1. What is Solids Recovery in Dewatering?

Definition: Solids recovery refers to the percentage of solid material that is successfully recovered from a dewatering process, calculated as the ratio of cake discharge rate to sludge feed rate.

Purpose: This calculation helps wastewater treatment professionals evaluate the efficiency of their dewatering equipment and processes.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( R \) — Solid recovery (decimal)
• \( C_d \) — Cake discharge rate (kg/s)
• \( S_f \) — Sludge feed rate (kg/s)

Explanation: The formula compares the mass of solids recovered in the dewatered cake to the mass of solids originally present in the feed sludge.

3. Importance of Solids Recovery Calculation

Details: High solids recovery indicates efficient dewatering, which means less solid waste and better resource utilization. Typical values range from 85% to 98% (0.85 to 0.98 in decimal).

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both the cake discharge rate and sludge feed rate in kg/s. The calculator will output the solids recovery as a decimal value (multiply by 100 to get percentage).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a good solids recovery value?
A: Most well-operated dewatering systems achieve 90-98% recovery (0.90-0.98 decimal). Values below 85% may indicate process issues.

Q2: How do I measure cake discharge rate?
A: Weigh the dewatered cake produced over a known time period, then divide mass by time to get kg/s.

Q3: Why might solids recovery be low?
A: Common causes include poor polymer conditioning, equipment problems, or feed sludge characteristics.

Q4: How does this differ from capture efficiency?
A: Solids recovery focuses on mass balance, while capture efficiency considers particle size distribution.

Q5: Can recovery exceed 100%?
A: No, values above 1.0 indicate measurement errors or calculation mistakes.