Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Manual Lechada de Cal
Manual Lechada de Cal
Systems
Executive Summary
Lime Handling Systems is a general article dealing with the storage and feeding of lime slurries.
Design considerations involved in selection of equipment are discussed in addition to general
information on lime.
Recommendations for system designs are discussed with information presented on equipment
options.
The article is designed to acquaint the reader with the considerations involved in achieving an
efficient and practical lime system.
4
5
5
6
7
8
10
11
13
14
14
14
15
16
18
19
21
22
23
25
26
30
31
31
32
33
34
37
38
38
38
39
42
43
43
43
44
45
46
49
49
50
51
53
54
55
55
57
Page 4 of 60
Lime
The term lime is used to refer to a variety of calcium based substances, which include or may be
derived from limestone. Except for sulfuric acid, limestone and its derivatives are the most widely
used chemicals in the United States. Approximately 25 million tons of lime is used each year for a
variety of different applications such as steel making, acid neutralization, water treatment,
wastewater treatment, and air pollution control.
Lime Uses
FIGURE 1
Currently lime usage is growing rapidly with the major investments being made upon acid rain
control and environmental protection, both of which use lime in large quantities. In addition, new
leaching processes for certain types of mineral ores and new sludge composting requirements will
require large new quantities of lime.
Page 5 of 60
This introduction to lime handling equipment is intended to acquaint users with the design
considerations involved in setting up a lime handling facility for maximum efficiency and minimum
maintenance considerations.
Types of Lime
The two most common derivatives of limestone are quicklime and hydrated lime. For substances,
properties such as particle size, purity, and chemical reactivity vary considerably between grades.
Following is a more complete definition of each lime type:
Limestone: Limestone is a naturally occurring substance, which consists primarily of calcium
carbonate (CaCO3). Limestone is typically quarried for use in its native form or for further
processing to produce derivative substances such as quicklime. One form of limestone is marble.
Figure 2 shows the types and properties of limestones.
FIGURE 2.
Common Name and
Formula
High Calcium
Limestone CaCO3
Dolomitic Limestone
CaCO3 & MgCO3
Grades or Forms
Available 1
Large Lump
Pebble or Crushed
Ground, Screened or
Granular
Pulverized
Large Lump
Pebble or Crushed
Ground, Screened or
Granular
Pulverized
Appearance and
Properties
White rock with intermediate
hardness [Mohs hardness of
3-5], product is quarried,
typical purity is 95% CaCO3
Bulk Density
90-115 lbs/cf
90-115 lbs/cf
Limestone is available in a large range of sizes often specified as percentages passing standard sieve sizes. Sizes listed in
the table are defined by ASTM C 51 as Large Lump [8 and smaller], Pebble or Crushed [2.5 and smaller], Ground, Screened
or Granular [1/4 and smaller], and Pulverized [100 % Passing a No 20 sieve].
The purity of limestone varies widely. The purity is measured by the percentage of available CaCO3
and MgCO3. Limestone is primarily used for flue gas desulfurization, acid neutralization, and to
produce quicklime. Limestone delivery is available in barges, dump trucks, rail car and bulk trucks.
Once mined and processed for size, purity, and chemical constituents, the raw material is subjected
to a variety of mechanical processes to produce various grades of lime.
Page 6 of 60
Exshaw
Lime Kiln
Quicklime:
Quicklime consists primarily of calcium oxide (CaO) and is produced from limestone in a
process known as calcining as defined below:
High Calcium Quicklime
CaCO3 (Calcium Carbonate) + Heat
Dolomitic Quicklime
CaCO3 MgCO3 (Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Carbonate) + Heat
CaO MgO (Calcium Oxide and Magnesium Oxide) +
Page 7 of 60
CO2 (gas)
Figure 4 below defines the different types of quicklimes and the basic properties of each type:
FIGURE 4.
