Guide For The Operation and Maintenance of Drying Beds-Ops
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ScribdTranslationsOPS/CEPIS/05.
168
UNATSABAR
3. Operation and control of drying beds
3.1 Preparation of the drying bed
The drying beds must be properly prepared every time you go to
to discharge sludge from the digester. The preparation must include the following works:
a) Remove all the old mud as soon as the level has been reached
dehydration that allows its handling. The dehydrated sludge with a content
with humidity no more than 70% it is brittle, with a spongy appearance and
easily pierceable with a trident
b) Never add mud to a bed that contains mud
c) Remove all weeds or other plant debris.
d) To scarify the sand surface with rakes or any other device beforehand.
from the addition of sludge. This reduces the compaction of the surface layer of
arena improving the filtration capacity
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UNATSABAR
3.2 Replacement of the sand layer
The sand layer must be replaced periodically until its thickness is reached.
A part of the sand layer is lost every time the dry mud is removed.
the arena used to restore the original thickness must be of the same characteristics as
the specified in its construction.
3.3 Quality of digested sludge
The sludge to be discharged onto the drying beds must be properly digested.
Poorly digested sludge is offensive to the senses, especially to the sense of smell and the
the drying process is extremely slow. Likewise, the sludge that has remained in the
The main digestor takes longer than necessary and also has a very slow drying process. It is
to say that both extremes, poor digestion or a digestion time longer than necessary
they are harmful.
Oils, fats, and other oily residues will clog the pores of the sand and not
They must be unloaded onto the drying beds.
Samples of sludge must be examined before proceeding with their discharge for
determine if the characteristics are the most suitable. Among them are:
Physical characteristics: The mud should be examined to determine its color,
texture and smell. These are excellent indicators of the digestion state of the sludge.
Volume to be removed: The volume removed must be calculated and recorded for
determine the digestion capacity and evaluate the amount of fixed and volatile solids
removed from the system. The removed volume can be calculated quickly
through the determination of the volume occupied by the sludge in the drying bed.
Total solids. The concentration of solids as a measure of solid content
totals, indicate the water retention capacity of the sludge and the degree of
compaction.
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Percentage of volatile matter. This test indicates the level of degradation.
organic matter
•pH value.- The pH value of the digested sludge should be close to 7.0, while
Sludge with pH values lower than 7.0 indicates that it requires a longer digestion time.
and that is not ready to be dried.
3.4 Download of digested sludge
The sludge must be discharged from the digester at a fairly high rate in order to maintain
clean the discharge pipe towards the drying bed. The presence of material
compressed, including the sand in the discharge tube may require the probing or the
need to perform a backwash. At the beginning of the sludge drainage process, the valve
It must be fully opened and once the flow stabilizes, the valve must be closed.
until a regular flow is obtained. The sludge drainage must be extended until it has been purged the
planned amount of sludge.
After the sludge is discharged onto the drying bed, the pipe must be drained and then
washing with water. This not only prevents the clogging of the pipe but also prevents
the generation of bad odors or gases due to the decomposition of accumulated sludge in the
discharge pipe.
One must be very careful with gases because when they mix with air
form a highly explosive mixture. The presence of direct fire or operators with
Cigarettes should be banned when the sludge is drained onto the drying beds.
3.5 Depth of the mud
The thickness of the sludge layer to be deposited on the drying bed should not be
at least 0.30 m and ideally 0.25 m... With good environmental conditions and a good
drying bed, a well-digested sludge, must dehydrate satisfactorily and be ready
to be removed from the drying bed in one to two weeks. Sludge with high content
Of solids can take up to three weeks or more unless layers of sludge are discharged.
less deep.
Normally, the volume of sludge is reduced by 60% or more through this
dehydration method.
3.6 Removal of sludge from the drying beds
The best time to remove the sludge from the drying beds depends on:
The proper cracking of the mud.
The need to drain a new batch of sludge from the digester.
Moisture content of the sludge in the drying bed.
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The dry sludge can be removed using a shovel or a trident when the content of
humidity is between 70 and 60%. But if it is allowed to dry to 40% humidity, the
the weight will be half or a third, and it can be handled more easily.
a) Required tools
One of the best tools is the flat shovel and the trident. With the trident, the
dry mud can be removed with much less sand loss than with a shovel. Everywhere
In case, it will always be necessary to replenish the lost sand that adheres to the bottom of the layer.
of dry mud.
A very helpful tool is the wheelbarrow for removing mud to the disposal site.
Finally, tables must be placed to facilitate the movement of the wheelbarrow.
b) Provision
The sludge removed from the drying beds can be disposed of in the landfill.
or stored for a time to achieve greater dehydration and in this way a
smaller volume and weight that facilitates transportation to the final disposal site.
