Technologies - Electro-Dewatering

Sludge Dewatering | CINETIK™ Linear Electro-Dewatering | Benefits

Sludge Dewatering

Liquid sludge (after settlement) contains a large proportion of water (95 to 99%). This water is mainly in the form of free water and adsorbed water.

Mechanical dewatering methods can extract the free water relatively easily and efficiently, by applying high pressure and using large amounts of coagulation and flocculation polymers. However, the resulting partially dewatered sludge will still contain a relatively high percentage of water (65-85%), consisting mainly of adsorbed water.Adsorbed water, on the other end, is physically and chemically bound to the solid molecules in the sludge and cannot be extracted using conventional mechanical dewatering methods.

Until the advent of electro-dewatering, only thermal processes, which are costly in terms of energy and capital, would allow achieving dryness (level of solids in total mass) of more than 15-35% in the sludge. Rarely can current mechanical dewatering techniques dewater biological or fine-particle sludge to more than 15-20% dry solids.

CINETIK™ Linear Electro-Dewatering

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Electro-Dewatering Treatment
initial sludge
Inital Dryness
10 to 20%
final sludge
Final Dryness
30 to 50%

 

Eimco Water Technologies Linear Electro-Dewatering solutions revolutionize the way water is extracted from industrial and municipal sludge. The CINETIK™ sludge treatment process developed by Elcotech is based on the combined action of electro-osmosis and the application of controlled mechanical pressure to the sludge.

The phenomenon of electro-osmosis is based on the fact that when a continuous current is applied to electrodes immersed in a porous media, it causes the transfer of cations from the positive pole (anode) to the negative pole (cathode), liberating and carrying away the water bonded to hydrophilic particles.

Eimco Water Technologies pushes the dryness limits of mechanically dewatered sludge as its technology is not limited by the particulate size and the sludge porosity. Now unlike dryers and incinerators, the CINETIK™ process does not evaporate the water, it “pulls” on the water molecules; this explains why it is 5-10 times less energy intensive. The resulting sludge is very dry; by changing the operating parameters, a typical dryness of 25 to 50% or greater can be achieved. Linear electro dewatering perfectly fills the gap between mechanical dewatering technologies and traditional thermal treatment technologies.

 

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Linear Electro-Dewatering Principle

CINETIK Design & Operation

Benefits

High Dryness  |  Disinfection  |  High Energy Efficiency

Summary of the advantages of CINETIK™ linear electro-dewatering
Advantages Benefits Savings
Reduction in sludge volume Significant disposal cost reduction
  • Transportation
  • Landfill disposal
  • Facilitates agricultural usage
  • Enables energy recovery
 $$$
Small-footprint units

New Infrastructure cost reduction

Compatible with existing WWTP installations

$$$
High dryness Significant disposal cost reduction
  • Facilitates storage
  • Transportation using standard vehicles
 $$
Reduces pathogens and odors Disposal cost reduction
  • Facilitates landspreading
  • Improves biosolid quality
 $$
Self-contained, reliable and easy to use Operating cost reduction
  • Runs continuously and autonomously
  • Potential polymer usage reduction
  • Minimizes maintenance
$$
Energy-efficient Operating cost reduction
  • More energy-efficient than dryers
 $$

High Dryness

Typical results of electro-dewatering on different types of sludge*
Sludge type Initial dryness Final dryness
Municipal sludge 15% 45%
14% 40%
Turkey slaughter 6% 34%
Meat processing 8% 41%
Pulp and paper (mixed sludge) 15% 43%
Septic tanks 10% 50%

*Values shown are for information purposes only.
Actual values may vary with the type of sludge and its origin.

Disinfection

In addition to dewatering the sludge, this innovative technology also impacts disinfection, practically eliminating pathogens such as E. coli, salmonella, enteroviruses and parasites. Treated sludge will typically reach a P1 rating in Quebec and Class A in the U.S.A. Mechanical dewatering methods do not eliminate pathogenic substances.

Parameter Unit Untreated sludge Treated sludge
Escherichia coli MPN/g dry wt. 94 x 10³ <7*
Salmonella sp. MPN/4g dry wt. 71 <3*

* Detection threshold

High Energy Efficiency

High Energy Efficiency

The energy used to reach a dryness of 25 to 60% (75 to 40% water) is significantly lower than that required for thermal drying techniques (5 to 10 times less).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether your capacity requirements are in the hundreds of kilograms per hour or several hundred tons per day, Eimco Water Technologies CINETIK™ linear electro-dewatering systems are the solution to control your sludge management costs.