Common Name
and Formula
High Calcium
Quicklime CaO
Dolomitic Quicklime
CaO & MgO
Grades or Forms
Available
Pebbled [3/4 1/4 ]
Granular [1/4 minus]
Pulverized [100 %
Passing # 20 sieve]
Pebbled [3/4 1/4 ]
Granular [1/4 minus]
Pulverized [100 %
Passing # 20 sieve]
Appearance and
Properties
Soft [Moh hardness less
than 3], white pebbles to
powder, typical purity is
above 90% available CaO
Soft [Moh hardness less
than 3], yellowish white
pebbles to powder, contains
5 to 40% MgO
Bulk Density
48-70 lbs/cf
49-72 lbs/cf
The quality of quicklimes varies greatly. The quality of the lime is determined by the purity and
reactivity of the quicklime. Purity is a measurement of the quantity of calcium oxide (CaO) in a
given sample that is chemically available. The purity of commercially available quicklime in the
United States typically ranges from 85% to 95% available CaO.
Reactivity is a measurement of the heat released in the reaction between quicklime and water. This
reaction is commonly known as lime slaking or hydration, the product of which is hydrated lime. As
noted in Figure 5 below, reactivity is determined by slaking quicklime (at specific ratios of water to
quicklime) and measuring the rate at which the product temperature rises.
It should be noted that while purity and reactivity are related, they are not the same; that is, a high
purity does not always indicate a highly reactive quicklime.
Quicklime is shipped via in barges, railcar, bulk truck, sea containers, bulk bags and paper bags.
The most common delivery is in 25 Te bulk trucks.
Quick lime is either sold as quick lime containing approx 85-95% CaO or is further treated by
hydration to produce hydrated lime Ca(OH)2 which contains approx. 72-74% CaO
Hydrated Lime:
Hydrated lime consists primarily of calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH2) and is the product of the
reaction between quicklime and water as defined below:
High Calcium Hydrated Lime
CaO (Calcium Oxide) + H2O Ca(OH)2 (Calcium Hydroxide) + Heat
Page 8 of 60
Grades or
Forms Available
Powder [80%
passing 200 mesh
size}
Powder [80%
passing 200 mesh
size}
Pressure Dolomitic
(Type S) Hydrated Lime
Ca(OH)2 Mg(OH)2
Powder [80%
passing 200 mesh
size}
Bulk Density
25-40 lbs/cf
30-40 lbs/cf
30-40 lbs/cf
The properties of hydrated lime from different sources in the United States are fairly consistent with
those properties described previously. The purity of the hydrated lime is expressed as a percentage
of the material that is calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). The typical range of purity in the United States
is above 95% calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2).
Hydrated lime is available in bulk trucks, bulk bags, and paper sacks.
Page 9 of 60
QUICKLIME
2 x 3/4
Pebbled
Crushed
Pulverized
HYDRATED LIME
3/4 x 3/8
3/8 minus
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 7
Lime in either form is available in either bags or in bulk. As a rule of thumb the following differentials
apply to the various types of lime.
Cost difference between bagged hydrated lime and bulk hydrated lime
(Based on unit costs, trucking, unloading, housekeeping, space requirements and labour costs for batch makeup)
(Based on unit costs and the differential between CaO content in hydrated and quick lime plus trucking and storage
costs).
In general the use rate will dictate the form of lime used as illustrated in the following (Figure 8)
Page 10 of 60
Recommended Selections
Lime Types
Approximate
Savings
FIGURE 8
> $40/Ton
Tons 4
per
Day 1
> $90/Ton
Lime Deliveries
Lime is shipped in a variety of containers as illustrated below. Bulk deliveries are either in
railcars (100 tons) or in self-unloading bulk trailers (20-25 tons). Rail cars are either the hopper
type, which unload by dumping by gravity to a storage pit (See Fig.10) or unloading device or a
PD car, which is unloaded by pneumatic transfer. Truck trailers are usually equipped with a
pneumatic unload system which will unload 15 - 20 TPH through a 4" line using up to 600-1100
cfm of convey air. (See Fig.11)
S h ip m e n t C h o ic e s
B ag
FIGURE 9
R a il C a r
T o te
B u lk T r u c k
Page 11 of 60
Truck Delivery
FIGURE 11
Page 12 of 60
Page 13 of 60
Page 14 of 60
Particle size:
Quicklime particle size and mixing methods have a significant affect on slaking rate. Commercial
grade quicklime is available in a variety of sizes including pulverized (powder), granular (1/4
minus), pebble (1/4-3/4 minus) and lump (2 minus). When adequately mixed with water,
quicklime reactivity increases as particle size decreases. Ultimate temperature rise and product
quality are not significantly affected by particle size with pebble or finer grades. The smaller the
size of quicklime the more susceptible the lime is to air slaking.
