ChE 34: Chemical Engineering Laboratory 1

ACTIVITY NO. 9

PERFORMANCE OF A PLATE AND FRAME FILTER PRESS

Group # 1: Date Performed: March 1, 2018

Writer: Villamar, Hazel Ann C. (2013001557) Date Submitted: March 5, 2018
Co-worker: Instructor: Engr. Shierlyn S. Paclijan
Ali, Hanah Nasifa M. (20140003835)
Ching, Lorraine Ann A. (2013000828)
Mabao, Michael Alex S. (2013002572)
ABSTRACT

The main objective of this experiment is to determine the filter membrane and
cake resistance using the plate and frame filter press. Plate and Frame Filter press is
a device that used a principle of pressure, driven with a slurry pump to separate solid
or liquid. It consists of plates and frames assembled alternately with a filter paper
over each side of the plates. The average value obtained of the filter medium
resistance is 3.535x107 m-1 and the average filter cake resistance is 1.481x105 m/kg.

Keywords: cake resistance, filter medium, plate and frame filter press, time, volume

INTRODUCTION

The plate and frame filter press is probably one of the oldest device for
filtration on large scale now in service. Plate and frame filter press is a mechanical
device that uses a principle of pressure driven with a slurry pump specially used in
solid or liquid separation. Plate and frame filter press operates at batch operation and
with a fixed volume; it must be stopped to discharge the filter cake before next batch
can be started. Its specific volume of solids can be hold by the filter press.[1]

Plate and frame filter press is the most fundamental design among all the other
filter presses. In the plate and filter press, a centrifuge pump is present and many
plates and frames into it. The separating chambers consist of one hollow filter frame
separated from two filter plates by filter paper. The plates have channels cut in them
so that clear filtrate liquid drain down along each plate.[2] The slurry is pumped into
the filter press and it flows into the port of individual frames. The filtrate flows
through the filter paper and the solids build up as a cake on the frame side of the filter
paper. The filtrate flows between the filter paper and the face of the plate through the
channels of the outlet. As the filter cake becomes thicker, the filter resistance
increases as well. Cake discharge can be done in so many ways.[1]

There are disadvantages also in the plate and frame filter press which is
common to batch processes. One of it is the cost of labor removing the cakes and
reassembling plus the cost of fixed charges for downtime can be appreciable part of
the total operating cost.[2] Filter presses operate in batch process but cannot be
applied to high-throughput processes. But they are simple to employ, versatile and
flexible in operation and can be used in high pressure.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

In another class of mechanical separations, placing a screen in the flow

through which they cannot pass imposes virtually total restraint on the particles
above a given size. The fluid in this case is subject to a force that moves it past the
retained particles. This is called filtration. The particles suspended in the fluid, which
will not pass through the apertures, are retained and build up into what is called a
filter cake. Sometimes it is the fluid, the filtrate that is the product, in other cases the
filter cake.[X] The fluid passing through the filter medium, offers resistance to its
passage, under the influence of a force which is the pressure differential across the
filter. Thus, we can write the familiar equation:
rate of filtration = driving force/resistance
Filter Cake resistance arises from the filter cloth, mesh, or bed, and to this is
added the resistance of the filter cake as it accumulates. Once the initial cake has
been built up, and this is true of the greater part of many practical filtration operations,
flow occurs under a constant-pressure differential. The equation for flow through the
filter, under the driving force of the pressure drop is then:
dV/dt = ADP/mr[w(V/A) + L] (10.12)
Under these conditions, the term delta P in eqn. (10.12) is constant and so:
µr[w(V/A) + L]dV = A Pdt

and integration from V = 0 at t = 0, to V = V at t = t

µr[w(V2/2A) + LV] = A Pt

and rewriting this

tA/V = [µrw/2 P] x (V/A) + µrL/ P

t / (V/A) = [µrw/2 P] x (V/A) + µrL/ P (10.14)

Equation (10.14) is useful because it covers a situation that is frequently

found in a practical filtration plant. It can be used to predict the performance of
filtration plant on the basis of experimental results. If a test is carried out using
constant pressure, collecting and measuring the filtrate at measured time intervals, a
filtration graph can be plotted of t/(V/A) against (V/A) and from the statement of eqn.
(10.14) it can be seen that this graph should be a straight line. The slope of this line
will correspond to µrw/2 P and the intercept on the t/ (V/A) axis will give the value of
µrL/DP. Since, in general, m, w, P and A are known or can be measured, the values
of the slope and intercept on this graph enable L and r to be calculated.

Figure 1.
PROCEDURES
Squeezed the milk from the grated
coconut.

Dilute the coconut milk up to 13 liters

and mix the solution well.

Pour this solution into the bucket under

the filtration set-up.

Start the equipment and make the

necessary adjustments until filtration
starts.

Start the stop watch as the first drop of

filtrate is produced.

Dry the filter paper at the dryer at

105-degree Celsius.

Record the time and weight of the

filtrate.

