Episode 43 : DESIGN of

Rotary Vacuum Drum Filter

SAJJAD KHUDHUR ABBAS
Ceo , Founder & Head of SHacademy
Chemical Engineering , Al-Muthanna University, Iraq
Oil & Gas Safety and Health Professional – OSHACADEMY
Trainer of Trainers (TOT) - Canadian Center of Human
Development
 OUTLINE
Separation Theory of RVDF
Application

Advantages

  𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬
Problem Statement

Equipment Design

Remarks

References
Rotary Vacuum Drum Filter
Rotary Vacuum Drum Filter
Separati

Theory
Theory of Separation

on
Rotary vacuum drum filter (RVDF) is one of the oldest filters used
in the industrial liquid-solids separation .A rotary vacuum filter
Advantages Application
consists of a large rotating drum covered by a cloth. The drum is
partially immersed in liquid/solids slurry with approximately up
to (25-75) % of the screen area.
As the drum rotates into and out of the trough, the slurry is
sucked on the surface of the cloth and rotated out of the
liquid/solids suspension as a cake. When the cake is rotating out,
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

it is dewatered in the drying zone. The cake is dry because the

vacuum drum is continuously sucking the cake and taking the
water out of it. At the final step of the separation, the cake is
discharged as solids products and the drum rotates continuously
 

to another separation cycle.

Statement
Problem
Separati

Theory
on
During the washing stage, the wash liquid can either be
Advantages Application poured onto the drum or sprayed on the cake. Cake pressing
is optional but its advantages are preventing cake cracking
and removing more moisture. Cake discharge is when all the
solids are removed from the surface of the cake by a scraper
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

blade, leaving a clean surface as drum re-enters the slurry.

(Avinash Gupta, Hand book of Chemical Engineer calculation ) and
(J. M. COULSON & J. F. RICHARDSON ,Chemical Engineering Series , V2 )
 
Statement
Problem
Separation
Theory
Range of Application

Advantages Applicati
As a basic separation operation, rotary vacuum drum filter is

on used in a wide range of applications:

1- Dewatering slurries of food
2- Pulp
3- Pharmaceutical and chemical,
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

4- Applications of metallurgical
5- The treatment of waste water.
(Wikipedia website)
 
Statement
Problem
Separation
Theory
Advantages

Advantages Application
1- The rotary vacuum drum filter is a continuous and
automatic operation, so the operating cost is low.
2- The variation of the drum speed rotating can be used to
control the cake thickness.
3- The process can be easily modified (pre-coating filter
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

process).
4- Can produce relatively clean product by adding a
showering device.
 
Statement
Problem

(Wikipedia website)
Separation
Theory
Disadvantages

Advantages Application
1- Due to the structure, the pressure difference is limited up to
1 bar.
2- Besides the drum, other accessories, for example, agitators
and vacuum pump, are required.
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

3- The discharge cake contains residual moisture.

4- High energy consumption by vacuum pump.
(Wikipedia website)
 
Statement
Problem
 Separation
Theory
Problem statement

A drum filter as illustrated in (Fig.:1) is to be used for filtering, washing, and

drying a cake having the properties given by (Figs. 2 through 5). Air rate
Application through the cake is determined from measurements of flow rate as a function
of time with a rotameter as follows:
Statemen 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬
  Advantages
Problem

Air rate as a function of time

 Separation
Theory
Application
cake mass Wc (in lbm/ft2) is (7.2 L) for each inch of cake thickness, where L is
cake thickness in inches; maximum submergence is 35 percent or 126◦; effective
submergence is 30 percent or 108◦; maximum washing arc is 29 percent or 104◦;
Advantages

suction (initial drying) arc is 7.5 percent or 27◦; discharge and resubmergence
arc is 25 percent or 90◦; and minimum cake thickness is 1/8 in (0.0032 m).
1-Determine the relevant design parameters for the cake thickness of 0.25 in
2- Determine the dimension of the drum for cake rate 5000 Ibm/ h
Statemen 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬
 
Problem

t
Fig. 1: Rotary Vacuum Drum Filter
Design Procedures:
1. Calculate the cake mass, find the filtration time for a thickness of 0.25 in
(0.0064 m), and determine the minimum cycle needed for cake formation.

The cake mass is given by

Wc = 7.2(L) = 7.2(0.25) =1.8 lbm/ft2 ( 8.8 kg/m2)
From Fig. 2, filtration time is found to be 0.22 min

Fig. 2: Dry cake mass versus filtration time

Filtration rate = Wc / filtration time

Filtration rate = (1.8/0.22)(60) = 491 lbm/h. ft2 (2402.3

kg/h.m2) of drum surface.

With an effective submergence of 30 % of drum circumference,

the minimum cycle based on cake formation is filtration time
divided by percent of drum circumference

Minimum cycle = 0.22/0.3 = 0.73 min/r,

Which corresponds to 1.37 r/min.

2. Check to see if initial drying or washing can be done within the
time available during the minimum cycle from step 1:

Minimum suction time elapses during passage through 27◦

So 27/360 = 0.075

Drying time = drying section percent X min. cycle of cake formation

= 0.075 (0.73)
= 0.06 min
Now td/wc = 0.06/1.8 = 0.033

Where td is drying time

Based on (Fig. 3), the dewatered but unwashed (D/u)

cake will have a moisture content of 30%.

