JPH0585204B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sewage treatment system, and more particularly to a sludge water removal system suitable for after-treatment of solids in the sludge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the treatment of sewage sludge, belt presses are often used to separate solids from water and remove water from the treated sewage. The solids with high water content are introduced into a belt press and compressed between a pair of belts made of fiber or wire mesh, and as the belt passes between a plurality of rollers, the solids are compressed. The water is squeezed out through a wire mesh. In this way, the solid material is turned into a cake by the belt press and sent to a device for the next process such as drying or disposal.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention One of the problems with conventional devices for removing moisture from sludge is that the press capacity for processing large quantities of sewage sludge is limited by the manufacturing cost of the belt press. It was said that it would end up happening.
If the belt press has to process large quantities of sewage sludge, it will be necessary to use a relatively wide belt, which requires relatively long rollers to support the belt. Since this roller is subjected to strong forces and bending moments due to the compressive force applied to the belt during belt press operation, it must be supported with substantial strength and bearings sufficient to withstand the force applied to the roller. This is necessary. The production of belt presses with such rollers is generally unreasonable in terms of production costs, and it is therefore desirable to use relatively narrow belts and relatively short lengths of rollers in belt presses. There is.

Conventional equipment for treating sewage sludge also includes drain decks or gravity thickeners, which include a wire mesh belt supported by a pair of mutually isolated horizontal rollers. , this wire mesh belt has a horizontal and long upper belt flight. A relatively low solids content sewage sludge is introduced into one end of the belt and conveyed by the belt towards the opposite end of the gravity thickener. The moisture in the sludge is discharged through the wire mesh belt, so that the sludge at the discharge end of the belt has a high solids content.

Conventional methods and apparatus for treating sewage sludge also typically include a step of mixing polymeric materials with the sewage sludge to cause agglomeration of the solids in the sludge, as described in British Patent No. 1602677. have. The formation of such aggregates is necessary to increase the amount of water removed during dewatering or separation of water from solids, and the addition of polymeric materials to form aggregates or blocks is a relatively fragile product. It has the effect of creating things. Rough handling of the aggregates causes them to disintegrate and prevent water from leaving the solids. Once the aggregates are roughly handled and disintegrated, it is necessary to add more polymeric material to re-form the aggregates, resulting in an excessive amount of polymeric material. As can be readily appreciated, the addition of polymeric flocculants to liquid sludge is expensive and repeating the process of introducing polymeric flocculants into the sludge should be avoided as much as possible. . Therefore, water is removed from the sludge or floc in a single step immediately after the addition of the polymeric flocculant to the sludge, and the floc is treated in a relatively quiet manner such that no disintegration of the floc occurs prior to water removal. This is desirable.

Means for Solving the Problems of the Invention The present invention provides an apparatus that combines a gravity thickener and a belt press used for removing water from sewage sludge. In the combined device, the sludge is first sent to the gravity thickener;
Most of the moisture in the sludge is then removed by a gravity thickener to reduce the amount of sludge, and the concentrated sludge is sent from the gravity thickener to a belt press where it is compressed between a pair of belts to remove moisture from the sludge. This will further reduce the amount.
The present invention has a belt width substantially greater than the belt width of the belt press, and the belt width of the belt press is determined by the reduction in sludge volume by water removal of the sludge using a gravity thickener. It provides a gravity thickener.
The capacity of a belt press is determined by the amount of sludge delivered to the belt press, not the moisture content of the sludge, and the pressing width of a belt press is dependent on the reduction in sludge volume achieved by the gravity thickener. It can be proportionally reduced depending on the belt width of the gravity thickener. For example, in one example of the invention, if the gravity thickener removes enough moisture from the sludge to reduce the volume of sludge by half, the belt of the gravity thickener holding the sludge is approximately 2 meters wide, and the belt of the belt press The width is approximately 1m.

The use of gravity thickeners and belt presses with belts of the proportions described above allows the use of relatively narrow belt presses in areas where the prior art required substantially high capacity large belt presses. By using this narrow belt press, the cost of the belt press can be substantially reduced. This is because narrow belt presses are cheaper to manufacture than belt presses that use large rollers. The use of a compact belt press also reduces the overall volume of equipment required to remove water from the sludge.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to the following examples, claims and drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of the gravity thickener and belt press of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the gravity thickener and belt press of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the gravity thickener and belt press of Fig. 1. 4 is a partial plan view of the gravity thickener and dispersion box of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the collection plate support means of FIGS.

