Patent ID: 7494592

Claim:
A process of dewatering a composition composed of water and particulate solids, comprising applying at least once some of the composition to a top surface of a granular filter media of a dry cell, filter or bed, the granular filter media dry cell, filter or bed comprises a non-porous container having an exit for water and having side walls and a bottom, the bottom having two complementary portions that slant downward toward each other so as to form a valley or depression where the two complementary portions meet, a non-porous liner located on inner surface of the bottom, a drain pipe located on or near top of the liner in the valley, one end portion of the drain pipe extending through the exit, remainder of the drain pipe having a multitude of small openings around at least a major portion of circumference thereof, a porous layer of a large filter media is located in the bottom of the container with the drain pipe being located in the layer of large filter media, a grid providing surface and subsurface bed stabilization having open passageways is located on top of the layer of the large media, a fine filter media is located in the open passageways of the grid, and a porous layer of filter sand is located on top of the grid, wherein the large filter media, fine filter media, and filter sand have an effective gradation to allow particulate solids to collect on the top surface of the granular filter media, whereby the water is removed from the composition by passing of the water through the granular filter media of the dry cell, filter or bed with the particulate solids in the composition collecting on the top surface of the granular filter media, and removing the water from the container through the drain pipe and exit.