The road to change of sludge dewatering equipment technology and process

In the process of continuous development in the field of environmental protection, the technology and process of sludge dewatering equipment have undergone a profound and meaningful transformation process. In the early days, traditional sludge dewatering technology was relatively simple and inefficient. Taking the natural drying method as an example, sludge dewatering was achieved by simply relying on natural evaporation and osmosis. However, this method is extremely dependent on weather conditions, has a long treatment cycle, occupies a large area, and is difficult to meet the needs of large-scale sludge treatment. Subsequently, the plate and frame filter press came on the stage. It squeezes the sludge through mechanical pressure to cause the water to pass through the filter cloth and discharge. During this period, the plate and frame filter press improved the efficiency of sludge dewatering to a certain extent, but its operation process was complicated and cumbersome, requiring frequent manual loading and unloading operations, which was extremely labor-intensive, and the equipment was intermittently operated, limiting the overall processing capacity. The emergence of centrifugal dewatering technology is an important milestone. It uses the strong centrifugal force generated by high-speed rotation to quickly separate the solid particles and liquid in the sludge. This technology has a fast processing speed and can operate continuously, greatly improving the processing efficiency. However, the initial centrifugal dewatering machine also has some shortcomings, such as high energy consumption and the adaptability to the properties of sludge needs to be further enhanced. With the continuous advancement of science and technology, sludge dewatering technology has ushered in new breakthroughs. Nowadays, advanced sludge dewatering equipment usually adopts a combination of processes. First, the sludge is conditioned and pretreated, and the characteristics of the sludge are improved by adding agents and other means to make it easier to dewater. For example, some processes will accurately calculate and add suitable flocculants to cause the fine particles in the sludge to condense into larger flocs. In the core dewatering link, the equipment structure is continuously optimized. The flow channel design inside the drum is more scientific and reasonable, which can effectively guide the flow of sludge and separated liquid to improve the separation effect. At the same time, automation and intelligent technologies are widely used. The intelligent control system can monitor the flow, concentration, humidity and other parameters of the sludge in real time, and automatically adjust the speed, pressure, differential speed and other operating conditions of the equipment accordingly to achieve accurate and efficient dewatering operations. Looking to the future, the technology and process of sludge dewatering equipment will develop in a more energy-saving, efficient, environmentally friendly and intelligent direction. New materials and technologies are expected to further reduce energy consumption, reduce equipment wear, improve the dryness of sludge after dewatering and the recycling rate of resources, and play a more critical role in environmental protection.