CDE has revealed its new AquaCycle A2500 thickener, the latest addition to its water management and recycling systems.
With a capacity of 11,000gpm, the new A2500 is CDE's largest water management system to date.
The AquaCycle A2500 thickener has been developed in response to calls from materials processors operating in high tonnage markets for water management solutions equipped to supply their operations with sufficient water supplies while ensuring ideal production efficiency, minimum loss of fines, and maximum water recycling.
"It is increasingly important for materials processors to invest in an effective water management system that ensures a steady supply of clean water to their plants through cost-effective means," said Darren Eastwood, business development director for the Americas at CDE.
In 2018 CDE launched the A900 and A1500, providing an alternative to its 2,642gpm and 6,604gpm models, the new A2500 expands the range with an 11,000gpm option to fit the requirements of sites processing high tonnages. The increased capacity also provides a lower rise rate, enabling operators to process challenging, harder to settle materials
Designed for easy use and safe access for efficient maintenance, the thickener uses a lattice bridge structure. An integrated monorail also provides access to the motorized rake, gearbox, and motor.
With a sludge capacity of 138 tons/hour, the A2500 includes an adjustable rake lifting mechanism. Featuring passive torque control, the automatic raise and start sequence is designed to protect rakes from surge pressure from dense sludges. The rake itself has also been updated, with ideally spaced and redesigned blades for improved sludge conditioning.
Powered by the motorized rake arm, a new floating scum scraper, which is independent of the rake's height, allows for the easy removal of unwanted foam, oil, and lightweight trash. And, creating even radial flow to all regions of the A2500, a redesigned volute feed well optimizes the incoming flow for ideal flocculant performance.
Another feature of the new A2500 is its feed height. Sitting at almost 22ft (6,690mm), it simplifies upstream plant design as it eliminates the need for expensive civils.
With a tank diameter of 65.6ft and a weight of 97 tons when empty and 1,268 tons when full, the A2500 features a small footprint with 11,000gpm and a solids capacity of 138 tons/hour.
An alternative to water extraction from natural sources and the costly process of pumping water to the plant, CDE's A2500, like the full AquaCycle range, reduces costly water consumption by ensuring up to 90 percent of process water is recycled for immediate recirculation.
Eastwood says the development of the new A2500 delivers all the benefits of CDE's existing AquaCycle range on a much larger scale.
"It responds directly to the needs of materials processors operating in high tonnage markets. These operations, primarily in the areas of C&D waste, specialist sands, and heavily clay-bound aggregates, require higher volumes of water resources; they need flexible water management systems with the capacity to supply their operations without compromising on footprint; and they need a system that can deliver this in a way that improves efficiency, driving down operational costs to maximize profitability and enable fast return on investment. These are the guiding principles that underscore the design and development of the new A2500," Eastwood says.
