conditions mentioned under
Section 3.6 are to be applied analogously up to
and including recycling /utilisation.
Technical safety precautionary measures result
from the particular characteristics of the dried
sewage sludge and, in particular, from the asso-
ciated shares of dust. Principle of the drying with
regard to the recycling/utilisation routes from
technical safety and also technical operating rea-
sons of the disposal routes, must be first to make
the dust component as small as possible. Details
30 December 2005
on the grain sizes of the various processes can be
taken from [02].
In detail the following is to be said about the cur-
rently practised recycling/utilisation and disposal
routes:
The storage of dried sewage sludge with organic
solid matter contents > 5 % is still carried out
today on one or two landfills, however, this will
not be possible in the near future. The German
Waste Storage Ordinance applies in particular
here [23].
With the agricultural utilisation, from the aspect of
phosphate availability, first a small grain size is to
be sought. However, this has the disadvantage
that, with spreading, dust is scattered. In these
cases a grain size of 2 – 6 mm is to be encour-
aged. Furthermore, value is to be placed on an
extensively even grain value in order that an op-
timum scatter with an even distribution occurs.
Grain sizes above 6 mm should be avoided. In
addition, for storage and transport, a high appar-
ent density, good pourability, resistance to wear
and a common density are of significance.
Incineration is given as the most frequent route
for utilisation/disposal of dry material. With this it
should not be overlooked that incineration is a
treatment step, whereby the components of the
dry material, with the exception of the energy
component, has to be recovered or deposited
materially. Co-incineration of the dry material in
coal-fired power stations can be mentioned as
thermal disposal route. As a rule this is carried
out with sewage sludge whereby lime-conditioned
sewage sludge is accepted reluctantly as it re-
duces the thermal value. With an incineration of
sewage sludge in brown coal power stations dry-

ing increases the thermal value but is not for
technical incineration reasons, necessary as
brown coal as output material also has a rela-
tively high water content. The incineration plant is
therefore set for higher water contents.
The requirements with the incineration in power
generation stations are determined by the type of
firing. Depending on the system an injection of
milled sewage sludge can be required. This
means the demand for a dusty as possible prod-
uct. For incineration on grates a briquetting can
be necessary whereby the briquetting is easily
possible with sewage sludge through simple
pressing to any shape or size. Incineration of
granulated material only can also be specified in
individual cases, for example with the joint incin-
eration with wastes.
The employment of dried sewage sludge in the
tile industry is possible but has never established
itself due to a lack of acceptance on the market.
Utilisation in the cement industry is also worth
mentioning which can use sewage sludge in
clinker production, whereby here lime conditioned
sewage sludge is preferred. A thermal utilisation
of the energy component is value component.
The gasification/pyrolysis of dried sewage sludge
is currently limited to an operator of wastewater
treatment plants or to a gasification plant.
Whether this route has a chance in the future
depends on economic factors.
In summary it can be recorded that the palette of
sewage sludge takers can be expanded if dried
sewage sludge is offered. In any case the radius
of action with the marketing of sewage sludge
can be expanded considerably which, in turn,
represents an additional element in recovery and
disposal safety.
If a sewage sludge drying is considered, at the
forefront, the associated costs in comparison with
other, possibly regional disposal alternatives are
to be investigated and then optimum solutions
are to developed under cost aspects which, at the
same time, offer a high degree of security with
future sewage sludge disposal and/or recovery.
The acceptance of the product may in particular
then be increased if processes of high thermal
drying reduce the hygienic doubtfulness of the
substance “sewage sludge”. Incidentally, it ap-
plies that the question of quality requirements of
dried sewage sludge is to be set again with each
disposal route and is to optimised with regard to
final disposal for the technical aspects of the en-
vironment, labour protection and economically.
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
8 Approval
Requirements
According to the definition of terms in § 3 of the
German Recycling Management and Waste Law
(KrW-/AbfG) [15] both wastewater and sewage
sludge are wastes. In accordance with § 2 Sect. 2
KrW-/AbfG these waste law provisions, however,
do not apply for substances as soon as they are
discharged or introduced into surface waters or
wastewater systems. Here the provisions of the
German Water Resources Management Law
(WHG) [16] and the German Federal State Water
Laws are to be applied.
Following known legal interpretation, according to
§ 18a WHG, the dewatering of sewage sludge is
to be viewed in connection with the disposal of
wastewater. According to water law a wastewater
treatment facility is consequently is also an instal-
lation which serves for the processing of the
sludge produced for a proper disposal. Conse-
quently water law is to be applied if the dewater-
ing of sewage sludge stands in the spatial and
functional connection with a wastewater treat-
ment facility. This also applies if, in addition to the
sludge of the plant concerned, sludge from other
wastewater plants is also treated.
As dewatering of the sludge are, in addition to
purely mechanical removal of water, also all other
dewatering procedures defined, which in full or
mainly have the purpose of putting the sludge
into a form which makes its further recov-
ery/disposal possible. The construction and op-
eration of a sewage sludge drying plant in spatial
or functional connection with a wastewater treat-
ment facility is accordingly to be approved in ac-
cordance with the WHG, independent of whether
one is concerned with a plant for partial or full
drying. A sewage sludge drying plant is also not
to be handled as waste treatment plant according
to waste or immissions law – as discussed on
numerous occasions –, solely because, for ex-
ample, the non-condensable exhaust vapours are
employed as burner air with the generation of
heat, i.e. incinerated. The main purpose of the
plant is and remains the drying, this means the
extensive removal of water.
If the dewatering procedures are, however, inte-
grated in one facility in which the sewage sludge
is subsequently further treated, for example in-
cinerated, then this facility is to be geared to the
main purpose. Here one is then concerned as a
rule with a facility which requires an approval in
December 2005 31
ATV-DVWK-M 379E

