One-dimensional centrifugation model

✍ Scribed by Steven H. Chan; San Kiang; Matthew A. Brown

• Publisher: American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 371 KB
• Volume: 49
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0001-1541
• DOI: 10.1002/aic.690490411

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A 1‐D theoretical model based on Darcy's law and conservation of mass was used to describe transient filtration on a basket centrifuge for both compressible and incompressible cakes. This filtration model was validated assuming that a liquid layer lay above the surface of the cake. Both the resistance and porosity of the cake were assumed constant throughout the cake at a particular instant in time. A computational algorithm was developed to solve the system of nonlinear equations and to calculate pressure differentials across the cake, location of the slurry front in the basket, cake thickness, filtrate volume, cake resistance, cake porosity, and filtrate flow rate, all as functions of time. Both simulation and experimental results showed the validity of this computational model. A procedure was also developed to use small‐scale lab data, in conjunction with the model, to select the corresponding operating conditions for large‐scale equipment so that cake performance on both scales was dynamically similar. For the situation when the inlet feed had ceased and the liquid layer had fallen below the surface of the cake, the cake deliquoring model proposed by Wakeman and Vince was adopted.