DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

HOW TO CALCULATE THE BASIC PARAMETERS OF A

ROTARY VACUUM FILTER

]~. N. Ginzburg, G. A. Roginskii, UDC 66. 065.54.001.24

and A. D. Dmitrievskaya

The design of rotary vacuum filters differs from the design of continuous vacuum filters having a
continuous filtering surface, since the filtering assembly of rotary vacuum filters is broken up into
several pans~ and this accounts for the substantial correction made to the process of phase separation
and cake washing [i, 2]. This article offers a procedure for calculating the basic design parameters of
a rotary vacuum filter.
Calculating Filter Active Surface Area. The rate of solids removal or liquids removal per unit
surface area in unit time must be known for the particular slurry feed in order to determine the filtra-
tion surface area and the basic filter parameters, in the design of a rotary vacuum filter for a full-
scale industrial installation. But this rate is not a single-valued variable, and the value obtained under
laboratory conditions or plant conditions cannot be considered a unique characteristic value for the par-
ticular process stream, since it depends on the filtration process conditions. While using the rate of
removal of solids or liquids per unit area in our scaled-up calculations for an industrial plant~ we still
have to continue to pay attention to those related variables of the filtration process, and to the possibility
of achieving the relevant values of those variables in vacuum filter design.
This means that we cannot view as valid the procedure in which the filtration variables are utilized
without correction, on the basis of laboratory or pilot-plant experiments, and are taken as optimum
values for the specific process medium. Operating experience has shown that in many instances labora-
tory conditions under which slurry is filtered are not reproducible under production conditions. The
assumption that the rate of removal remains constant for a given type of filter whatever the dimensions
of its filtering surface is also unwarranted.
On the basis of some general arguments, and some practical observations, we can conclude that
the greater the number of pans and the closer the trapezoidal shape of the pans to a rectangular shape,
the more even the cross section of the cake will be and the more homogeneous the structure of the cake
will be, and further the more the filtration and cake washing data will be improved. Hence, tile ratio
of the small (b) and large (a) bases of the filter pan trapezoid, and the ratio of the inner diameter D 2
and outer diameter D i of the annular surface formed by the pans, i.e.,

b D2
--~-------- =k
a D I

(where k is a design factor), must be brought as close as possible to unity. The design factor k should
not be less than 0.75 (Fig. I).
But the dimensions of filters with pans shaped close to rectangular are far greater than the dimen-
sions of filters with trapezoidal pans, given the same filtering surface area. In each concrete case,
then, we have to decide which is preferable: to increase the size and weight of the filter in order to im-
prove performance and process data, or to allow some downgrading of these indices in exchange for
smaller filter size and less filter weight. Clearly, a more valid approach would be to seek a solution
satisfying both requirements to whatever extent possible, but this will require some additional practical
research.

In designing rotary vacuum filters, designers were lacking concrete technological data providing
a suitable basis for arriving at the linear dimensions of the equipment. In striving to achieve a compact
piece of equipment, they left out of account a possible concurrent deterioration in process conditions
affecting filter performance. For example, the thickness of the cake layer on the pans fluctuates be-
tween 25 and 55 mm in the case of a rotary vacuum filter presenting a filtration surface area of
T r a n s l a t e d f r o m Khimicheskoe i Neftyanoe Mashinostroenie, No. 2, pp. 1-3, F e b r u a r y , 1967.

