A compressional rheology model of fluctuating feed concentration during filtration of compressible suspensions

Abstract

Filtration is a common process used to perform solid-liquid separation. This work addresses a previously overlooked yet significant aspect of filtration when the feed solids concentration varies on the same timescale of the filtration process. This affects the filtration rate and therefore the throughput of the filter. Existing one-dimensional models of fixed-cavity and flexible-membrane plate-and-frame filtration based on compressible suspension theory, in which the cake concentration as a function of thickness and time is given by a hyperbolic second-order diffusion equation, are expanded here using a filtrate volume dependent feed concentration. The key material properties are the compres..