Water Properties
Two properties of water: dissolved solids and temperature should be considered in lime slaking.
Dissolved Solids: Water containing sulfites or sulfates in excess of 400 ppm should not be used for
lime slaking as they inhibit the slaking process. Water containing bicarbonate hardness will not
affect the slaking process, however it should be noted that bicarbonate ions will precipitate (scale)
as calcium carbonate on contact with slaked lime. Softened process water or potable water is
recommended for lime slaking.
FIGURE 12
FIGURE 13
Temperature:
Page 15 of 60
In general, higher incoming water produces better product quality. Water that is too cold may
drown the quicklime and slow the slaking reaction down. Water that is too hot may boil during the
slaking reaction. For reliable slaking with most lime types and slakers, water temperature should be
between 55 deg F and 70 deg F.
Water to Lime Ratio
In most applications for slaked lime, surface area of the hydrated lime particles is of paramount
importance. Water to lime ratio is the principal determinant of product surface area; as this ratio is
decreased, surface area increases.
The water to lime ratio is defined as the ratio of water mass to quicklime mass. This ratio does not
include dilution or process water, which may be added to slaked lime downstream of the slaking
compartment. In conventional lime slakers, water to lime ratio varies from 2.5:1 (for paste type
slakers) to 6.0:1 (for detention type slakers). The water should be evenly distributed into the slaker.
Surges or pulsating of the water flow may cause improper slaking.
As shown in Figure 14, specific surface area of slaked lime particles is highly dependent on the
water to lime ratio, with surface area increasing as water to lime ratio decreases. As the graph
shows, this increase is greatest when water to lime ratio varies in the region between 2.5:1 and
6.0:1.
Figure 8. - Specific Surface of Calcium Hydroxide with Different Water
to Lime Ratios [68 Deg. F Water]
55000
Paste
50000
Detention
45000
FIGURE 14
40000
35000
2
6
8
10
Water to Quicklime Ratio
12
14
Source: A Study of the Reaction Between Calcium Oxide and Water, T.C. Miller, Published by the National Lime
Page 16 of 60
Page 17 of 60
Page 18 of 60
Bulk Storage
Storage silos are generally vertical cylindrical units with a straight side to diameter ratio of between
3:1 and 4:1 for best flow characteristics. A conical bottom is generally supplied with a minimum
cone angle of 60 degrees.
Sizing the silo is a function of the usage rate. A 7-10 day minimum storage is typically used up to a
maximum of 6 months. The minimum storage time may be altered depending on lime availability,
transportation constraints or special problems. Minimum recommended silo size is 1-1/2 truckloads
to allow delivery of a full truckload while still maintaining function of the lime system during the reorder process.
Silo design should account for local seismic, wind and snow loadings as well as potential mass flow
of the product. For quicklime 65 pcf is commonly used for structural calculations and 55 pcf for
volumetric calculations. For hydrated lime use 35 pcf structurally; 25 pcf for volumetric purposes. An
allowance should be made for some freeboard in the silo; typically 3 to account for the angle of
repose of the product. This freeboard also increases the efficiency of the bin vent filter operation.
Material of construction for the silos include welded or bolted steel, concrete, or stainless steel.
In all cases the material of construction for the silo must be compatible with the material stored.
Steel construction is the most popular for these systems. Shop fabricated welded steel silos are
economic up to 14 diameter. Beyond this size shipping constraints preclude their use and field
fabricated silos are used. Bolted steel factory coated steel silos offer an attractive option at
diameters >12. They are shipped knocked down and can be quickly erected on site with local
labour.
