15CH203 MECHANICAL OPERATIONS

UNIT-IV
FILTRATION
 Filtrationis the removal of solid particles
from a fluid , by passing the fluid through a
filtering medium or septum on which the
solids are deposited.

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 Should retain the solids giving a clear filtrate
 Should not plug or blind
 Should be mechanically strong
 Should be corrosion resistant
 Should be able to discharge cake easily ans
cleanly
 Should be cheap, long life, offer little
resistance to filtrate
Materials used:
Canvas cloth, woollen cloth, metal cloth, nylon
(alkaline), PP(acidic).

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 Filter aid is added to increase the porosity of
the cake and to permit the liquor at a
reasonable rate.
 Diatomaceous silica, perlite, purified wood
cellulose are commonly used filter aids.
Methods of using filter aids
 Adding a filter aid to the slurry before
filtration
 Precoating ,i.e. by depositing a layer of filter
aid on the filter medium before filtration.

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 Based on nature of filtration

Filters

Cake filters Clarifying filters Cross- flow filters

Feed of suspension
flows under
Remove large Remove small
pressure at fairly
amount of solid amounts of solids
high velocity across
the filter medium

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Dead end Filtration Cross flow Filtration

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 Based on application of external force:

Filters

Pressure Vacuum Centrifugal

filters filters filters

Plate and Rotary drum Suspended

Leaf Filter
frame filter filter batch
press (Batch) centrifuge
(Continuous)

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 Feed in
 Plates and frames are arranged alternately and Plate
supported on a pair of rails.
 Plate - solid with ribbed surface; 6 to 50 mm thick
 Frame - hollow; provides space for cake accumulation;
6 to 200 mm thick
 Chambers are formed due to alternate arrangement of
plates and frames
 Shape: square/ rectangle Filtrate
 Material: cast iron, stainless steel, nickel, aluminium,
plastics
Cake
 Filter cloths over both sides of each plate
 Circular holes on corners of plates, frames, and filter
cloth for feed and discharge
 Press is closed using a hand screw or hydraulically; A
continuous channel is formed along the whole length of
press

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Plate and frame Cake formation

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 Slurry is pumped into
the feed channel and
passes through the filter
medium on the surface
of the plate
As filtration proceeds,
the resistance of the
cake increases and
filtration rate decrease
Filtration is continued until no
liquor flows out, i.e. when
frames are full of solid and no
slurry can enter (jammed)
The thickness of the
The solid forms a filter cake is half of the frame
cake and remain in the thickness, because on
frame each side of frame
filtration occurs
The filtrate drains
Thus two filter cakes
between the projections
are formed, which meet
of the surface of the
eventually in the centre
plate and escape from
of the frame
the outlet
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 When washing of cake is also required modified plate and
frame filter is used.
 For this purpose an additional channel is included called as
washing plate and are identified by 3 dots.
 The sequence of arrangement of plates and frames can be
represented by dots as 1.2.3.2.1.2.3.2.1 so on (between 1
and 1, 2.3.2 must be arranged.

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 • Filtration proceeds in the ordinary way until the frames are filled with cake.
Step 1

• To wash the filter cake, the outlets of washing plates are closed.
Step 2

• Wash water is pumped in the washing channel to remove soluble impurities

Step 3 • The water enters through the inlets on the surface of washing plate.

• Water passes through the filter cloth and enters frame which contains the
cake.
Step 4 • Then water washes the cake, passes through the filter cloth and enters the
plate down the surface.

Step 5 • Finally washed water escapes through the outlet of that plate.

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 Water wash is efficient only if the frames are full with
filter cake.
 If the solid do not fill the frame completely, the wash
water causes the cake to break (on the washing plate side
of the frame), then washing will be less effective.
 This helps not only in emptying the frames but also helps
in washing the cake correctly.