accordance with § 4 of the German Immission
Protection Law (BImSchG) [17].
Dependent on the fundamental question of the
assignment to water or waste law it is to be ex-
amined whether, within the scope of the approval
process, further requirements are to be met.
Thus, if required, in accordance with §§ 3 ff of the
German Law on the Environmental Compatibility
Examination (UVPG) and Appendix 1, No. 13.1, in
combination with German Federal State law an
environmental compatibility investigation by the
applicant or an environmental compatibility ex-
amination by the authorities has to take place as
dependent component of the approval.
Immission protective legal regulations are to be
observed if a plant for heat generation has to be
constructed and operated together with the drying
facility. The approval requirements are summa-
rised in Table 4. In addition approval-relevant
facts can result from Paras. 8.10 and 8.13 of the
4th BImSchV [19].
In addition to the legal immissions regulations
there are further aspects to be taken into ac-
count. Thus the ordinances under Federal State
law for facilities on the handling of Water Hazard-
ous Substances (VAwS) are to be observed. In
addition, especially if the drying facility is not
connected spacially with a wastewater treatment
plant and thus special measures for the treatment
and/or discharge of wastewater such as exhaust
vapour condensates are to be taken, the regula-
tions under Federal State law, which the dis-
charge of substances and wastewater into the
sewer systems (Indirect Discharger Ordinance) or
the Wastewater Ordinance on Requirements for
the Discharge of Wastewater into Surface Waters
are to be taken into account [22]. In the latter
case the discharge of wastewater into a surface
water requires an official authorisation in accor-
dance with § 7 WHG. With the discharge of
wastewater the requirements in accordance with
§ 7a WHG are to be observed.
Particular attention is to be given to building law
and technical fire protection requirements. Possi-
ble conditions and specifications are to be agreed
early with the local building authority and fire
service. As a rule, here special requirements for
structural fire protection, fire warning systems,
storage of water for fire-fighting etc. are imposed.
Furthermore specifications resulting from admin-
istrative regulations such as, for example, TD Air,
TD Noise etc. as well as German Accident Pre-
vention Regulations of the responsible trade as-
sociation and specialist authorities for labour
protection are to be taken into account.

Table 4: Important approval requirements for heat generators

Energy carrier Furnace thermal output

Heating oil EL < 20 MW 20 < 50 MW > 50 MW

Approval Simplified process without Process with public

in accordance with § 4 BlmSchG in public participation participation (§ 10
------
combination with 4th BlmSchV (§ 19 BlmSchG) BlmSchG)

Requirements in accordance with 1st TD Air a) a)

Administrative Regula- BlmSchV Para. 5.4.1.2.2 13th BlmSchV

tion/Ordinance
Natural gas, < 20 MW 20 < 50 MW > 50 MW
b)
Biogas < 10 MW 10 < 50 MW > 50 MW
Approval ------ Simplified process without Process with public
in accordance with § 4 BlmSchG in public participation participation (§ 10
combination with 4th BlmSchV (§ 19 BlmSchG) BlmSchG)

Requirements in accordance with 1st TD Air a) 13th BlmSchV

Administrative Regula- BlmSchV Para. 5.4.1.2.3
tion/Ordinance
For furnace plants which dry materials directly using exhaust gases / flames, TD Air Para. 5.4.1.2.5 applies
Biogas with a volumetric content of sulphur compounds up to 1

32 December 2005
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
Bibliography
[Translator’s note: References available in English are shown
as such. For those references with no known official transla-
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[01] ATV: The Drying of Municipal Sewage
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Korrespondenz Abwasser, 10/1997, p. 1869
[02] ATV: The Drying of Municipal Sewage
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[03] Merkblatt ATV-DVWK-M 366 „Maschinelle
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[05] Born, R.: Thermische Klärschlammbehand-
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[08] Hruschka, H.: Klärschlammtrocknung – eine
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[09] Kassner, W.: Solare Klärschlammtrocknung
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[13] DIN 19569-10: Kläranlagen – Baugrundsät-
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[14] VDMA 24437: Anlagen zur thermischen
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[15] KrW-/AbfG (Kreislaufwirtschafts- und Abfall-
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mended by the law dated 25.08.1998, BGBl. I,
p. 2455
[16] WHG (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz [Water Re-
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[17] BImSchG (Bundesimmissionsschutzgesetz:
[Federal German Immissions Protection
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noises, vibrations and similar processes in
the form of the Notification dated 26.09.2002,
BGBl. I, p. 3830
December 2005 33
ATV-DVWK-M 379E
[18] UVPG (Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfunggesetz
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Law on the environmental compatibility test-
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[19] 4. BImSchV (Vierte Verordnung zur Durch-
führung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgeset-
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34 December 2005
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 ATV-DVWK-M 379E

Symbols and Abbreviations

[Translator’s note: While the main terms remain unchanged as they are recognised internationally, the indices used reflect the English
translation of the individual German parameter. For simplicity and clarity these have been chosen to match as far as possible the
German indices. Where this is not possible the original German symbol is placed in square brackets after the English version. This
procedure is not intended to create new symbols for the English-speaking engineering community but serves solely to make German
symbols/indices comprehensible to non-German speakers.]

Symbols/Abbreviations Unit Designation

English German
DR TR [%] Dry residues
DS TS [%] Dry solids
CHP BHKW - Combined heating plant
RN BZ - Rating number
DEC ST - Dust Explosion Class
-1
ExL Exu [g · m ] Lower explosion limit
TIG TZ [°C] Ignition temperature
COD CSB [mg/l] Chemical oxygen demand
BOD5 BSB5 [mg/l] Biochemical oxygen demand

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