Dewatering apparatus, systems, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11084747-B2
Application number	US-201916580602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2019
Priority date	Sep 24, 2019
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

Aspects of the present application relate to dewatering methods, systems, apparatus, and associated components thereof. In one implementation, a plow for a sludge dewatering system includes a blade. The blade includes a leading edge, and a first wing swept downward in a vertical direction and outward in a first horizontal direction relative to the leading edge. The blade also includes a second wing swept downward in the vertical direction and outward in a second horizontal direction relative to the leading edge. The second horizontal direction is opposite of the first horizontal direction.

First claim

We claim:

1. A sludge dewatering apparatus comprising a plow, the plow comprising:
a stem,
a blade disposed below the stem in a first axial direction extending from the stem and to the blade, the blade comprising:
a leading edge,
a first wing swept away from the stem in the first axial direction and outward in a second axial direction relative to the leading edge, the second axial direction extending perpendicularly to the first axial direction, and
a second wing swept away from the stem in the first axial direction and outward in a third axial direction relative to the leading edge, the third axial direction extending perpendicularly to the first axial direction and being opposite of the second axial direction.

2. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the leading edge comprises a sharp edge or a curved surface disposed at an angle relative to a plane that is perpendicular to the first axial direction.

3. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first wing comprises an angled front surface that angles away from the stem in the first axial direction and outward in the second axial direction relative to the leading edge; and
the second wing comprises an angled front surface that angles away from the stem in the first axial direction and outward in the third axial direction relative to the leading edge.

4. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the leading edge is on a leading side of the blade, and the blade further comprises a cavity on a trailing side of the blade that is behind the first wing and the second wing, and between the first wing and the second wing.

5. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 3 , wherein an outer edge of the angled front surface of the first wing and an outer edge of the angled front surface of the second wing define a first angle measured therebetween in a first plane that is perpendicular to the first axial direction, the first angle being within a range of 45 degrees to 90 degrees.

6. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 5 , wherein each angled front surface of the first wing and the second wing defines a second angle measured between the outer edge and an inner edge of each respective angled front surface in a second plane that is parallel to the first axial direction, the second angle being within a range of 15 degrees to 70 degrees.

7. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first wing comprises a trailing edge, and the second wing comprises a trailing edge.

8. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first wing comprises an angled back surface and a bottom surface, and the second wing comprises an angled back surface and a bottom surface.

9. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of ribs disposed on the angled back surface of the first wing and the angled back surface of the second wing.

10. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
each rib of the plurality of ribs comprises a bottom surface that is coplanar with the bottom surface of the first wing and the bottom surface of the second wing.

11. A sludge dewatering apparatus comprising a plow, the plow comprising:
a stem,
a blade disposed below the stem in a first axial direction extending from the stem and to the blade, the blade comprising:
a leading edge,
a first angled front surface,
a second angled front surface, each of the first angled front surface and the second angled front surface angling outward in a second axial direction and a third axial direction, respectively, relative to a center axis of the leading edge to define a first angle in a first plane that is perpendicular to the first axial direction, the second axial direction extending perpendicularly to the first axial direction, and the third axial direction extending perpendicularly to the first axial direction and being opposite of the second axial direction,
each of the first angled front surface and the second angled front surface angling away from the stem in the first axial direction relative to the leading edge to define a second angle in a second plane that is parallel to the first axial direction,
the first angle being within a range of 45 degrees to 90 degrees, and
the second angle being within a range of 15 degrees to 70 degrees.

12. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the leading edge comprises a sharp edge or a curved surface disposed at an angle relative to the first plane.

13. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the blade further comprises a trailing edge.

14. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first angled front surface and the second angled front surface are disposed on a leading side of the blade, and the blade comprises an angled back surface on a trailing side of the blade.

15. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of ribs disposed on the angled back surface of the blade.

16. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second angle of each of the first angled front surface and the second angled front surface is measured between an inner edge and an outer edge of the respective first angled front surface or second angled front surface.

17. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the second angle is within a range of 25 degrees to 45 degrees.

18. A sludge dewatering apparatus comprising a plow, the plow comprising:
a stem,
a blade disposed below the stem in a first axial direction extending from the stem and to the blade, the blade comprising:
a leading edge on a leading side of the blade,
a first wing comprising an angled back surface angling away from the stem in the first axial direction and outward in a second axial direction extending perpendicularly to the first axial direction,
a second wing comprising an angled back surface angling away from the stem in the first axial direction and outward in a third axial direction extending perpendicularly to the first axial direction and being opposite of the second axial direction, and
a cavity on a trailing side of the blade that is behind the first wing and the second wing, and between the first wing and the second wing.

19. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the cavity is behind the angled back surface of the first wing and the angled back surface of the second wing, and between the angled back surface of the first wing and the angled back surface of the second wing.

20. The sludge dewatering apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the first wing comprises an angled front surface on the leading side and the second wing comprises an angled front surface on the leading side.

21. A plow for a sludge dewatering system, comprising:
a stem,
a blade disposed below the stem in a first axial direction extending from the stem and to the blade, the blade comprising:
a leading edge,
a first wing swept away from the stem in the first axial direction and outward in a second axial direction relative to the leading edge, the second axial direction extending perpendicularly to the first axial direction, and
a second wing swept away from the stem in the first axial direction and outward in a third axial direction relative to the leading edge, the third axial direction extending perpendicularly to the first axial direction and being opposite of the second axial direction, the first wing and the second wing including a polymeric material.

Assignees

• Alfa Laval Corp Ab

Inventors

• Adams Matthew Cody
• Drescher Ross Lee

Classifications

• B65G47/763

  Fixed ploughs or transverse scrapers · CPC title

• C02F11/123 Primary

  using belt or band filters · CPC title

• F26B25/04

  Agitating, stirring, or scraping devices {(arrangement of doctor blades F26B17/286)} · CPC title

• B01D33/04

  with filtering bands or the like supported on cylinders which are impervious for filtering · CPC title

• C02F11/121 Primary

  by mechanical de-watering · CPC title