Fig. 3: correlating factor for cake moisture content
Then with a wash ratio of 1.5 (given),

liquid in D/u cake = (30/70)(1.8) = 0.77 lbm/(ft2)(r),

and quantity of wash =1.5(0.77)
= 1.155 lbm/(ft2)(r) = (5.65 kg/m2 .r)
at density of 8.33 lbm/gal,

quantity of wash = 1.155 /8.33

quantity of wash = 0.14 gal/(ft2)(r) = (5.7 litter /m2. r)

WcVw = 1.8(0.14) = 0.25.

Where: Vw is quantity of wash and Wc is the cake mass

From (Fig. 4), the required wash time is 0.15 min

Wash time =
1.5 min

Fig. 4: Cake-wash time correlation with mass of dry solid Wc and

wash Vw per unit of area
This corresponds to an arc of

0.15/0.73 = 0.21

That means that 21 % of the circumference.

Since up to 29 % of the circumference can be used, washing

offers No problems.
3. Check the drying time and determine the cycle time.

For a final moisture content of 25%,

From (Fig. 3) td/Wc is (0.3)

Fig. 3: correlating factor for cake moisture content

With Wc = 1.8
td /Wc = 0.3
td /1.8 = 0.3
td = 0.54 min

Percentage of drying arc = 0.54/0.73 = 0.739

which takes up nearly three-quarters of the circumference

since 25 percent of the arc is needed for discharge and

resubmergence

the maximum arc for initial drying ,washing and final drying is
given by 75 − (cake-formation arc)
= 75 − 30 = 45 %
Using the originally calculated washing plus drying times of

0.54 + 0.15 = 0.69 min

then

the minimum cycle based on drying and washing = 0.69/0.375

= 1.84 min/r

and the washing arc = 0.15/1.84

which is 8.15 percent or 29◦.

4- Calculation of initial drying time:

initial drying time = the minimum cycle based on drying and

washing x initial drying percentage
=1.84(0.075) = 0.14 min

So td/wc = 0.14/1.8 = 0.08.

From (Fig. 3), D/u moisture is 27%

and accordingly, the liquor in the

D/u cake is (27/73)(1.8) = 0.67 lbm/(ft2)(r).

The quantity of wash becomes 1.5(0.67) = 1.0 lbm/(ft2)(r)

= 4.9 Kg/m2.r
Fro density 8.33 lbm/gal
The quantity of wash = 0.12 gal/(ft2)(r).
= 4.9 litter/m2.r

Then WcVw = 1.8(0.12) = 0.22, and from (Fig. 4), the wash

time becomes 0.14 min.

Cycle time summary:

Wash time = 0.14 min

Initial drying time = 0.14 min

Final drying time = 0.54 min

  5. Summarize the filtration cycle.

The total cycle time is

The total cycle time = (0.14 + 0.14 +0.54) /0.45

= 1.82 min/r
= 0.55 r/min
The required effective submergence =
= (0.22/1.82)(100)
= 12 %
This is much less than the 30 percent available
6. Calculate the efficiency of solute recovery:

For wash ratio 1.5

and from (Fig. 5).

With wash ratio j = 1.5

the fraction remaining is 0.145

To be on the safe side use

a value of 0.2.

Fig. 5: Cake – wash curve

The following calculations are needed:

Solute in feed = (60/40)(0.02) = 0.03 lb solute per pound of

feed

Solute in D/u cake = (27/73)(0.02) = 0.0074 lb solute per pound

of cake

Solute in washed cake = 0.0074(0.2) = 0.0015 lb solute per

pound of washed cake

Efficiency = (0.030 − 0.0015)/0.03 = 0.95

7. Calculate Dimension of the drum:

Taking into account the effective submergence of 12%

we calculate the filtration rate as 491(0.12) = 59 lbm/(h)(ft2)
= 0.08 kg/(s)(m2)

For cake rate 5000 Ibm/ h

The required surface are of the drum = 5000/59
= 84.7 ft2
= 7.87 m2
Area of drum = ∏ x D x L
L= 2.5 m
Assume L/D = 2.5

84.7 = (2.5) D2
D= 1 m
D = 3.28 ft = 1m

L = 8.2 ft = 2.5 m
8. Calculate the air rate.
The air rate can be calculated based on the data previously presented
and shown in (Fig. 5). During the 0.14 min of initial drying, the average rate is
found to be 4.9 (ft3/min)/(ft2)(r).
The average rate during the final 0.54 min of drying is 8(ft3/min)/(ft2)(r).

Fig. 5: Air rate as a function of time

The total air rate = 0.14(4.9) + 0.54(8)
= 5 (ft3/min)/(ft2)(r).

Since there are 1.82 min/r

the air rate is 5/1.82 = 2.75 (ft3/min)/ft2

Since the required surface are for 5000 Ibm/h is 84.7 ft2

air rate is = (2.75 ) ( 84.7)

= 233(ft3/min)
= 6.6 (m3/min)
Remarks:

This type of filters are recommended to be used in wide

rang of industrial filtration processes because:

1- It can be easily operated in continuous mode.

2- Its cost is low compared with the other filters.
3- can be designed in deferent sizes.
References:

1- Avinash Gupta, Hand book of Chemical Engineer calculation

2- J. M. COULSON & J. F. RICHARDSON ,Chemical Engineering Series , V2
3- Wikipedia website
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