Dewatering of sludge
Dewatering is a physical process by which water is removed from sludge. Sludge is dewatered to reduce the cost of transportation. Moreover, dewatered sludge is easier to handle.
A simple and low-cost way to dewater sludge can be obtained by Enka-D-tube resulting in volume reductions of up to 85%. The sludge is pumped from the water into the tubes that are positioned at the lake side or on the sea shore. During the dewatering process the sludge forms a cake against the inside of the special woven fabric Enka-D-Tube is manufactured from. This cake acts as a natural filter and ensures clean water flows out of the tube. The water is collected on a membrane from which it is channeled back to the lake or the sea.
In order to use the whole circum-ference of the tube, Enkadrain can be rolled out under the tube to facilitate the run-off.
Flocculants can help to speed up this process by increasing the settlement speed of the sludge particles in the water, but also by increasing the water permeability of the natural filter (called the ‘cake’) in the tube. Typically these tubes are filled up in four or five stages. The maximum height must be respected at each stage.
Dewatering sludge to achieve a dry more easily transported material is important to be able to further process the sludge for agricultural or industrial use.
Flexible lightweight Enka-D-Tube can easily be transported as close as possible to the project location to function temporarily during the dewatering process after which the site can be restored to its original shape.
Functions:
- Filtration
- Containment
- Drainage
Relevant products:
