EXPERIMENT

BASKET CENTRIFUGE

OBJECTIVES

i) To determine pressure drop across the filter medium in a basket centrifuge.

ii) To find the Specific resistance of filter cake.
iii) Moisture content of filter cake

THEORY

Solids that form a porous cake can be separated from liquids in a filtering centrifuge. Centrifugal
force is widely used for separation when a force greater than the force of gravity is desired for
separation of solids and fluids of different densities. Basket centrifuge is the simplest type of batch
centrifuge. Slurry is fed to a rotating basket having a slotted or perforated Wall covered with a filter
medium such as canvas cloth. Pressure resulting from the centrifugal action, forces the liquid
through the filter medium, leaving the solid behind. If the feed to the basket is then shut of and the
cake of solids spun for a short time much of the residual liquid in the cake drains off the particles
leaving the solids much drier than those from filter press or vacuum filter. The filtered material must
subsequently be dried by thermal means. Considerable savings may result from the use of
centrifuge.

REQUIREMENTS
Basket Centrifuge, CaCO3 powder, Water, Oven, Physical balance, Watch.

PROCEDURE

1. Make the filter canvas fit along the perforated wall of the basket.
2. Prepare the slurry of CaCO3 by mixing 300 gm in 4 lt of water.
3. Feed the slurry to the basket centrifuge to half full.
4. Switch on the motor. Immediately start stop watch.
5. Collect the filtrate from drain in a measuring jar and note down the volume for every 30 sec.
6. After filtration is completed switch off the motor. Note the total time t needed for filtration.
Measure the thickness of cake formed with a stick. Collect some cake in a Petri dish from
the basket.
7. Note down the weight of the wet cake, dry it in oven, and measure dry weight of the cake.
8. Repeat the experiment for different RPM.

1
 ro

r
H

Filter cake

Filtration in a Centrifuge

OBSERVATIONS

Known data

Density of the liquid, W = 1000 Kg/m3

Density of the particles, d = 2560 Kg/m3

Viscosity of the liquid, = 0.98 x 10-3 kg / m s

Diameter of the basket, 2R = 0.2 m

Diameter of the liquid, 2ro = 0.144 m (supplied by vendor)

Height of basket, H = 0.24 m

Resistance offered by filter medium = L = 2.5 mm

Thickness of cake formed, l = ----------- m (measure with a stick)

Total time of filtration, tf = ------------ sec

Total volume of filtrate collected, Vf = -------m3

Weight of the wet cake, mf = -----------Kg

Weight of the dry cake, mC = -----------Kg

RPM of the centrifuge = -----------------

RPM
n= rotations per second
60
Angular velocity of the basket = 2 n = ------------ rad/sec

2
DATA ACQUISITION

Time taken, t Volume of filtrate collected, V

(sec) (m3)

tf = Vf =

CALCULATIONS
2 2
W 2 ( R ro )
1. Pressure drop across the filter, -P = = --------------------N/m2
2

2. Volume of cake deposited, Vc = 2rl H m3

Where r= R - l
v = volume of cake deposited by passage of unit volume of filtrate

Vc
v
Vf
3. Calculate specific resistance of filter cake (m-2) from the following formula

2L r ' 4( Pvt f )
( R 2 r ' 2 )1 2r ' ln
2

R R

4. Plot Volume of filtrate collected (V) vs time (t)

5. Calculate moisture percentage in the filter cake.

EXPECTED RESULTS
1. Draw necessary graphs
1. Do calculations and tabulate results for different RPM.
2. Interpret the results obtained and present conclusion for the same.

REFERENCES

1. McCabe, W. L.; Smith, J. C. and Harriott, P. Unit operations of Chemical Engineering

2. Narayanan, C. M. ; Bhattacharya, B. C. Mechanical operations for chemical
engineers.
3. Richardson, J. F. and Harker, J. H.,Coulson and Richardsons Chemical Engineering,
Vol. 2, 5 ed., p 485-487.

3
4