 Cake is blown with steam or air to displace any residual

liquid
 Press is opened and cake of solids is removed from the
filter medium and dropped to a conveyor / storage bin

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 Simple construction
 Low capital cost and maintenance cost
 Large filter area per unit area of floor space
 High operating pressures are easily developed
 Capacity can be altered
 Majority of joints are external, so easy detection of leakage

 Batch filter - time consuming

 Labour requirement is high
 Discontinuous operation - periodic manual dismantling leads to
high wear in cloths
 Not suited for high throughputs
 Frequent dripping and leaking - cleaning
 Imperfect washing of cake
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Principle:
 It is an apparatus consisting of a longitudinal drainage screen
covered with a filter cloth.
 The mechanism is surface filtration and acts as sieve or strainer.
 Vacuum or pressure can be applied to increase the rate of filtration.

Construction:
 The leaf filter consists of a frame enclosing a drainage screen or
grooved plate.
 The frame may be any shape circular, square or rectangular.
 The whole unit is covered with filter cloth.
 The outlet for the filtrate connects to the inside of the frame through
suction.

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Working:

Finally Air is passed

filtrate to flow in
The filter Vacuum The slurry enters the reverse
leaf is system is passes drainage direction
immersed in connected through the canal and which
the slurry to the outlet filter cloth goes through facilitates
the outlet removal of
into receiver cake

Use:
 Used for the filtration of slurry which do not contain high
solid content, about 5%, i.e. dilute suspensions.

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 Simplest form of filter used for batch process.
 A number of units can be connected in parallel to increase
the surface area of filtration.
 High pressure filtration - Pressure difference can be
obtained either with vacuum or using pressure up to the
order of 800 kilopascals.
 Labour costs for operating the filter leaf are fairly
moderate.
 The efficiency of washing is high.
 The slurry can be filtered from any vessel.
 The cake can be washed simply by immersing the filter in a
vessel of water.

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Principle:
 Slurry filtered through sieve like mechanism on the rotating
drum surface, under vacuum.
 Filtration, washing, air drying of cake and cake discharge (using
knife) all in one cycle.
Construction:
 It consists of a metal cylinder mounted horizontally.
 The outer drum may be up to 3 meters in diameter and 3.5
meters in length and gives surface area of 20 m2
 The curved surface being a perforated plate, supports a filter
cloth.
 A second inner solid drum
 Radial partitions between drums divide the annular space into
compartments; connected to a hole in the rotating valve

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 The drum is dipped into the slurry and vacuum applied to
the rotary valve, which is connected to the filtrate
receiver.
 A layer of solids builds on the face of outer drum as the
liquid is drawn through the cloth into the compartment,
internal pipe, valve, and collecting tank
 When the cake has formed, the cake is drained or partially
dried by vacuum.
 The drum is sprayed with water to wash the cake.
 Retaining the vacuum connection drains the cake and
produces partial dryness then, removed by a doctor knife.
 Little air is blown to belly out the cloth; cake cracks away
from the cloth; now, knife does not scrape the drum face
 After cake is dislodged, cycle is repeated - continuous
operation

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 Less labour requirement
 Large capacity
 Changing speed to get cake of varying thickness

 Not suited for impermeable cake

 Vacuum equipment is costly

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Working
 Slurry is fed centrally to a rotating basket

 Perforations in walls of basket are covered with filter medium

 Slurry is forced against basket sides by centrifugal force

 Liquor passes the filter medium and solids are retained by the
medium
 After cake build up, feed is stopped, cake of solids are spun
for a short time to remove residual liquid from cake

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Principle:
Uses centrifugal force to separate
1) solids from liquids
2) immiscible liquids of different densites

Construction:
1) Basket with perforated sides
Diameter: 750 to 1200 mm; Depth: 450 to 750 mm; Speed:
600 to 1800 rpm
2) Basket is held at lower end by a vertical shaft
3) Shaft driven by motor
4) Perforated walls of basket covered with filter cloth
5) Casing with filtrate discharge connection at bottom

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Working:
 Slurry fed is forced against basket sides
 Liquid passes through filter medium and into casing,
discharge pipe
 Solids form a cake against filter medium
 Cake is washed by spraying was liquid to remove soluble
material
 Cake spun at high speeds
 Cake is discharged by cutting with unloader knife
 Knife peels off cake and discharges through bottom
opening
 Rinse filter medium and repeat

Uses:
Sugar refining
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ROTARY DRUM FILTER

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ROTARY DRUM FILTER

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