Lars Uby, Anna E. Lindberg and Roman Gabryjonczyk
ITT Flygt
(free)Sludge treatment is increasingly focusing on reduction of volumes at all stages of handling. The yet thicker sludge causes excessive head loss, and either overly expensive pump installations, or a lack of robustness as the DS concentration undergoes natural variation.
To reduce the risk of inadequate pump operation, ITT Flygt tested a method for reduction of head loss. This consists of shearing the sludge, thereby breaking internal structure and reducing the apparent viscosity. Evaluation of sludge rheology in the range 3% – 7.5 % DS before and after shearing corroborates this explanation of the observed increased in pumping performance.
KEY WORDS Shearing, sludge rheology, sludge pumping, sludge recirculation, thixotropy, viscosity
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