하수 및 상수 처리장에서 발생되는 탈수케이크의 감량화와 재활용 가능한 물질로 생산하기 위한 방안으로 공기건조장치를 구축하였다. 80 m/sec의 공기속도와 30 $m^3/min$의 공기유량, 그리고 공기온도 $40^{circ}C$로 운전되는 공기건조장치에 함수율 80 wt%이상의 탈수 케이크를 공급하여 건조하였다. 공기 건조장치는 Air Ejector에 의한 고속유동장과 사이클론에 의한 선회 유동장으로 구성되어 있는데, 투입된 탈수 케이크는 선회 유동장에서 1차 파쇄되고 선회 유동장에서 입자간의 충돌효과에 의해 성형되어 최종 구형의 건조분말을 생산한다. 함수율 82.5 wt%인 하수슬러지를 1.0 kg/min의 양으로 탈수 케이크를 공급하여 평균 함수율 62.3 wt%, 평균 입경 2.4 mm인 건조분말을 회수하였다. 이때 수분제거율은 0.1 $H_2O{Delta}kg/min{cdot}DS$ kg, 공기소모량은 170 $m^3/DS$ kg로 분석되었다. 동일 조건에서 상수 슬러지를 공기건조하였을 때 함수율은 47.5 wt%로 감소하였으며 평균 입경은 2.1 mm 그리고 수분 제거율은 $H_2O{Delta}kg/min{cdot}DS$ kg으로 증가하였으며 공기소모량은 180 $m^3/DS;kg$로 증가하였다. 즉 본 기술은 하수 슬러지에 비하여 상수 슬러지의 탈수 케이크를 건조할 때 효율적이며 열을 가하지 않고 공기만으로 건조하여 수분을 감량시키기 때문에 경제적인 슬러지 처리 방법으로 평가된다.
Air drying equipment was built as a device for reduction of dewatered cake from wastewater and waterworks sludge and to reproduce it by reusable matter. Dewatered cake was supplied into the air drying equipment which operated by air velocity of 80 m/sec, air rate 30 $m^3/min$ and air temperature of $40^{circ}C$, and dried to produce the dried powder. The air drying equipment was composed of the air ejector which made high-speed fluid field, and cyclone which made circling fluid field. Dewatered cake was crushed at the high-speed zone as first step, and formed into dried powder of sphere shape by the collision between particles at the circling fluid zone.. Wastewater sludge with water content of 82.5 wt% was supplied 1.0 kg/min into air drying equipment and produced the dried powder which had the water content of 62.3 wt% and mass median diameter of 2.4 mm after process. At that time, it was analyzed that water removal rate was 0.1 $H_2O{Delta}kg/min{cdot}DS$ kg and air consumption was 170 $m^3/DS$ kg. Under same experimental conditions, when waterworks sludge was dried, water content of dried powder decrease to 47.5 wt% and mass median diameter decrease 2.1 mm and water removal rate increase 0.13 $H_2O{Delta}kg/min{cdot}DS$ kg. Air consumption increase 180 $m^3/DS$ kg with comparison to the results of wastewater sludge. Therefore, this technology was evaluated that drying the dewatered cake of waterworks sludge was more efficient than wastewater sludge, and also economical sludge handling technology due to drying the cake by only air.
