The Pressure-Geotube® Dewatering Test — a scale mockup of your dewatering project — is the second of the SmartFeed™ Steps To Success.
Using a 55-gallon sample of your project’s actual slurry, the Pressure-Geotube® Dewatering test (P-GDT) simulates full-scale dewatering conditions at your site.
Starting with the chemical program established by the Rapid Dewatering Test (RDT), the P-DGT applies operational pressures and simulates the expected pumping rate of your project’s slurry during actual dewatering.
Through the P-GDT, baseline measurements can be established as to the proper dosing rates for your chemical conditioning program. Additionally, baseline data is collected which will be used in the Geotube® Estimators to predict the amount of polymer you will need; the proper size, weave and positioning of the Geotube® containers to be used in your project; and projections of the overall efficiency of your chemical program.
Purpose of the Pressure-Geotube® Dewatering Test
The test assesses how well the Geotubes can separate water from the solid content in the sludge under different pressure conditions, helping to determine the optimal dewatering parameters for a given sludge type and achieve maximum water removal. Our P-GDT:
- Visualizes the dewatering process
- Simulates physical force interaction between permeability of filter fabric selection and polymer performance under full-scale application pressure
- Confirms chemical program (polymer) dosage is representative of full-scale application
- Creates samples of filtrate and filter cake
- Confirms application mass-balance of Geotube® filtration area required for the project
You can learn more about the steps involved in the P-GDT test by downloading our P-GDT brochure
P-GDT vs Hanging Bag Tests
The application of Geotube® engineered textiles for water-solids separation has rapidly expanded to various types of mineral slurry and sludge (non-mineral applications). Testing a Geotube® dewatering application via a hanging-bag test is suitable for slurry or sludge that dewatered readily without chemical conditioning.
Of note, hanging-bag tests are not suitable for projects requiring a chemical conditioning program to assist in the removal of colloidal particles.
Read more from our experts about why the P-GDT test is superior to traditional hanging-bag dewatering tests.
Connect with Our Pressure-Geotube® Dewatering Test Experts
As a leading manufacturer of supporting technologies for Geotube®, our application specialists are ready to help you with your slurry and sludge dewatering needs. Contact us to discuss your project specifications and discover how our Pressure-Geotube® Dewatering Test may be the correct choice for your requirements.