Before proceeding with a detailed description of embodiments of the invention, it is to be noted that the invention is not limited solely to the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the following description and drawings. This is because the present invention is capable of other embodiments and may be practiced in various ways. Also, the terms used here,
It must be understood that the expressions are not used in a limiting sense.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a dewatering plate or gravity thickener 1 of the present invention.
0 is shown. It receives liquid sludge coming from the waste treatment means of the waste treatment plant. This gravity thickener 10 provides a means for removing moisture from the sludge, thereby reducing the liquid volume of the sludge and facilitating the subsequent treatment of solids in the sludge. It is.

Gravity thickener 10 typically has a fabric or wire mesh belt 12 supported by a pair of rollers 14 and 16 located at opposite ends of the thickener. Generally liquid sludge is fed into one end of the upper flight of belt 12. The wire mesh belt 12 is of the type used in conventional gravity thickeners and belt presses, and is sufficiently fine to retain the solids in the sludge and allow water to flow through. The solids are conveyed to the opposite end of the gravity thickener 10 and then deposited onto the belt 18 of the belt press 20.

The belt press 20 has a frame 26 for supporting a plurality of rollers extending horizontally in parallel.
This roller is for supporting a pair of permeable belts 18 and 30 of the same type as the gravity thickener, and these belts 18 and 30 squeeze or compress the concentrated sludge to squeeze out the water content of the sludge and reduce the moisture content. configured to reduce the content. In particular, belt press 20 has an upper belt 30 supported by a plurality of rollers 32. The lower belt 18 is supported by a plurality of rollers 34. Solid content is gravity thickener 10
is loaded onto the flight 35 of the lower belt 18. The upper belt 30 has a portion located above the flight 35, a flight 36, and the solid matter is wrapped between them. In this way, the pair of belts 18 and 30 sandwiching the sludge in a sandwich-like manner passes through a plurality of rollers 38.
is given substantial power. As the belt passes around the rollers 38, a strong squeezing force is applied to the sludge sandwiched between them, and since the belts 18 and 30 are made of wire mesh or fibrous material, moisture in the sludge is removed from the belts 18 and 30. It is squeezed out and separated from the solids.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gravity thickener 1
0 is equipped with a belt 12 having a width greater than the width of belts 18 and 30 of belt press 20. Since the ability of the belt press 20 to process sludge is determined by the total volume of sludge rather than the amount of solids in the sludge, the dimensions of the belt press are directly proportional to the reduction in the volume of sludge fed to the belt press. will be reduced. By arranging a gravity thickener for removing water from the sludge before feeding the sludge to the belt press 20, the amount of sludge can be substantially reduced and the belt press can be downsized. becomes. The size of the gravity thickener 10 for removing water from the sludge will depend in part on the properties of the sludge, but in one example of an application of the invention, the belts 18, 30 of the belt press 20 have a width of about 1 m. It is known that the belt of the gravity thickener 10 having a width of 2 m is effective in dewatering sludge and is relatively economical in manufacturing cost.

In the drawings, the belt press is fed from one gravity thickener, but in other examples, a single belt press 20 could be fed sludge from two or more gravity thickeners.

FIG. 1 also shows a means for feeding sludge to a dewatering table or gravity thickener 10 in a generally uniform flow manner. This means comprises a dispersion box 40 which has means for mixing the sludge with a polymeric flocculant to form a floc just prior to feeding the sludge into the gravity thickener. A distribution box 40 is attached to one end of the gravity thickener 10. The distribution box 40 usually consists of a tank or housing 42 (FIG. 2) for containing the liquid sludge. The liquid sludge is connected to a fitting 92 connected to a pipe of a clarifier or the like.
is supplied to the dispersion box 40 through a flocculant supply fitting 94, while polymeric flocculant is supplied to the dispersion box through a flocculant supply fitting 94. The flocculant and liquid sludge are mixed in dispersion box 40 to form a floc.

