MECHANICAL OPERATIONS LABORATORY MANUAL

EXPERIMENT NO. 10
ROTARY DRUM VACUUM FILTER
OBJECTIVE:
To study the performance of a rotary drum filter operating under vacuum.
AIM:
To determine the specific cake resistance () for a given slurry of CaCO3.
INTRODUCTION:
A most common type of continuous vacuum filter is the rotary drum filter, which consists up
a horizontal drum with a slotted face turns at a speed of 0.1 to 2 rev/min in an agitated
slurry trough a filter medium such as canvas covers the face of the drum., which is partly
submersed in the liquid. Under cylindrical face of the main drum is a second smaller drum
with a solid surface. Between two drums are radial partitions dividing the annular space into
separate compartments. Due to vacuum applied inside the drum, the filtrate is drawn in
through the filter medium and the cake is deposited on the outer surface of the drum
THEORY:
In a continuous rotary drum filter, the feed, filtrate and cake moves at steady constant rates.
For any particular element of the filter surface, however, conditions are not steady but
transient. The process of filtration consists of cake formation, washing, drying and
discharging. The cake thickness is not allowed to increase to large values and therefore the
filtration process can be conducted at a constant rate using a constant pressure difference.
A rotary drum vacuum filter consists of a cylindrical drum partly submerged in the feed slurry.
At any instant, a segment of the drum is in position and thus in contact with the slurry. Due
to vacuum applied inside the drum, the filtrate is drawn in through the filter medium into the
compartment and the cake is deposited on the outer surface of the drum. As the drum
rotates, this segment moves up where it is subjected to dewatering, to washing and finally
the cake is removed by the scrapper or doctor knife. The cake can be loosened by application
of slight positive air pressure. A full rotation of the drum is equivalent to a complete batch
cycle.

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For one full rotation of the drum:

..(1)
.(2)
Where,
And
Where
A= Area of filtration m2
P= pressure drop, Pa
= viscosity of filtrate, kg/ms

Cs= concentration of solids in the slurry kg/m3

m =
F mass

of wet cake g

mc = mass of dry cake g

= density of the filtrate kg/m3
Rm = filter medium resistance which can be neglected at the last period of the filtration

Integrating the above equation becomes :

..(3)
If f is the fraction of the drum in contact with slurry at any instant
f=A/AT
if tc is the time taken for one complete revolution
t= f tc = f/n

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DESCRIPTION:
The set-up consists of stainless steel ram moving in gunmetal brackets. The drum is divided in 6
compartments, covered by a SS mesh. A canvas filter is used for filtration. The whole assembly is
fitted with a SS trough in which an agitator is provided. To make the unit a self-contained a slurry
mixing and feed arrangement, receiver tanks, vacuum pump, control panel are provided.
UTILITIES REQUIRED:

Electricity Supply: Single Phase, 220 V AC, 50 Hz, 5-15 Amp combined socket with
earth connection.

Water Supply: Continuous @ 2 LPM at 1 Bar.

CaCO3: 10 kg

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE:
STARTING PROCEDURE:

Prepare feed solution by mixing 10 kg of calcium carbonate in 40 liter of water.

Note down the mass of calcium carbonate and volume of water.

Ensure that switches given on the panel are at OFF position.

Close all the valves V1-V13.

Fed feed solution in the slurry tank.

Switch ON the power supply.

Start the feed pump.

Switch ON the stirrer of the slurry tank.

Open the valve V1 and V2.

Start the vacuum pump.

Connect the water inlet and outlet.

Rotary drum should be half submerged in water.

Chose the filtrate tank-1 and adjust the valve V7 to set pressure.

Open the valve V4 and V6 and create the vacuum line.

Open the valve V2 and by pass valve V3.

Start the supply of feed in filtrate assembly.

Fix the pressure gauge reading, keep it constant and note down the pressure.

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MECHANICAL OPERATIONS LABORATORY MANUAL

Record the height of filtrate collected in the filtrate tank and time.

When filtrate tank-1 is completely fill up then close the valve V6 and V7.

Chose the filtrate tank-2 and adjust the valve V8 to set pressure same as filtrate tank-1.
Open the valve V9 and create the vacuum line.
Wait for the completion of process.
Allow air to enter the drum by open the valve V5 and stop the vacuum pump.
Collect the wet cake deposited per revolution of the drum.
Remove the cake deposited.
Repeat the experiment for different pressure.

CLOSING PROCEDURE:

When experiment is over switch OFF the stirrer and pump.

Switch OFF the main power supply.

Drain the filtrate tank-1 by open the valve V10.

Drain the filtrate tank-2 by open the valve V11.

Drain the rotary drum assembly by open the valve V12.
Drain the slurry tank by open the valve V13.
Wash the filter assembly properly

OBSERVATION & CALCULATION:

8.1 DATA:
Diameter of drum D

= 0.3 m

Length of drum L

= 0.45 m

Diameter of filtrate tank DF = 0.25 m

Viscosity of filtrate
=
OBSERVATIONS:
M

Sl.no.

kg

V1
=
Lit
P= -------- mm Hg
=.N/m2
Level
V m3
Time s
cm

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t/V

Vavg

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Plot the graph of t/V Vs V and find slope Kp and intercept B.

Kp =
B=

(sec/m6)
(sec/m3)

Wt of

Watch

Watch

Wet cake

Dry

empty

glass +wet

glass +dry

(g)

cake(g)

watch

cake (g)

cake (g)

C kg /m3

m/kg

Rm m-1

glass(g)

Find from the above eqn

A= f AT
Where,

From the above equation find Rm

NOMENCLATURE:
Nom
A
AF

Column Heading
Area of drum
Cross sectional area of filtrate tank

Units
m2

Type
Calculated

m2

Calculated

kg/m3

Calculated

Concentration

Diameter of drum

Given

DF
f

Diameter of filtrate tank

Given

fractional submergence

Calculated

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h

Height of filtrate collected in time t

cm

Measured

Length of drum

Given

Mass of calcium carbonate in feed slurry

Measured

Speed of drum

kg
sec-1

Pressure

mm of Hg
N/m2

Measured

Pressure drop (vacuum gauge reading)

Time of filtration

V
V1

Measured
Calculated

Volume of the filtrate

sec
m3

Calculated

Volume of water in feed slurry

Lit

Measured

m/kg

Calculated

N sec/m

Given

Specific cake resistance of filtrate

Viscosity of filtrate

Measured

* Symbols represent unitless quantity.

PRECAUTION & MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS:
Proper cleaning is must of drum and its clothes.
Feed slurry is filtered before feeding it into the tank.
Low flow is best for operating it.
Vacuum pump connections should be correct & properly tight.
Vent valve V5 of rotary drum should be close during the operation.
TROUBLESHOOTING:

If the slurry is overflow from the drum slow down the feed inlet rate.
If the vacuum is not proper then check the vacuum and tight the screw which are on the
vacuum connecting plate.

For constant pressure operate the ball valves during experiment if it fluctuates.

RESULT:

INFERENCE
SAMPLE VIVA QUESTIONS
1. Define specific cake resistance
2. What is compressibility factor?
3. List three filtration aiding material
4. Differentiate through washing and simple washing.
5. What is optimum time cycle of washing.

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