Dewatering of waste activated sludge via centrifugal field

While conducting centrifugal dewatering tests on waste activated sludge, this work considered how the rotational speed and the application of cationic polyelectrolyte flocculation affected the sludge. Increased rotational speed and/or conditioning the sludge to a charge neutralization point could enhance dewatering efficiency. A model was proposed to estimate the disruption energy exerted on the sludge body using centrifugation. Experimental results indicate that the disruption energy level provided by the centrifuge increases with rotational speed and decreasing water content in the filter cake. Moreover, polyelectrolyte flocculation may significantly reduce the disruption energy level of the water from sludge particles and the residual water contents at the end of the test.