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 40 square meters and having a design factor k --0.64.
Because of this uneven cake thickness, filtration con-
ditions and cake wash conditions deteriorate, and fil-
ter throughput is reduced. Formation of cake of un-
even thickness is typical of such filters, and is due
to the fact that the slurry arriving from the radially
placed feed trough is distributed in an even flow over
the bottoms of trapezoidal shape, since the pans move
a) i along the periphery at different linear speeds.
b) A pan factor w is introduced to take the effect
of cake unevenness on the throughput of rotary vacuum
filters into account. Under the specific process con-
ditions prevailing, the pan factor w must characterize
the ratio of filtration efficiency in the even-layer and
homogeneous cake structure case to filtration effi-
ciency on a rotary filter.
The pan factor w depends on the nature of the
feed slurry, and on the size and shape of the filter
pans. It is a very complicated matter, requiring
laborious study, to determine this pan factor exactly
c)
for a variety of production conditions. Pan factors
Fig. i. Diagram showing distribution of pans 0.63 and 0.77 can be recommended as tentative values.
(number of pans z = 24) on rotary vacuum fil- The first value was arrived at on the basis of available
ters having the same filtration surface area, information derived from a foreign plant producing
as a function of the design factor k: a) k = wet-process phosphoric acid of 32% P205 concentration,
0.5; b) k=0.64; c) k=0.75. where, following comparison tests, a band vacuum
filter with a filtration surface of 40 square meters
was successfully replaced by a rotary vacuum filter
with a filtration surface of 25 square meters. The
s e c o n d w v a l u e w a s a r r i v e d a t on t h e b a s i s of S o v i e t e x p e r i e n c e in the p r o d u c t i o n of w e t - p r o c e s s p h o s -
p h o r i c a c i d o f up to 32% P205 c o n c e n t r a t i o n , c o m p a r i n g the r a t e of c a k e r e m o v a l o f 650 k g / m 2. h w i t h a
r o t a r y v a c u u m f i l t e r to t h e r a t e 850 k g / m 2. h o b t a i n e d w i t h band v a c u u m f i l t e r u n d e r p i l o t p l a n t c o n d i t i o n s ,
in an i d e n t i c a l t e c h n o l o g i c a l p r o c e s s .

In the c a s e of r o t a r y v a c u u m f i l t e r s w i t h 40 m 2 f i l t r a t i o n s u r f a c e a r e a , t h e a v e r a g e pan factor w

c a n be s e t at about 0.7. In t h e c a s e o f r o t a r y v a c u u m f i l t e r s w i t h 80 m 2 f i l t r a t i o n s u r f a c e a r e a , with
d e s i g n f a c t o r k = 0.5, and c o n s e q u e n t l y a s l i g h t l y l o w e r c a k e r e m o v a l r a t e , t h e pan f a c t o r w will obvi-
o u s l y be l o w e r t h a n 0.7. The c a k e r e m o v a l r a t e s h o u l d a l w a y s b e a r r i v e d a t t h e r e f o r e on the b a s i s of
t h e c o n c r e t e p r o c e s s c o n d i t i o n s a n d f i l t e r d e s i g n c o n s i d e r a t i o n s . The c a k e r e m o v a l r a t e taken alone
c a n n o t b e u s e d a s a s u f f i c i e n t b a s i s f o r the d e s i g n of a s c a l e d - u p f i l t e r .
T h e f o r e g o i n g s u g g e s t s t h e f o l l o w i n g p r o c e d u r e f o r d e s i g n i n g a r o t a r y v a c u u m f i l t e r to h a n d l e a
s p e c i f i c s l u r r y . O p t i m u m f i l t r a t i o n and c a k e w a s h i n g p a r a m e t e r s a r e d e t e r m i n e d on a c o n v e n t i o n a l l a b -
o r a t o r y - s c a l e f i l t r a t i o n p l a n t f i l t e r i n g a f e e d s l u r r y i d e n t i c a l to the o n e c o n t e m p l a t e d f o r p r o d u c t i o n [3].
D a t a on the c a k e r e m o v a l r a t e and c a p a c i t y of the s c a l e d - u p f a c i l i t y b a s e d on t h e s e l a b o r a t o r y s t u d i e s
a r e t h e n u s e d to c a l c u l a t e the f i l t r a t i o n s u r f a c e a r e a of a s c a l e d - u p f i l t e r .
The a c t u a l a v e r a g e t h i c k n e s s of the l a y e r o f c a k e d e p o s i t e d on t h e f i l t e r p a n s is then d e t e r m i n e d
b y c a l c u l a t i o n s on t h e b a s i s of the p e r m i s s i b l e p e r i p h e r a l s p e e d of the f u l l - s c a l e r o t a r y f i l t e r . F i l t r a t i o n
d a t a on a f e e d s l u r r y i d e n t i c a l to t h e p r o c e s s f e e d , a n d d a t a on c a k e w a s h i n g (cake r e m o v a l r a t e ) a r e
then checked at this cake thickness on the laboratory-scale conventional filtration plant.
The pan factor w is assigned on the basis of the filtration surface area of the full-scale filter and
its design characteristics, and a correction for the empirically determined cake removal rate is then
introduced :
qcalc = qemp

