New-generation 3DP Belt Presses have shown huge performance improvements over their previous generations of belt presses. With new design features such as an independent gravity zone, paddle-wheel distribution, curved wedge zone, heavy-duty pressure section, and low operation and maintenance requirements, 3DP’s achieve far better performance than the outdated models. Many old belt press designs not only suffered from poor performance, but they were also messy and loud, and would often require significant time to monitor and clean. The environment in the dewatering room was not a friendly place to be. The new 3DP design allows for odor control hoods to be integrated into the belt press, containing odors, mist and spray while not interfering with O&M activities.
The wastewater treatment plant in Plattsburgh, New York, had four belt presses from the 1980s. As those machines started to show their wear, the city began looking at replacement options. At first, the City of Plattsburgh was interested in going with a more enclosed dewatering technology. However, after reviewing their options, and learning about the advancements of the new 3DP, Plattsburgh decided to go with two 2.0 m 3DP Belt Presses. Two machines replaced four machines, but only one machine is regularly used to process material. The second machine was purchased to serve as a redundant unit to guarantee continual sludge processing. The machines were installed and started in September 2020. The new Plattsburgh 3DPs are now able to process the same capacity on only one machine and increase the cake solids percentage from 23% to 27%.
These machines include odor hoods over the gravity section of the press. These hoods help significantly reduce odor in the dewatering room. They are easy to clean as the panels are clear and slide open without using tools. This allows one side to be open while the other is closed and sprayed off. Clear panels allow operators to view the material and make appropriate process adjustments.