Steel silos are generally supplied with epoxy or inorganic zinc coated exteriors. Interior product
areas can be left uncoated but are more commonly coated with an epoxy primer. For difficult
products the cone area can be coated with special superslick Teflon based coatings, which
greatly improve flow in this area.
The silos can be supported in a variety of methods. Typical supports include skirt supported, leg
supported or using structural steel. Some of these are illustrated below.
S ilo D e s ig n
S ilo s u p p o rt
S k irt, s tru c tu re o r le g
Page 19 of 60
A variety of discharge arrangements can be used depending on the application. For systems
requiring duplicate trains for the lime make down equipment, silos can be equipped with a
bifurcated cone outlet which provides dual outlets or a splitter valve can be installed on the cone
discharge to direct product to two or more trains. Some examples are shown below.
In the case of a duplicate train system, if it is anticipated that both sides will be in use most of
the time, then either a splitter valve arrangement or a bifurcated cone arrangement can be used.
If only one side is in use, as is the case of a backup system, then it is recommended to use the
splitter arrangement. In this case the idle side will tend to compact in the silo discharge and
create flow discharge problems.
Silo accessories should include the following:
Access ladder (caged) with rest platforms (if required) and perimeter guard rail
Vacuum pressure relief hatch
4" fill line with long radius elbows typically of Sch. 40 or 80 carbon steel c/w compression
couplings and grounding strips. Pipe restraints are recommended for operator safety.
High and low level probes (capacitance type)
Knife gate shut off valve for maintenance
Other accessories as desired for inventory control.
With regard to silo coatings we recommend that the silo interior be epoxy primed after
surface preparation to SSPC-SP6 with special anti friction coatings applied to assist in
flow promotion. The exterior and skirt interior area are usually epoxy primed with an
acrylic finish coat.
Page 20 of 60
PARTIALLY INSULATED
DRIVE THROUGH
INTERMEDIATE WALKWAY
MULTIPLE SYSTEMS
STRUCTURE SUPPORTED
INSIDE BUILDING
Page 21 of 60
STAND ALONE
Dust Control
It is necessary to provide dust control on the silos to enable the conveying air to exit the silo
during offloading. Bin vent filters of the reverse air purge type are recommended with 150-250
sq. ft of filter area, which will handle the average truck delivery system. For quick lime with
larger particle sizes a filter of this type with 150 sq. ft. is satisfactory. For hydrated lime or
pulverized quick lime the filter area should be approx. 250 sq. ft. which results in an acceptable
surface to air ratio of < 4:1.
Shaker type filters can also be utilized if compressed air is not available. With this type of filter
additional filter area is required as the dust builds up on the filter bags during the off-load cycle
thereby increasing the pressure drop across the bags. This type of filter is generally mechanically
cleaned at the end of the of unload cycle. A minimum of 400 sq. ft. of filter area is recommended in
addition to an exhaust fan to assist air flow.
In rail car unload systems additional filter capacity will be required sized to match the conveying air
flow.
FIGURE 16
Shown: WAM Reverse Pulse Bin Vent Filter
Page 22 of 60
Dust Filters
Need to vent and clean the
pneumatic convey air
Usually located on roof of silo
Page 23 of 60
Fluidization
Bin activator
FIGURE 19
FIGURE 18
For pebble lime and other products shipped as a larger particle size, a vibrating bin activator sized
at a minimum of 1/3 the diameter of the silo is recommended.(See Figure 19) These devices impart
vibration energy to the product and promote smooth flow. Caution is required when using these
devices in situations where a small quantity of product is removed continuously as in a direct feed
application. In these cases it is recommended to use a transition hopper above the feeder and refill
this hopper periodically.
For hydrated lime, pulverized quick lime and other powdered products, a fluidization system works
very well. This system consists of an aeration cone on the hopper outlet plus air pads assisted by
low frequency, air operated impactors on the cone. (See Figure 18)
Both of the above flow promoters can be used on either type of lime but some restrictions apply
depending on particle size, air dryness, etc.
Page 24 of 60
These devices should be interlocked with the feeding equipment to allow operation only when
feeding.
