Different industries need reliable storage solutions to hold a range of bulk materials that may come in dry form, liquid form, or even a mix of both solid and liquid. This is where slurry tanks come in, as they’re an amazing solution for handling the mix of both solid and liquid. In this article, we will cover what a slurry tank is, how it works, how it is designed, and some of its advantages.
What is a Slurry Tank?
A slurry tank is a structure used to hold a mixture that’s part liquid and part solid. This could be, for example, a mix of manure and water which is stored to eventually be used as fertilizer. A slurry tank is most commonly used in agriculture, but other industries also use slurry tanks. To hold the selected bulk material safely and adequately, a slurry tank must be made with a lot of care and attention to detail so it won’t fail due to pressure from its contents.
Advantages of the Slurry Tank
Many industries would have a hard time running and mixing without slurry tanks, so it’s important to get one and ensure that it’s set up correctly for your plant’s needs. Here are some of the main advantages you will enjoy when you use a slurry tank:
- Better plant efficiency as the slurry will be managed mechanically from the first step to the last.
- A safer environment at the plant when the safety regulations are adhered to and the slurry tank design is of the highest standards as potentially toxic fumes and fluids are contained well.
- Minimized manual labor requirements as the processes are fully controlled at the push of a button or turn of a lever.
- Better space efficiency thanks to the small space that a customizable slurry tank will possibly take.
How Does a Slurry Tank Work?
A slurry tank, which is used to hold a mixture of liquid and suspended solids, provides the right environment for this mixture to be held safely. Once the mixture has been fed into the tank, certain conditions must be met in order to get the best outcome.
The tanks are equipped with a mixer, valves, and detectors to help mix the contents well, both inlets and outlets, and necessary fittings for pumping, draining, over-flow, and liquid recirculation. These include allowing for each particle of the suspended solids to be wetted fully and enable slurry tank mixing, draining, pumping, liquid recirculation, and over-flow as necessary.
To help with perfecting the mix or eliminating gas produced, the slurry tank should have the right calibration for the industrial process in question in order to make the least impact on the environment. These industrial processes can include water and wastewater treatment, soil stabilization, flue gas desulfurization (FGT), and metal and glass fabrication.
What is a Slurry Tank Used For?
Although slurry tanks are most often used in agriculture to hold manure and treat it, there are many other industries that can make use of it, and they’re listed below:
- On farms, to hold water and manure in cold weather to use it for fertilizing the farms when the weather gets hotter and it’s planting season.
- In municipalities and private industries that deal with potable water and wastewater treatment.
- In the chemical industry, they hold and mix several varying chemicals to yield specific concentrations of chemicals as required.
- In mining, most commonly in coal mining, where the coal-water slurry fuel powers diesel engines and heats both gas turbines and power stations.
- In the glass and metal fabrication industries.
- For flue gas desulfurization or FGT.
Clearly, many industries make use of slurry tanks, and it’s important to work with a company that understands all sorts of task requirements so they can provide you with the best design solution.
Sodimate’s Slurry Tank’s Design
The customized industrial slurry tank design you can get from Sodimate will consist of an inspection hatch and tank level control at the top, as well as an agitator to help with slurry tank mixing, a vent, and the tank’s inlet. The side of the tank will be fitted with an overflow pipe, a water mounting panel, and a slurry outlet through which the slurry drains.
Sodimate makes slurry tanks out of black HDPE to a design that’s dust-free and fully customizable, with volumes ranging from 100gal to 1,000gal to fulfill different needs. We also make larger slurry tanks up to 700ft³ fabricated out of stainless steel, epoxy coated steel, or even the prior mentioned HDPE. To get the perfect blend of slurry, we also fit our tanks with anti-vortex structures that improve the mixing ability of the tank and its fittings.
As mentioned, the design of a slurry tank is best done when safety is prioritized. At Sodimate, our engineers do their best to ensure that the slurry tanks we make are safe and efficient to ensure you get the best output possible. Don’t hesitate to give us a call, we will guide you on the right steps to take for a design that will be both safe and functional.
