Horizontal Vacuum Belt Filters

WesTech
Process Efficiency and Design Flexibility

WesTech Horizontal Belt Filters are designed and built on

a tradition of engineering excellence. Extensive filtration
experience gained over nearly half a century is drawn upon
for each new project providing reliable operations and
long service. WesTech provides expertise in the following
industries, and many more.

Power (FGD Dewatering)

Potash
Steel Mills
Municipal Sludge
Chemical
Agricultural
Food Processing
Tar Sands
Minerals (Concentrate and Tailings)

Horizontal belt filters are an ideal solution for applications

with very large flow rates, stringent low cake moisture
requirements and the need for highly efficient cake washing
as a process step.

With extensive background in filtration technology, WesTech

has successfully applied this experience to develop horizontal
belt filters which excel in industry specific applications.
WesTech offers sizes from lab-scale to 150m filters. The
minerals and power industries demand a very robust design
and rigorous performance requirements. WesTechs Horizontal
Belt Filter installations meet or exceed demanding production
rates, low cake moisture and cake washing requirements, while
minimizing process upsets. WesTech employs the right balance
of conservative design and experience to provide a cost-
effective and high performance filter.

Many of WesTechs horizontal vacuum belt filter improvements

result from cooperation with engineers and operators at
multiple installations. Making use of the right construction
materials and process design, WesTechs Horizontal Belt Filter
outperforms other types of vacuum filters in both throughput,
low cake moisture, and optimized cake washing.
WesTech Horizontal Belt Filter

Feed Dam Roller

Feed Box

Wash Box

Filter Cloth

Cloth Tracker
Endless Carrier Belt

Drive
Vacuum Manifold

Air Box / Water Slide

Cloth Wash

Operational Advantages
Pneumatic vacuum box raising / lowering
Horizontal surface assures regular cake thickness which
provides flexibility of operation
Pneumatic cloth tracking system
Ability to wash the solid phase in perfect delimited
zones by direct or counter current washing
Natural classification of feed solids
High filtration rates (up to 10t/h/m2). Better cake wash efficiency (>99%)
Drier filter cakes (as low as 6%). Highly efficient fluid drainage
Automated control system

Standard Filter Dimensions

Belt Width m 2 Filtration Area
0.3-Meter Belt Width 0.6 1.1 1.7 2.2 2.8

0.6-Meter Belt Width 2.2 3.3 4.5 5.6 6.7

1.2-Meter Belt Width 6.7 8.9 11.2 13.4 17.9

2-Meter Belt Width 13.5 20.3 27.1 33.9 40.6 54.2

3.2-Meter Belt Width 33.5 44.7 55.8 67.0 89.3 100.5

4.2-Meter Belt Width 74.1 88.9 118.6 133.4 148.2
Typical Equipment Flow Chart

Cake Wash
Thickener Underflow or
Hydrocyclone Underflow

1 HORIZONTAL BELT FILTER 5

Cloth / Belt Wash

Instrument Air
3
Vacuum Box
Seal Water 4 6
Cake Wash
Belt Support
Pump

CAKE WASH TANK

Seal Water Return from Vacuum Pump
AIR FAN or
WATER SLIDE 5 Overflow
2
Cloth Wash
Filtrate
Pump Pump

2
Return to CLOTH WASH TANK
Scrubber VACUUM PUMP
FILTRATE RECEIVER Seal Water to Vacuum Pump Process
5 Water

The thickened underflow begins to dewater as soon as it Small amounts of water lubricate the vacuum seals (about
reaches the belt. The unit can include a settling zone (with- 10 gpm), providing consistent vacuum.
out vacuum), initial vacuum zone, multiple washing stations,
and further dewatering after washing and discharge. Spent vacuum pump seal water washes the belt, cloth,
and cake to conserve water. The vacuum pump increases
Filtrate is drawn to the filtrate receiver and then pumped the temperature of the water by 20-50 degrees Fahrenheit,
to the next process step. improving washing and drying efficiency.

An air box supports the belt to reduce friction allowing the Spent cloth wash water and spent vacuum pump seal water
belt to ride on a cushion of air. WesTech also manufactures can be applied as cake wash water.
systems utilizing water slides and or wear belts for support
of the main transport belt.

Variations of this flowsheet including a counter-current cake wash can be employed depending
on particular needs and circumstances. The above description provides a good baseline for
the dewatering flow sheet.

Tel: 801.265.1000 Represented by:

Fax: 801.265.1080

WesTech
Process Equipment. Process Driven.
www.westech-inc.com
info@westech-inc.com
P.O. Box 65068,
Salt Lake City, Utah
84165-0068
WesTech Engineering, Inc. 2010