w h e r e q e a l e i s t h e c a l c u l a t e d c a k e r e m o v a l r a t e , and q e m p is t h e r e m o v a l r a t e found e m p i r i c a l l y .

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 The actual active surface area of a full-scale rotary vacuum filter is calculated to provide a check,
on the basis of the final cake removal rate arrived at for the given filter model and the specified hourly
throughput:

Fa_ Q
qcalc '

where F a is the active filtration surface of the rotary vacuum filter, in square meters; Q is the specified
hourly throughput of the filters, in cubic meters per hour.
Calculations for Distributor Head Zones. Pans operate cyclically in a rotary vacuum filter.
Moving along the periphery, each pan traverses the following work zones: filtration; cake wash and cake
dewatering; auxiliary zones; cake blow-off and discharge; blowback, wash and drying of filter fabric;
filling with feed slurry.
The total cycle time T c of each pan is made up of the time it takes the pan to traverse the work
zones T w and the time it takes it to traverse the auxiliary zones Taux, and adds up to one complete re-
volution of the rotary unit and head.

In the case of rotary vacuum filters, it usually takes from 1/6 to 2/9 of the total cycle time T c to
traverse the auxiliary zones. The larger coefficient is for filters with filtration surface area greater
than 40 square meters. Hence,
Tw
Tc= l--1/6(or 2/9)

The time it takes a pan to traverse the work zones within a single cycle is made up of the times
of separate process steps:

Tw = to + tj ~- 6 -I- t3 + 4,

where to is the filtration time, in sec; t I is the first cake wash time, see; t2 is the second cake wash
time, sec; t3 is the third cake wash time, sec; t4 is the cake dewatering time, sec.
The duration of these process steps in slurry filtration, cake washing, and cake dewatering is de-
termined empirically on a laboratory facility or in a pilot plant, under conditions identical to actual pro-
duction conditions, and with the actual cake thickness encountered in subsequent operation on a scaled-up
rotary vacuum filter taken into account.

Since the central angles subtended by the zones are in direct correspondence with the times of the
process steps, we can set up the following equations, similar to the preceding ones:

~C ~ ~W -I tzaLIX
aaux~=1/6(or 2/9) ac;
~w = [ 1 - - l / 6 ( ~ 2/9)]c~c;

Tc Taux Tw to tl t~ t~ t~ '

where ~c =360~ ~w is the central angle of the work zones, in degrees; ~atu~: is the central angle of the
auxiliary zones, in degrees; fl0, fit..... f14 are the central angles of the process zones on the filter and
on the distributor head, in degrees.
Hence,
ac ar aC aC aC

In the f i n a l c h o i c e of zone d i s t r i b u t i o n layout, we m u s t r e m e m b e r that in o r d e r to e l i m i n a t e a n y

p o s s i b i l i t y of d i f f e r e n t f i l t r a t e s t r e a m s m i x i n g , we have to have dead a r e a s c o v e r i n g the holes in the
m o v i n g d i s k on the edges of the c e l l s in the fixed d i s k of the d i s t r i b u t o r head, o r e l s e the c e n t r a l a n g l e s
of the w o r k z o n e s and a u x i l i a r y z o n e s m u s t be i n t e g r a l m u l t i p l e s of the p a n a n g l e s . The s e c o n d v a r i a n t
is to be p r e f e r r e d , s i n c e b e s t u s e would be m a d e of the a c t i v e f i l t e r s u r f a c e in that c a s e .