Flooding Control
Flooding of the material can be a problem with hydrated lime due to material size or excess
aeration. An anti-flood system should be used which generally consists of a rotary valve above a
transition feed hopper. The rotary valve is used to maintain the level in the feed hopper between
two set points. This arrangement prevents flooding of the product through the feeder and
provides a constant head of product on the feeder for repeatable flow characteristics.
(Figure.20)
An electromagnetic vibrator is generally installed on this hopper to provide flow promotion to the
feeder. (See Figure 21)
Page 25 of 60
FIGURE 20
Electric Vibrator
Used on Hoppers
FIGURE 22
FIGURE 21
Chemical Feeders
A variety of feeding devices is available for controlled metering of lime to the slurry tank. For lime
service a volumetric screw feeder provides an economical, accurate device with minimum
maintenance requirements. The accuracy of this device is approx. +/- 2%, which is normally
satisfactory on lime service.
Alternately a loss-in-weight feeder can be used which will give accuracy to +/- 0.2- 0.5% and also
provide instantaneous and totalized product usage for inventory control. Other types of feeders
include gravimetric belt feeders and rotary airlock feeders.
Page 26 of 60
G ra v im e tric F e e d e r
IN F E E D
M OTOR
SHEAR GATE
BELT
C O U N TER B ALAN C ED
W E IG H P L A T F O R M
M OTOR
SPEED
C O N TR O LLER
S IN G L E L O A D C E L L
D IS C H A R G E
BELT
SPEED
P IC K U P
M IC R O - C O M P U T E R
C O N TR O LLER
Page 27 of 60
LossIn W e ig h t
Feeder
Page 28 of 60
Loss-In-Weight
Feeder
FIGURE 27
Rotary Valve
FIGURE
Page 29 of 60
Page 30 of 60
Lime Slakers
The objective in slaking quick lime is to thoroughly hydrate the CaO to form Ca(OH)2 and produce a
very small particle size with a large surface area. The slaking reaction produces a great deal of
heat, which is useful in sustaining and initiating further reactions.
There are two types of lime slaker commonly used today: paste type slakers and detention type
slakers. The principal difference between paste slakers and detention slakers is the ratio at which
water and lime are mixed during the reaction phase of the slaking process; paste type slakers react
quicklime with water at a ratio of approximately 2.5:1 whereas detention slakers react quicklime
with water at ratios of 3.5:1 or greater. Paste and detention type slakers come in a variety of
different configurations and sizes, each suited to specific applications.
Paste Type Slakers
Paste slakers automatically control the water to quicklime ratio and rely on the heat released from
the reaction as energy to complete the slaking. By controlling this ratio the slakers are able to
effectively handle frequent changes in the quicklime feed rate for both batch and continuous
process applications. Optimum paste slaker performance is designed for short reaction times and
maximum utilization of the lime. For these reasons, the paste slaker is best suited for applications
using high quality quicklime. Paste slakers also consume substantially less power than comparably
rated detention type slakers.
Paste Slaker
(.5, 1, 2, 4 TPH)
Page 31 of 60
FIGURE 28
Shown: Merrick Paste Slaker
The paste slaker consists of two horizontal paddle shafts, which counter-rotate to mix water with
quicklime. The mixture is driven toward the discharge (weir) end by means of pitched paddles
attached to the shafts. Water to lime ratio in the slaking compartment is automatically maintained at
an user adjustable ratio between 2.5:1 and 2.8:1. Beyond the weir end, slaked lime is further
diluted by means of manually controlled spray jets integral to the slaker assembly. Grit (inert
material in quicklime) is removed either by screening or inclined classifier.
Paste type slakers are available in quicklime slaking capacities of 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000
lbs/hr. They operate at water to lime ratios (in the slaking compartment) between 2.5:1 and 2.8:1
which produces specific surface area (hydrated lime) of approximately 53,000 cm2 per gram.
Typical operating temperature rise of a paste type slaker is approximately 140 deg F above the
temperature of the incoming water and steady state is usually reached within 5 minutes of startup.
