New Cinetik™ Dewatering Technology Radically Cuts Energy And Sludge Disposal Costs

A new dewatering technology is being introduced to Australia by EWT-AJM to radically reduce operating expenses associated with sludge produced in industrial municipal and agricultural waste water treatment.

The Cinetik™Line of products from LinearElectro-Dewatering solutions extract water more efficiently and at a much lower cost than currently available processes that typically reduce liquid sludge to 13-20 per cent dry solids.

“Cinetik can further dewater such sludge to 50 per cent dry solids, radically reducing volume and thus cartage and disposal costs says Eimco Water Technologies-AJM Environmental Services (EWT-AJM) National Sales Manager, Industrial/Municipal, Mr John Koumoukelis. “The technology can also produce exceptional quality biosolids with significant pathogen and odour reduction both the structural properties and the odor of the sludge are improved,” he said.

Unlike conventional heat-based dryers and incinerators, Cinetik technology does not evaporate the water; Cinetik technology relies on the combined action of a controlled mechanical pressure and electro-osmosis, where an electrical field generated inside the sludge liberates and carries away the water bonded to hydrophilic particles.

“When removed of their excess water and pathogens, sludge is turned into a valuable resource and can be reused as a fertilizer or as a renewable fuel source,” says Mr Koumoukelis “Cinetik electro-osmosis dewatering technology can be four or five times more energy- efficient than a typical conventional dryer.  Installed in new waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) or retrofitted in existing ones, the Cinetik line of products allows for high-solids content (up to 50% Total Solids, TS) to be achieved, even with difficult-to-dewater sludge.

• Cinetik Equipment Features
• Low footprint
• Robustness
• Simple, fingertip operation
• Adjustments for varying sludge characteristics and desired parameters (energy consumption, final dryness level etc.)
• Seamless integration with existing processes and equipment
• A sustainable solution which curtails costs and facilitates disposal or recycling of biosolids

“Stringent environmental regulations and increasing residuals disposal costs are exerting significant economic pressure on public and private WWTPs” says Mr Koumoukelis. “With belt press, centrifuge, and other mechanical dewatering technologies limited to dryness levels in the low 20 per cent range, the need for an efficient, complementary dewatering solution is greater than ever: The Cinetik linear electro-dewatering technology is aimed at filling that need, whether capacity requirements are in the hundreds of kilograms per hour or several hundred tons per day.

How It Works
Electro-dewatering brings solid-liquid phase separation beyond what can be achieved by mechanical technologies. Adsorbed water cannot be extracted by mechanical dewatering because of the solid’s particulate size and strong bonding forces.

Cinetik technology uses electricity and controlled mechanical pressure to extract additional water from mechanically dewatered sludge cake.

The principle relies on the application of an electrical field across the sludge, inducing electro-osmosis across the porous media and pulling on the water molecules instead of pushing on the sludge.

Before the advent of electro-dewatering, only thermal treatment could allow biological residuals to reach a dryness of no more than 25 per cent total solids (TS) and usually considerably less. Aside from their often high capital costs, dryers, incinerators and other thermal solutions rely on heat – an extremely energy-intensive process – to evaporate the remaining water in biological residuals

Exceptional Quality Biosolids
The application of an electrical current to residuals also has a direct impact on sludge quality. Both the structural properties and the odor of the sludge are improved.

The combination of electricity, heat and pressure has a positive impact on disinfection, practically eliminating pathogens such as E.coli, salmonella, enteric viruses and parasites. Treated biosolids will typically reach Class A standard.

When excess water and pathogens are removed, sludge is turned into a valuable resource and can be directly reused as a fertilizer or as a renewable fuel source. High-quality biosolids are also a driver to further treatment including pelletizing, gasification or incineration, offering new disposal scenarios while significantly reducing residuals.

Based on a modular, self-standing design, Cinetik electro-dewatering equipment can be included right into an existing solids handling process or readily incorporated into new designs.

AJM forms a foundation stone of EWT’s strong push into the industrial wastewater and water reuse sectors within the Asia-Pacific, with more than 60 highly experienced staff and an expanding network of subsidiary companies and representation throughout SE Asia, The Middle East and beyond. AJM already provides comprehensive sales and service support from offices conveniently located in all major cities in Australia and New Zealand. Founded in 1975, GLV is a world leader in liquid/solid separation technologies used in a large number of industrial, municipal and environmental processes.