OPTIMIZATION OF CENTRIFUGE SLUDGE THICKENING PROCESSES WITH VARIABLE POND LEVEL CONTROL

Growing staff, chemical, and associated treatment costs make economical process management of sludge thickening impossible without continuous process monitoring and control systems. Thickening with centrifuges has been proven to be an effective method of reducing sludge volumes in wastewater treatment plants. However, experience has shown that the optimization of the conventional centrifuge is difficult. In order to achieve optimal performance, conventional centrifuges require shutting down the unit and adjusting the liquid level in the bowl by physically changing weir plates. The control system for centrifugal sludge thickening with a variable pond level control system allows the system to be optimized while in operation. The process can be fully automated by using suspended solids analyzers or may be manually adjusted by plant personnel. Extensive field testing has demonstrated that a variable pond level control system, in conjunction with appropriate control concepts, can provide a substantial contribution to reliable process management and the reduction of thickening costs.