Standard slurry discharge is 18-20% solids at the slakers rated maximum capacity.
Detention Slakers - Conventional
Conventional detention type slakers are best suited to applications in which the lime quality is
medium to high and the lime feed rate changes neither frequently nor automatically. They are the
least expensive of the slaker types and are well suited for batch type operations where lime quality
is reliable.
As shown in Figure 29, a typical detention slaker consists of two slaking compartments, each
agitated by a conventional slow speed mixing impeller. Water and lime are fed into the first
compartment and then overflow a weir into the second compartment. Additional agitation takes
place in the second compartment after which the product discharges into the grit removal system.
The water to lime ratio in the slaking compartment is adjusted and monitored manually with the
hand valves and flowmeters integral to the slaker assembly. Grit is removed either by screening or
inclined classifier.
Conventional detention type slakers are available in a variety of quicklime slaking capacities up to
16,000 lbs/hr. They operate at water to lime ratios (in the slaking compartment) between 3.5:1 to
6.0:1which produces specific surface area (hydrated lime) of approximately 47,000 cm2 per gram.
Typical operating temperature rise of a detention type slaker is approximately 100 deg F above the
temperature of the incoming water and steady state operation is usually reached within 15 minutes
of startup. Standard slurry discharge is 18-25% solids at the slakers rated maximum capacity.
With slakers of this type it is necessary to incorporate heating of the slaking water for efficient
operation in cold weather locations.
Page 32 of 60
D e ten tio n S la ke r
Page 33 of 60
An alternate version of the ball mill is a Vertimill which is basically a ball mill operated in a vertical
manner. This type is useful where very fine grinding is desired. (Figure 31)
Ball Mill
1 TPH and up
Operates as a
slurry slaker
Ball impacts and
rotation drives
slaking reaction
Very High HP
Requires water heating for winter operation
Especially suitable for poor quality limes &
High use ratio > 2- 4 TPH
FIGURE 30
FIGURE 31
Page 34 of 60
Operator Experience
Page 35 of 60
The users level of experience with lime slaking and prior experience with specific types of slakers
should be a factor in slaker selection. For safe and effective lime slaking, operators should have
knowledge of the theory and practice of lime slaking. In general, detention type slakers are more
forgiving of inaccuracies in lime and water feedrate; however manual slaking water control requires
calculation of slaking/dilution water flowrates each time the lime feed rate is changed. In cases
where quicklime feed rate is changing frequently, the automatic water proportioning system in paste
slakers should be considered. In addition to knowledge of lime slaking, grinding mill slakers require
a knowledge of the grinding process and related equipment. For this reason; grinding mill systems
require more operator knowledge than conventional slakers and appropriate consideration should
be made in the selection process.
A summary of selection criteria and comparative features is presented in Figure 32 below.
FIGURE 32
Condition
Maximum Quicklime
Slaking Rate (lb/hr)
Minimum Quicklime
Quality
Process Applications
Water to Lime Ratio
(Typical)
Slaking Water
Control Method
Turndown Ratio
(Typical)
Horsepower Required
Percent Free Base
(Typical)
Ca(OH2) Product
Surface Area
(Typical)
Capital Expense
Grit Disposal
Operator Experience
16,000
60,000
Batch Only
Batch or Continuous
2.5:1
4.5:1
4.5:1
Automatic
Manual
Manual
20:1
5:1
2:1
10 Hp per Ton/hr of
Quicklime
81%
75%
75%
53,000 Cm2/Gram
47,000 Cm2/Gram
47,000 Cm2/Gram
Least
Screen or Inclined
Screw
Important
Important
Critical
Page 36 of 60
Page 37 of 60
Slaker Accessories
For efficient operation of the slaker additional equipment is required to monitor and control the
system. These include the following:
Grit Removal
In order to extend the life of slurry piping, valves and pumps it is recommended that grit be removed
from the lime slurry. This is accomplished in either a screen type, screw type of conveyor type grit
remover.
