Design and Application of Solid Polymer Flocculant Dissolution Equipment

Polymer flocculants are widely used in the water treatment industry due to their excellent performance. However, the complexity of wastewater has driven the development of polymer flocculants towards a wide variety of types and performance characteristics. Generally, solid polymer flocculants need to be dissolved before addition. Based on the operator's skill level, polymer flocculant dissolution equipment can be divided into manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic types.

Manual equipment is relatively simple. A mixer is installed in the dissolution tank, and tap water is connected to the tank. Both water and flocculant addition are done manually. During the dosing process, it is important to add the polymer flocculant slowly; otherwise, it will clump in the water, affecting the dissolution effect. Alternatively, hot water can be used to dissolve the polymer flocculant first, followed by further dilution in the dissolution tank. Steam can also be directly introduced into the dissolution tank to raise the water temperature and enhance the dissolution effect.

Manual equipment operation is labor-intensive, and its monitoring is inaccurate, making it difficult to guarantee process requirements. Some people modify manual dissolution equipment into semi-automatic systems using simple automated control devices. This involves adding a level gauge to trigger an alarm when the level is low and prompting manual dosing and water addition. Alternatively, tap water dosing can be set to automatic, automatically replenishing the water level when it's low, activating the agitator, and then triggering an alarm to remind manual dosing.

However, neither manual nor semi-automatic equipment can solve the so-called "fish-eye" phenomenon that occurs during the dissolution of polymeric flocculants. Furthermore, the slow dissolution rate of solid polymeric flocculants and the excessive viscosity of the solution also affect the actual solution preparation. The most crucial aspect of dissolving solid polymeric flocculants is the uniform, small-volume addition of the agent. Therefore, a fully automated polymeric flocculant dissolution system using an automatic powder feeding device is the fundamental solution to all the problems in the polymeric flocculant dissolution process. A fully functional automatic powder feeder for polymer flocculants should meet the following requirements: 1. The equipment should be able to automatically stop and start to complete the powder feeding and dissolving process; 2. The concentration of the prepared solution should be adjustable according to requirements; 3. The equipment should be adaptable to various operating environments and types of agents. For example, given the hygroscopic nature of flocculants, certain protective measures should be taken in humid environments.