Sludge Handling and

Disposal – Centrifugation
and Sludge Bed Drying
ART JARED E. EDURIA
CENTRIFUGAL THICKENING AND
DEWATERING
❑ Centrifugal thickening and dewatering is a high speed process
that uses the force from rapid rotation of a cylindrical bowl to
separate wastewater solids from liquid (U.S. EPA, 1987).
❑ Thickening before digestion or dewatering reduces the
tankage needed for digestion and storage by removing water.
❑ Dewatering removes more water and produces a drier
material referred to as “cake” which varies in consistency
from that of custard to moist soil.
CENTRIFUGAL THICKENING AND
DEWATERING
❑Thickening and dewatering systems can result in
significant savings in the cost of biosolids storage,
transportation, and end use or disposal.
❑Thickening liquid biosolids from three to six percent
total solids will reduce the volume by 50 percent.
❑Centrifuges may be used to thicken or dewater (U.S.
EPA, 1987).
ADVANTAGE OF DEWATERING

❑Reduces volume, saving money on storage and

transportation.
❑Eliminates free liquids before landfill disposal.
❑Reduces fuel requirements if the residuals are to be
incinerated or heat dried
ADVANTAGE OF DEWATERING

❑Produces a material, which, when blended with a

bulking agent, will have sufficient void space and
volatile solids for composting
❑Eliminates ponding and runoff, which can be a
problem when liquid is land applied on the surface
rather than injected.
❑Optimizes air drying and many stabilization
processes.
HOW CENTRIFUGE WORK?

❑Centrifuges operate as continuous feed units which

remove solids by a scroll conveyor and discharge
liquid over the weir. The bowl is conical-shaped
which helps lift solids out of the liquid allowing them
to dry on an inclined surface before being discharged
(Kemp, 1997).
ADVANTAGE OF CENTRIFUGATION

❑ Centrifuges may offer lower overall operation and

maintenance costs and can outperform conventional belt
filter presses.
❑ Centrifuges require a small amount of floor space relative
to their capacity.
❑ Centrifuges require minimal operator attention when
operations are stable .
❑ Operators have low exposure to pathogens, aerosols,
hydrogen sulfide or other odors.
ADVANTAGE OF CENTRIFUGATION

❑Centrifuges are easy to clean.

❑Centrifuges can handle higher than design loadings
and the percent solids recovery can usually be
maintained with the addition of a higher polymer
dosage.
❑Major maintenance items can be easily removed and
replaced. Repair work is usually performed by the
manufacturer
DISADVANTAGE OF CENTRIFUGATION

❑Centrifuges have high power consumption and are

fairly noisy.
❑Experience operating the equipment is required to
optimize performance.
❑Performance is difficult to monitor because the
operator’s view of centrate and feed is obstructed.
DISADVANTAGE OF CENTRIFUGATION

❑ Special structural considerations must be taken into

account. As with any piece of high speed rotary
equipment, the base must be stationary and level due to
dynamic loading.
❑ Spare parts are expensive and internal parts are subject
to abrasive wear.
❑ Start-up and shut down may take an hour to gradually
bring the centrifuge up to speed and slow it down for
clean out prior to shut down.
DRYING BED
PLANT FLOW DIAGRAM
PLANT FLOW DIAGRAM
SAND DRYING BEDS

❑It is the typical method used in dewatering sludge in

small wastewater treatment plants that has 5 MGD
(mega galloons per day) or less.
❑Climatic conditions and Land Requirements are
considerations which limit their use.
TWO GENERAL TYPES OF DRYING BED

❑ Sand drying bed – it is the most common and is

build on an underdrain and gravel support.
❑ Surfaced drying bed – it uses a paved surface
underdrain.
THREE PARTS OF SAND DRYING BED

❑ Underdrain – it collects water draining from the

sludge and recycle it back to the headworks of the
plant.
❑ Graded gravel (8 – 20”) – it acts as a support for
the sand bad.
❑ Sand (4 – 9”) – it is placed on top of the gravel.
❑ Digested or conditioned sludge is applied evenly to
the sand surface, to a depth of 12 – 18”.

❑ Sludge dewaters in two phases;

❑ drainage occurs as water travels downward through
the sand bed, gravel support and out the underdrain
❑ Further dewatering is dependent on evaporation
FIVE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE
OPERATION OF SAND DRYING BEDS
❑ Sludge Characteristics
❑ Conditioning
❑ Climate
❑ Application rates and depths
❑ Sludge removal techniques

However, in most cases the process is strongly influenced by

sludge characteristics and conditioning.
Conditioning
❑ Sludge is condition using polymers which it causes
sludge flocculation and then release free water.
❑ If too much polymer is applied
❑ it is possible for the sand pores to become plugged.
❑ if large floc is produced, the floc may set too fast,
plugging the sand surface before water has a chance to
drain away from the solids.
❑ the sand bed become blinded ad won’t drain properly.
Climate
❑ It is the factor that significantly influence the
evaporation of water from the bed.
Factors that affects the drying beds which cannot
be control;
❑ Sludge types and its characteristics
❑ Climate
❑ The area of the beds (bed size)
Loading
❑ Loading in drying bed is usually expressed in
terms of pounds per year per square foot of bed
area (lbs/yr/ft2)
❑ When loading rate decreases, the dewatering time
is reduced as well as the potential for blinding the
sand bed.
Under normal operations, there are five steps to be
followed in properly using the drying bed.
❑ Sludge should be applied evenly to the surface of the
bed (Apply Evenly). This is accomplished be means of splash
blocks and a suitable inlet distribution assembly consisting of troughs
and weirs which evenly distribute sludge onto the bed.

❑ Once sludge is applied, the piping should be flushed

with fresh water to avoid gas, production (Flush
Piping).

❑ Provide adequate drying time.

Under normal operations, there are five steps to be
followed in properly using the drying bed.

❑ Remove dried sludge from the bed when it is dry

enough to be easily handled. (remove it carefully so as not to
disturb the sand, underdrains or other structures.)

❑ Rake and smooth the sand surface for next

application. (This helps to level Out the bed and open pores in the
sand required for drainage.)
Several precautions in the removal of dewatered
sludge;

❑ Don’t remove sand.

❑ Don’t compact bed.
❑ Don’t damage underdrains

As the bed becomes compacted, drainage rates are reduced and

consequently longer drying times are required.
Primary VS Secondary Sludge

❑ Digested primary, sludge can be loaded heavier than

digested secondary sludge. This is due to the fact that
secondary, sludge has a higher amount of bound water
which is trapped in the sludge particles.
❑ Since digested primary sludge is more drainable, it can
be loaded onto a bed at a higher rate.
Surface Drying Beds

❑ It is built with an asphalt or concrete base

instead of sand.
❑ This allows the use of front-end loaders for sludge
removal, whereas sand beds are often manually
cleaned.
❑ The fact that surfaced beds can be mechanically
cleaned is a major advantage.
Surface Drying Beds

❑ Surfaced beds are rectangular and enclosed by a 2

foot high retaining wall. They are sized so that one
bed can be filled to a depth of 12 – 18" in 8 hours.