Development of Continuous Freeze Concentration Equipment: Opening Ratio of Screen in Centrifugal Separator

Abstract

We have made freeze-concentration equipment consisting of an ice-maker, which continuously produces ice flakes on a rotating cooling drum, and a continuous centrifugal separator. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of screen (for solid-liquid separation) in the centrifugal separator. Experiments using sea-water (solute concentration of the mother liquor 4.6–4.9 wt%) in this equipment led to the following results. The solute recovery rate of tests with screen B (opening ratio 4.0%) compared favorably with those of tests with screen A (opening ratio 2.3%). Furthermore, a screen with an opening ratio between those of screens B and C (18.3%) is expected to give a higher separation ratio.