Patent ID: 6332977
Filing Date: 2001-12-25
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
An apparatus for sterilizing and recycling filter aid in a pressurized leaf filter having a vessel, a manifold separating said vessel into two sides, at least one leaf sealably connected to said manifold, a filter cake of a filter aid covering said leaf, a filter inlet for introducing a body feed, said body feed containing material to be filtered and a quantity of filter aid, and a filter outlet on the side opposing said leaf, wherein the apparatus comprises:means for heating said filter cake while in place on said leaf, said heating being sufficient to form a sterilized filter cake by eliminating substantially all pathogenic activity in substantially all of said filter cake;a recovery tank;means for removing said sterilized filter cake from said vessel to said recovery tank;means for mixing said sterilized filter cake with water in said recovery tank to form a sterilized filter aid slurry containing sterilized filter aid and sterilized sludge;means for separating said sterilized sludge from said sterilized filter aid to form a de-sludged, sterilized, recycled filter aid;a mixing station connected to said filter inlet and adapted for mixing said quantity of filter aid with said material to be filtered to form said body feed; andmeans for delivering said recycled filter aid to said mixing station for re-use in said body feed.