Slurry Tanks
Sizing:
In batch makeup systems, slurry tanks should be sized for a minimum of 15 minutes retention time
of the lime slurry to allow the slurry to stabilize and complete the softening precipitation with the
dilution water. This will minimize scaling on slurry pipelines. The slurry tanks should be circular with
integral baffles and an adequately sized low speed agitator. For optimum mixing the tank diameter
to height ratio should be kept close to 1:1.
For continuous feed applications, smaller tanks are used to minimize the lag time when lime feed
settings are changed. These tanks are generally 50-100 usg capacity and are quipped with high
speed agitators. The water level in the tanks is maintained by either float valves or with a control
valve reacting to tank level indication.
Tanks can be fabricated of Carbon steel, FRP or polyethylene construction.
Agitation:
Agitators for lime service can be either belt or gear drive units designed for low speed operation with
radial flow impellers. For hydrated lime service the agitators need to be designed for wetting
service and generally are of the two blade design. Suspension applications common in quick lime
slaking service are usually of the single prop design.
Page 38 of 60
Agitation
Low speed agitator ( 350 rpm)
Gear or Belt Drive
Dual prop for Wetting
Single prop for Suspension
CS or SS material
FIGURE 32
Wilfley Pump
FIGURE 33
Page 39 of 60
Lime slurry piping should be designed to ensure a minimum flow velocity of 4/sec. with a minimum
line size of 1-1/2. Care should be taken to eliminate short radius elbows. Avoid in line dilution of the
lime slurry. Pump suction lines should be as short as possible with no bends. Piping materials can
be PVC, ABS or carbon steel.
Valves should be chosen with care to avoid problems. For pump isolation valving straight through
diaphragm valves are recommended. Lime slurry take off valves should be of the pinch valve type,
(Fig 33) which are self-cleaning with a 1 minimum diameter. Pinch valves can be of the straight
through, reduced port or tapered style operating in a timer controlled on-off manner. Alternately they
can be operated in a modulating manner provided an intermittent fully open pulse is provided by the
control scheme.
FIGURE 34
TYPICAL BATCH SYSTEM SHOWING FEEDER SURGE HOPPER, SLURRY TANK, RECYCLE PUMP
FIGURE 35
Page 40 of 60
Pressure gauges should be of the isolation sleeve type, as shown below, to avoid plugging
problems.
Integrally
Molded
Flange
Gasket
Housing
Pressure
Gauge
Isolation Sleeve Type
Sensing
Fluid
Flexible
Elastomer
Element
Where possible lime slurry should be added to the process with an air gap to avoid scaling
problems at the injection point. If this is not possible (i.e. Injection into a pipeline) then a retractable
injection lance assembly should be used to allow periodic cleaning.
FIGURE 35A
A d d in
oce
to P r
L im e
ss
Page 42 of 60
Control Panels
Generally the lime system supplier will supply a complete control panel to control and monitor the
lime slurry preparation process.
These panels can be supplied utilizing either relay logic or programmable controllers.
Panels should be designed to NEMA 4 or 4X standards and a separate truck fill panel should be
incorporated for the silo filling process to avoid having the truck driver access the main control
panel. In cases where the silo bin vent filter is of the mechanical shaker type, the motor starters for
this device should be located in the main panel or in an MCC section for overall economics.
Control Panels
Control Panels
NEMA 4 or 4X
design
Usually with
integral PLC
Can have
integral MCC
section
Recommend
separate truck
fill panel
FIGURE 36
FIGURE 37
Instrumentation
A variety of instrumentation is available to suit individual plant requirements.
Silo Level and Inventory Controls
Digital point sensors
Capacitance, radio frequency and vibrating tuning fork probes have all been used
successfully. Rotating paddle type sensors, although the most economical devices,
have resulted in higher maintenance costs than the other types.
Analog level sensors
Radar reflex units, capacitance cable probes and retractable Yo-Yo probes have
given good service. These devices all react to the shape of the product stored in the
silo and hence are subject to some inaccuracies relating to the varying profile of the
chemical as it is withdrawn from the silo.
Page 43 of 60
Load cells or strain gauges installed on the silo supports avoid this problem and will
give accurate total weights.
