Shaftless Conveyor Conveys Sludge at Elevated Temperature to Dryer

General Description

Founded in 2014 as a spinoff of aerospace engineering and manufacturing firm Janicki Industries, Sedron Technology developed the Varcor system—a pioneering solution that converts biosolids and liquid waste streams from a costly challenge for municipalities and agricultural operations into a valuable, sustainable resource.

Sedron enables municipalities to stay ahead of environmental regulations while improving the health of local waterways. The Varcor system removes the need for landfilling and hauling by producing highly compacted, 90-percent dry Class A biosolids and recovered water within a compact footprint. In addition to these environmental advantages, Sedron’s model provides clear economic value by removing the need for public capital investment.

Sedron partnered with KWS to convey dewatered sludge from a centrifuge to a secondary dryer. With extensive experience handling centrifuge cake, KWS developed a solution tailored to the application. Because of the elevated temperatures associated with the secondary dryer, Sedron Technology specified that the system be designed to withstand temperatures up to 400-degrees F.

KWS Shaftless Screw Conveyor Transfers Sludge from Centrifuge to Dryer

Design Parameters

Product Type: Dewatered Sludge
Material Density: 50 Lbs. per Cubic Foot
Capacity: 100 Cubic Feet per Hour
Design Temperature: 400-Degrees F
Duty: Intermittent

KWS Advantages

KWS worked closely with Sedron to design a shaftless screw conveyor for conveying dewatered sludge. The inlet flange of the new screw conveyor was designed to connect directly to a centrifuge, while the discharge flange interfaces with a downstream dryer, ensuring smooth bulk material transfer through the process. Drawing on decades of experience with high temperature applications, KWS engineered a shaftless screw conveyor to handle high temperatures coming from the dryer. KWS also provided detailed engineering drawings using 3D modeling software to ensure seamless integration into Sedron’s overall system layout

KWS Special Features

KWS shaftless screw conveyors are equipped with a proprietary one-piece flanged drive shaft as standard. The drive shaft is precision-machined from solid bar stock and supported by a lifetime warranty. The shaftless spiral, manufactured from Micro alloy 235 material, was specifically selected to effectively handle dewatered sludge discharged from the centrifuge.

Ceramic tile trough liners bonded with high-temperature epoxy were selected to reliably withstand operating temperatures of up to 400-degrees F. Ceramic liners provide an extremely durable, abrasion-resistant surface ideal for handling harsh, abrasive materials. Service life of the conveyor is greatly extended and maintenance frequency and downtime are reduced, providing a robust solution for demanding, high-temperature applications.

Flanged gland seals on the drive shaft effectively prevent material leakage. The seal assembly consists of an outer housing, multiple rings of graphite rope packing, and a follower. The packing material is a ½-inch square braided graphite rope that fits tightly within the housing and around the shaft diameter. The follower applies compression to the packing, creating a tight, reliable seal between the rotating shaft and the stationary housing.