Make two trials

Before any experiment was performed, the plate and frame filter press were first
cleaned, and so with the bucket and gallons. The filter paper was measured and the
equipment was prepared. The sequence of the equipment was frame, filter paper,
followed by plate.
RESULTS
Table 1. Trial 1
1 2 3 4 5 6
Time, s 5.02 10.16 15.08 20.05 25.11 30.01
Volume, 0.001168 0.002373 0.003557 0.004679 0.005671 0.006744
m^3
t/V 4297.945 4281.5 4239.528 4285.104 4427.791 4449.881
Table 2. Trial 2
1 2 3 4 5 6
Time, s 4.93 10.06 14.98 20.02 25.13 30.08
Volume, 0.001073 0.002225 0.00329 0.004298 0.005311 0.006447
m^3
t/V 4594.595 4521.348 4553.191 4657.98 4731.689 4665.736

Table 3. Calculated Values for Plate and Frame Filter Press

Trial 1 Trial 2 Average
W, kg 0.001808 0.001951 0.001880
Cs, kg/m3 0.26809 0.302621 0.2853555
B, s/m3 4205.161 4512.082 4358.622
m.s/m6 31034.24 28795.53 29914.88
Kp, s/m6 62068.47 57591.06 59829.76
α, m/kg 162592.1 133648.7 148120.4
Rm, 1/m 34105423 36594666 35350044.5
Rc 3394919 3011297 3203108

Figure 2. Trial 1 (t/V vs. V)

Figure 3. Trial 2 (t/V vs V)

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

The main objective of this experiment is to determine the filter membrane and
cake resistance using plate and frame filter press. The raw material used was
coconut that is squeeze and mix water to 13000 mL. The volume of the coconut
extract was measured to 6 different basin with 5 seconds interval, and also the filter
paper used in the filter press was dried and weighed. The same procedure was done
for second trial with a different total volume.

As can be observed from the table of raw data (Table 4 and 5), the volumes were
not the same because of the unstable volumetric flow rate that was conducted in the
experiment. The pressure was the one that affected the flow rate of the coconut
extract mixed with water because as the pressure increases, the flow rate also
increases, and the pressure was fluctuating that affected the flow rate and also
causes errors to the experiment.

Using linear regression to obtain the value of Kp and B with the x-values of the
volume in m3 and t/V as the y-values for both trials. As can be observed from the
graph that the line going upward that indicates that the slope is positive, and it can be
also observed since the slope is going upward it tells that as the time increases the
volume also increases but because the pressure was affecting the flow rate, it was
not shown properly in the graph. From the raw and calculated data, the equation of
the line for the first trial is y = 31034.24x + 4205.111, and for trial 2 the equation of the
line is y = 28795.53x + 4512.082.

The spillage of the coconut extract from the basin was one of the errors that the
researchers committed. Also, number bias also occurred when reading the volume
from the graduated cylinder, and there are basins that the recorded time didn’t
reached 5 seconds compared to other basins that reached 5 seconds.

CONCLUSION

1. As times passes, the accumulated filter cake in the filter increases, thus
increasing the cake resistance and reducing the filtrate flow rate.
 2. It can be concluded that the filter cake resistance is directly proportional to
time.
3. The average cake resistance calculated was 1.481x105 m/kg.
4. The average filter medium calculated was 3.535x107 m-1

RECOMMENDATION

1. Due to high pressure, deep container should be provided since spillage can
occur.
2. The hose used to collect for the volume should be longer.

LITERATURES CITED

C.v.s subrahmanyam et al.(2001). Pharmaceutical Engineering Principles and

Practices-Filtration. page no:260-266
Geankoplis, C. J. (2003). Principles of Transport Porcesses and Separation
Processes. 4th Ed., page 906-908 Pearson Education Inc.
Unit Operations in Food Processing - R. L. Earle. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2,
2015, from http://www.nzifst.org.nz/unitoperations/mechseparation5.ht ml

APPENDICES

A.1 Raw Data

Table 4.
Trial 1 1 2 3 4 5 6
t,s 5.02 5.14 4.92 4.97 5.06 4.9
V, L 1.168 1.205 1.184 1.122 0.992 1.073
Plate # 2 4 6 8 10
Weight filter 0.755 0.674 0.568 0.600 0.738
paper+solid,
g
0.770 0.750 0.657 0.700 0.596

Table 5
Trial 2 1 2 3 4 5 6
t,s 4.93 5.13 4.92 5.04 5.11 4.95
V, L 1.073 1.152 1.065 1.008 1.013 1.136
Plate # 2 4 6 8 10
Weight filter 0.619 0.616 0.740 0.671 0.737
paper+solid,
g
0.759 0.737 0.683 0.667 0.722

A.2 Sample Calculations

Diameter of filter membrane= 0.0105 m

Area of Filter membrane= 8.65901E-05 m^2
Weight of filter paper =0.5 g
Assumption: From coconut handbook,
Chapter 8 "the chemistry of coconut milk and cream"
µ= 1.61- 2.02 ave.=1.815 mPa*s
µ= 0.001815 Pa*s
ΔP= 170000 Pa
W1= (weight of filter paper + solid)- weight filter paper
W1= (0.755+0.770+0.674+0.750+0.568+0.657+0.600+0.700 + 0.738+0.596) -
0.5(10)
W1 = 1.808 g = 0.001808 kg
Cs=kg solid/ m^3 filtrate
Total Volume filtrate = 0.006744 m^3
Cs1= W1/Vt1
Cs1= 0.268090154 kg/m^3
By graphing, slope and intercept is determined
Slope= 31034.23615 intercept= 4205.161402
Slope= Kp/2
Kp= slope (2)
Kp = 31034.23615(2)
Kp= 62068.4723 s/m^6
Kp= µαCs/A^2(-ΔP)
α=KpA^2(-ΔP)/µCs
Using equation that relates Kp and α, α can be determined
s 2
62068.4723 8.65901E−05m2 170000쫹ϧ옻
m6
α= kg
0.001815 쫹ϧ ͺ옻 0.268090154 3 옻
m
α= 162592.1009 m/kg
Intercept = B
B= µRm/A(-ΔP)
Rm=BA(-ΔP)/µ
Rm= 34105423.05/m
Rc=αCsV/A
Rc= 3394918.785/m