Analysis of Continuous Thickener at Steady State Using a Batch Settling Curve

Abstract

Continuous thickener operation was studied using the batch settling curve of a feed slurry instead of the solid flux curve, which is a function of solid concentration. The method is an extended development of Talmage-Fitch's method based on Kynch's theory.
The analysis in this paper enables one to predict graphically concentration distributions and optimum operating conditions in a thickener at steady state. The concentration distributions predicted by this method agreed well with experimental results for calcium carbonate slurries over a wide range of underloading or overloading operations. The batch settling curve method is superior to the solid flux curve method since the former can be used more easily than the latter.