TR,
Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner, but when IHUB died on me last night I just gave up for the night.
1) The moisture content of the product can basically be anything you want. It could be 30% if that is what the client wanted or 8% (ie. 92% solid). I believe the lowest they reached was 4.7 % water in the product (from the AP report). It is simply a function of how wet the feed is, and the production rate. As with most things, there is a trade off: higher production rate = higher moisture content in product. The stated numbers I think are mostly to give a realistic range. The low moisture content is crucial for pneumatic conveying of the dry product. Everything plugs up if it is too wet.
2) The ideal thing would be to get the fiber out of the sludge and reuse it, but to the best of my knowledge, the paper industry has never been able to make paper from waste sludge. I believe that AGES is now getting close to being able to do that, because the dry product can be separated into paper fiber and those other components mentioned in the video.
3) You are absolutely right about that. I have seen the interest in this system first-hand at the EXFOR show. But as you say, it must be difficult to change such a large industry in just a couple of years. It does seem like things are getting very close though. IMO, AGES needs to demonstrate the KDS6000 to start the “sludge” revolution (a little stricter regulations on dumping the stuff wouldn’t hurt either). To give a loose analogy; would you spent $5,000,000 on a jet for your company if all I showed you was a Cassna and told you that if you give me an order then I will build you a jet? (Remember that I have never done it before and jets don’t yet exist). Tough sell in my opinion, however, seeing is believing.
So I keep waiting… If KDS6000 doesn’t sell though…well then that will definitely tell me something else (IMO).
AI
