A method for thickening a cryogenic slurry is disclosed. The method comprises providing a cryogenic slurry flow path, a cryogenic liquid discharge path, and a filter medium between the cryogenic slurry flow path and the cryogenic liquid discharge path. The cryogenic slurry comprises a solid and a cryogenic liquid. The cryogenic slurry is fed into the cryogenic slurry flow path, generally tangential to the filter medium. This causes a portion of the cryogenic liquid to cross the filter medium into the cryogenic liquid discharge path as a cryogenic liquid discharge and the cryogenic slurry to thicken to produce a thickened slurry. The filter medium comprises a cryogenically-stable material such that adsorption of gases is inhibited, deposition of solids is prevented, and temperature-change induced expansion and contraction of the filter medium is optimized.

A filtrate vat assembly for a filter press, including a filtrate vat defining a receptacle being laterally delimited by a border elevated from a base of the receptacle and open towards a side opposing the base. A gap is provided on the border, such that an outlet opening extending laterally through the border is formed, thereby providing a fluid drainage route from the receptacle, the gap being open towards the side opposing the base. The filtrate vat assembly further includes a lid covering the outlet opening from the side opposing the base, such that the outlet opening is delimited by the border and the lid.

A membrane plate, a filter plate, and a filter press. The membrane plate is outfitted with a filter element on top of the membrane on both side surfaces, and the membrane plate has retaining elements at a distance from the margin on which the filter elements are removably secured. The filter plate also has retaining elements at a distance from the margin on which the filter elements are removably secured.

A process for the preparation of a concentrated filter cake from an admixture of partially-decomposed organic material and a polar liquid using a filter press without the input of thermal heat or superheated steam or other pressurized gas or liquid is provided by this invention. The admixture is mixed with an additional amount of the polar liquid to produce a feed slurry of the admixture having a moisture content of about 90-99% wt. The resulting slurry admixture is then introduced into the filter press having a plurality of filter plates with porous membranes secured along their outlet. The pressure condition introduced inside the filter plate chambers is increased by a pressurized gas or liquid to force the polar liquid from the admixture slurry though apertures contained in the membrane, thereby leaving a filter cake of the partially-decomposed organic material having a moisture content that is lower than the moisture content of the initial partially-decomposed organic material feed. The process and its equipment may be used to treat a variety of partially-decomposed organic material/polar liquid slurry admixtures, including high moisture peat containing water, and reduce the moisture content of the resulting peat filter cake to as low as 60% wt for peat or about 50% wt for a peat/Biochar admixture.

A filter plate assembly for a filter press, comprising a filter frame and a filter plate supported on the filter frame. A diaphragm is provided between the filter frame and the filter plate, the diaphragm further comprising, on a side facing the filter frame, a seal bead for sealing the diaphragm against the filter plate. The seal bead comprises a first seal lip and a second seal lip, the former being elevated from the later. The filter frame has a limited vertical travel with respect to the filter plate, such that, in a lowermost position, only the first seal lip is in contact with the filter plate, and in an uppermost position, both the first seal lip and the second seal lip are in contact with the filter plate.

A filtration cassette including a multilaminate array of sheets including filter sheets alternating with permeate sheet members and retentate sheet members, and a cross-flow filter device comprising a multiplicity of stacked filtration cassettes of such type. The improvements associated with the filtration cassettes described herein include, but are not limited to, at least one of: reinforced inlet(s) providing for longevity and improved cleanability of the cassettes; spacer permeate screens to limit throughput restriction; stainless steel or otherwise stiffened permeate sheets to prevent movement and increase flux; and stainless steel permeate sheets that can be used with ultrasonic transmission to minimize fouling of the filter sheets and extend cleaning cycles. Advantageously, the filtration cassettes are more resistant to higher temperatures than the filtration cassettes of the prior art.

A filling shoe including a circular slurry opening extending between a filter plate side and a filter chamber side. A flange surrounds the slurry opening, and has an annular groove surrounding it and being arranged for receiving a filter medium. An outer edge of the body has a bevel towards the filter plate side on at least a part of the filling shoe. An outer edge of the flange is also provided with a bevel. Particularly, the filling shoe is formed as a single uniform piece of elastomer. A pin hole is provided so as to extend through the flange a position corresponding to the annular groove. A filling shoe arrangement, a filter medium assembly and a method for providing a filter medium with a filling shoe are also disclosed.

A recess plate designed for use in a filter device for filtering a suspension includes a stationary head piece and a movable end piece, and a pack including copies of the recess plate, having a filter chamber inside the pack, adjoining the recess plate, having a first pipe for filling the suspension into the filter chamber, having a filter cloth for collecting a solid content out of the suspension, and having a second pipe for discharging a liquid fraction of the suspension out of the filter chamber as a filtrate, wherein the filter device may be closed before filtering by forcing the end piece in direction of the head piece, and opened after filtering by releasing the end piece, and moving the end piece away from the head piece for removing the filter cake from the filter cloth.

Stacked-plate filters may include a plurality of stacked filter plates with small gaps therebetween. The present disclosure provides a stacked-plate filter apparatus comprising a plurality of filter plates stacked along a longitudinal axis with the filter plates substantially parallel. Each filter plate has a respective outer rim, first face and second face. Each of the filter plates defines a respective opening therethrough. The outer rim forms a first peripheral edge at the first face and a second peripheral edge at the second face. The first peripheral edge is radially misaligned from the second peripheral edge to form an offset gap interface for each adjacent pair of the filter plates. For each of the filter plates, the respective outer rim may be tapered from the first face to the second face to provide the radial misalignment.

A method of retrofitting a filter plate including a filtration zone and a frame surrounding the filtration zone for use in a filter press. The frame of the filter plate is altered to removably receive a filtrate cartridge, the filtrate cartridge constructed and arranged to facilitate flow out of a filtration chamber of the filter press associated with the filtration zone to a discharge port. The filtrate cartridge is inserted in the frame. Related filter plates and filter presses are also disclosed.