Skip to main content

Category: Filtration

Basic Filtration Equation

Rifka Aisyah

Let’s learn the basic filtration equation which may be useful in sizing and evaluating many types of filtration unit. Disclaimer, this is also the first time in my working life learning about filtration equation, so if you find any mistakes, please feel free to comment below.

There are two terms in basic filtration equation. The first is, if the filtration occurs at constant pressure. And the second is, if the filtration occurs at constant flow rate. If the filtration occurs at constant pressure, then the flow rate will progressively diminished because the filter bed is steadily growing in thickness. Whereas, if the filtration occurs at constant flow rate, then the pressure must be gradually increased.


Read More

Many Types of Cake Filters

Rifka Aisyah 1 Comment

In previous post, there are three general types of filters, which are cake filters, clarifying filters, and crossflow filters. In this post, I want to share specifically about many types of cake filters.

When slurry enters cake filters, some solid particles enter the pores of the medium and are immobilized, but soon others begin to collect on the septum surface. A visible cake of significant thickness builds up on the surface and must be periodically removed. Cake filters are used almost entirely for liquid-solid separations.

Cake filters may operate with above-atmospheric pressure upstream from the filter medium or with vacuum applied downstream. Either type can be continuous or discontinuous, but most pressure filters are discontinuous.

Figure below shows many types of cake filters. Read More

How to Determine Cake Resistance in Filtration Systems

Rifka Aisyah 2 Comments

Purpose of this post is to determine cake resistance in filtration systems, as a function of operating pressure of filter. Before we jump into the calculation, let us learn first several basic calculation in filtration system.

As filtration proceeds, a porous cake of solid particles is built up on a porous medium, usually a supported cloth. The flow of liquid is laminar because of the fineness of the pores. Therefore, the following equation represented the phenomena:

Q = \frac{{dV}}{{dt}} = \frac{{A\Delta P}}{{\mu R}}

The resistance R is made up of filter cloth Rf and that of cake Rc which may be assumed proportional to the weight of the cake. Read More

Introduction to Filtration

Rifka Aisyah 2 Comments

These days, I feel like learning topics related to solid processing. After I learned about agitation process and its scale-up, I want to learn about filtration process.

So, in this post I want to share you general preview of filtration process. Honestly in my career until now, I already handled one project related to filtration equipment, which is my very first project: pre-feasibility study of carboxymethyl cellulose plant. The filtration equipment used in the project was rotary vacuum filter.

I hope by learning and writing what I read here in this blog will refresh my knowledge and hopefully useful in the future projects. Read More