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 Design sequence is as follows, for the process zones of the rotary vacuum filter: the duration of
the filtration, cake wash, and cake dewatering steps are fotmd empirically; a value is assigned to the
coefficient of the filter auxiliary zone (from 1/6 to 2/9); the total cycle time of the rotary unit is found;
the zone central angles are calculated; final adjustments are made in the zone distribution pattern of the
central distributor head.
Calculating Basic Dimensions of Rotary Vacuum Filters. To date, there has been no systematiza-
tion of the calculation of basic parameters of rotary vacuum filters in terms of specified active filtration
surface. Designers have had to resort to preliminary graphical and numerical calculations before even-
tually determining the initial linear dimensions of the active annular surface and the dimensions of pans,
which characterize filter design and filter size.

Below we present a procedure for direct calculation of the linear dimensions which should make
the work of designers easier. The active filter surface area F a is usually specified in square meters.
We first have to find the respective diameters D I and D 2 of the outer and inner circular peripheries of
the annular surface formed by the filter pans; these diameters are in meters. We also find the outer
(larger) base a and inner (smaller) base b of the pans, in meters, in terms of the filtration surface; then
the length of the total pan active surface l in meters and the active surface of each pan f in square meters.

Values have to be assigned to the following factors: the design factor k characterizing the compact-
ness of the filter design and performance indices; the coefficient m giving the ratio of pan area in the
auxiliary zone of the filter Fau x (pan turnover zone, cake blow-off zone, filter fabric wash and dry zone)
to the total area of all the pans F a + Faux; the coefficient n giving the ratio of the total area of all the fil-
ter pans F a + Fau x to the total area Fro t of the annular surface formed by the filter pans.
The coefficient m is usually assigned values 1/6 to 2/9. The latter value is assigned in the design
of filters presenting over 40 square meters active surface. The coefficient n can be assigned a value
0.7 to 0.75, on the basis of existing designs.

The number of pans z is usually set at 12,18,
with 40 m 2 active surface and in the case of a filter
it more sensible to assign slightly higher values to
large, there are better conditions for the formation
tration properties.
or 24. z is 24 in the case of existing rotary filters
designed for an active surface of 80 m 2. But we find
z: 30, 36, even higher. When the number of pans is
of an even and homogeneous cake with improved fil-

The total annular area presented by the filtration surfaces of pans is the sum of the areas of the
active surface, of the auxiliary zone, and of intermediate gaps between filter pans :

Pa -b Paux
FtOt
lZ

where

&ux:: "' (G 4- G~x) = m 1 -.,

Accordingly,

&or (1 - - m ) n

This area can be expressed as a difference of the areas of circles forming the annular surface:

_ = L -- r4) (1)
(1 - - m ) n 4

Recalling that D2/D 1 =k, we have, f r o m E q . (1):

/" 4F a
Dl = ~ (1 - - m) (1 - - ks) n"

W e f i n d D 2 = k D 1 f r o m t h i s v a l u e o f D 1.

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 The area of one pan is found by the formula
Fa -}- Faux &
Z (1 - - rn) z

Expressing the pan area in terms of the area of the pan trapezium, we find
(2)
2 (1 -- rn)z "

Recalling b/a =k, w e h a v e , f r o m E q . (2):

2Fa
(l -p k) I (1 --- In) z "

T h e s m a l l e r b a s e o f t h e p a n i s f o u n d f r o m t h e f o r m u l a b = ak w h e n t h e v a l u e of a i s k n o w n . The
l e n g t h o f t h e f i l t r a t i o n s i n - f a c e o f t h e p a n s i s f o u n d a s t h e a v e r a g e d i f f e r e n c e of t h e d i a m e t e r s :
DI - - D~
l--
2

LITERATURE CITED

i. E.N. Ginzburg, Khim. i neff. nash., No. 2 (1964).

2. I~. N. Ginzburg, In: Processing of Liquids, Moscow. NIUIF [Sci. inst. fertilizers, insecticides and
fungicides] [in Russian] (1962).
3. I~.N. Ginzburg, and V.L Mel~nikov, In: Processing of liquids, Moscow, NIUIF [in Russian](1961).

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