Another method of accomplishing inventory control is by means of loss-in-weight feeders, which
will give instantaneous as well as totalized usage readouts, which can be used to calculate
inventory levels.
Slurry Measurement
In general, lime slurry concentrations and flows are not measured. Instrumentation for this purpose
that works effectively is limited and is quite expensive. It is usually preferable and easier to measure
the dry product feed rather than the liquid feed. If absolutely necessary for process control
measurement of slurry density can be accomplished with nuclear density meters and flow with
coriolis meters.
Page 44 of 60
Page 45 of 60
Note: It is not advisable to vary the feed rate of quick lime to the slaker as a means of controlling the
lime addition rate to the process as the lag time through the slaking process is too long for effective
response time.
Page 46 of 60
For hydrated lime systems either of the following methods can be used:
A)
B)
Note:
1.
Method A is useful when using an eductor feeding mechanism.
2.
Method B should only be used when makeup water hardness and alkalinity are low.
FIGURE 38
METHOD A
Page 47 of 60
FIGURE 39
METHOD B
Page 48 of 60
Page 49 of 60
Page 50 of 60
Page 51 of 60
Bag Systems
For low use applications utilizing 50# bags of chemical, a system illustrated below can be
supplied to handle these effectively. The chemical bags are dumped into the sack dump system
and then transferred to a batching system. The resulting slurries/solutions can be added to the
process through a variety of pumping methods. Shown in the slide are metering pumps typically
used for adding solutions.
Bag Systems
Page 52 of 60
FIGURE 41
Page 53 of 60
Page 54 of 60
Other Chemicals
All chemicals have their own particular design considerations that should be addressed in order
to provide trouble free feeding systems. Some design aspects are addressed for common water
treatment plant chemicals in the following sections.
Soda Ash
Special considerations for soda ash include its tendency to form hard lumps if exposed to
moisture and its complex phase diagram in water.
When designing soda ash systems special care should be taken to avoid long, complex
pneumatic fill lines. Soda ash is vulnerable to product size degradation if handled extensively or
off loaded at too high a pressure. The resultant fine powder is especially sensitive to moisture
and will cause flow problems in the silo.
Designers should note that there are two common forms of soda ash in industrial use. Light
soda ash is generally used as a filler in compounds and will have a product weight of 25-35 pcf.
Dense soda ash is generally used in water treatment and has a bulk density of 65 pcf. The
storage silo size and design should take the form of soda ash into account.
Consideration should also be given to the use of a lump breaker at the discharge of the silo
cone. This can be used in conjunction with or in place of bin activators and will reduce any
lumps that form in storage.
Soda ash dissolves in water to form a variety of compounds depending on the strength of the
solution and the temperature. The phase diagram is quite complex. Special care should be
taken to ensure that the decahydrate form of soda ash cannot form as it forms a hard glassy
solid that is difficult and dangerous to remove from pipelines and pumps. By maintaining the
temperature and solution concentration within defined limits to ensure an unsaturated solution,
this situation can be avoided. A phase diagram is shown below which illustrates the various
forms that can be produced.
Feeding soda ash solutions to the process can be accomplished using a batch tank makeup
system with the solution fed to the process with metering pumps. Alternatively soda ash can be
metered continuously in dry form using a volumetric feeder. This feeder adds the soda ash to a
wetting cone/eductor system for direct feed to the process using the transport water as a carrier.
Control over the addition is maintained by controlling the feeder speed in response to plant
flow/ph signals. A typical flow diagram is shown below to illustrate the direct feed system
Page 55 of 60
E------------E
A---------------------A
F---------------------------------------------F
G----------------------------------------------G
D------------------------------------D
H-------------------H
B-------------------C-----------------------C
A-------
--------E
B-------
--------F
C-------
--------G
D-------
--------H
Page 56 of 60
Page 57 of 60
Page 58 of 60
Page 59 of 60
Summary
In conclusion, if the potential hazards and problems of feeding lime and other chemicals are
recognized and dealt with at the design stage, then effective, efficient and minimal maintenance
systems can be provided to the end users.
Page 60 of 60