Using mechatronics technology to assess pressure filtration

This paper describes some recent (initial) developments in laboratory scale cake filtration technology which may ultimately lead to the production of standard equipment for assessing filtration performance. The principles of mechatronics, which integrates electronics, computers, process control and mechanical systems, have been used to provide a state-of-the-art pressure filtration apparatus capable of performing repeatable experiments over a range of pressure/flow regimes commonly encountered in industrial filtrations. Data obtained at constant pressure and proportionally controlled variable pressure are presented to illustrate the scope of the apparatus and the benefits of removing operator interference and damaging pumping operations from filtration experiments. It is shown how scale-up parameters (obtained for aqueous mineral suspensions) can be used to successfully predict constant pressure filtration performance and the problems which can arise when predictions of more compressible variable pressure filtrations are made using data obtained at constant pressure.