Heat pump drying of industrial wastewater sludge

The popularity of heat drying of wastewater sludge has increased over the past several years because it can reduce sludge mass and volume, and hence disposal costs. However, drying sludge using conventional combustion-heated dryers is energy-intensive. Heat pump dryers can be efficient and offer significant energy savings by recycling the drying heat. This paper describes a heat pump dryer designed for continuous drying of industrial wastewater sludge. The dryer constructed was essentially a closed-loop air system. The air used for drying is dehumidified to recover the latent heat of vaporization, re-heated using the recovered heat, and recirculated in a closed environment. The closed-loop layout eliminates emissions of dust, malodorous gases, and volatile compounds, obviating the need for exhaust treatment otherwise required to meet environmental regulations. Data on the moisture extraction rate, specific moisture extraction rate, and specific energy consumption are presented and discussed.