The distribution box 40 also includes a discharge end 44 so that the sludge from the distribution box 40 flows down in a uniform stream onto one end of the belt 12 of the gravity thickener.
The discharge end 44 is planar and has a relatively gentle slope.
Fluctuations in the sludge loaded onto the belt 12 are adjusted. The discharge end 44 also has a width substantially the same as the level width to ensure even sludge loading across the width of the gravity thickener belt 12.

The gravity thickener 10 is illustrated as having an elongated frame 46 supported by vertical legs 48, although other configurations are possible. The long frame 46 supports the belt support frame 50, and the belt support frame 50 supports the legs 5.
2 is supported at one end. The lower end portion of the leg 52 is rotatably coupled to the long frame portion 46 by a pin 54. The lower end of the leg 55 supporting the opposite end of the belt support frame 50 is connected to the long frame 4 by a plurality of pins 56.
6 to the opposite end. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lower end of the leg 55 is attached to the frame portion with a pin 56.
A plurality of vertical holes are provided for accommodating the belt 1 of the gravity thickener 10 to allow vertical adjustment of one end of the frame 50.
The height of one end of the upper flight of 2 can be varied depending on the height of the opposite end of the belt. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is particularly advantageous for thickener performance that the belt is angled at an angle of about 11/2 degrees so that the upper belt flight directs the sludge upwardly towards the discharge end of the gravity thickener. It is known that there is. Although the gravity thickener 10 is described as having an adjustable angle of inclination for the belt 12, it will be appreciated that in other arrangements the frame may be rigid and have a fixed angle of inclination.

Means are also provided for rotatably supporting the rollers 14 and 16 at opposite ends of the elongated frame 50. In the drawings, the means for supporting rollers 14 and 16 includes a block 60 at one end of frame 50, which supports bearings and which supports rollers 14. The rollers 16 are supported by take-up bearings for normal belt operation.

Gravity thickener 10 also has means for collecting moisture drained through belt 12.
Various means are possible, but in the drawing the water collection grid 6
4 and a rigid planar grid plate 64 having a grid with a number of openings 68 through which moisture can easily drain. This rigid planar plate-like lattice 6
4 is located below the upper flight of the belt 12 such that the upper surface 66 of the grid 64 engages the lower surface of the upper flight of the belt 12 so that the belt moves from right to left in FIG. Thickener 1
0 passes over the upper surface 66 of the grid plate 64 as it moves from one end to the other. The scraping of the grid along the bottom of the belt 12 removes moisture from the belt, thereby assisting in draining moisture from the belt. The upper surface 66 of the grid 64 has sharp edges thereon which scrape moisture from the underside of the belt 12 and prevent it from adhering to the belt due to surface tension.

In operation of the gravity thickener 10, sludge containing, for example, less than 1% solids is loaded via the distribution box 40 to the end of the upper belt flight of the gravity thickener to form a liquid reservoir. The belt 12 is held at a slight upward slope with the upper flight away from the dispersion box and away from the sump. As the belt moves upward away from the sump, the solids leave the sump by the belt 12 and travel with the belt toward the opposite end of the gravity thickener. As the solids or agglomerates move along the belt, the accompanying moisture flows away from the belt, resulting in a thickened sludge at the end of the belt with a solids content of, for example, 4% or more.

Means are also provided for adjusting the movement of the agglomerates or solids on the surface of the belt as the agglomerates move towards the discharge end of the belt. The means for adjusting and moving the aggregates is to assist in the drainage of water from the aggregates, i.e., the drainage flowing through the belt, and consists of a plurality of collection plates 70 held above the surface of the belt. , which collects the agglomerates on the belt surface in several rows 72, as shown in FIG. 4, so that the agglomerates move back and forth on the belt as it moves toward the discharge end. Collection plate 70 also forms depressions 74 between rows 70 of agglomerates. As the collection plates collect the sludge in rows, the water in the sludge is released and the open areas on the belt surface formed by rows 72 and recesses 74 allow the moisture to flow from the rows to the recesses.
It then flows through the belt 12 and is discharged. As belt 12 continues to move, the next row of collection plates 70 causes the aggregates to roll laterally on the belt again, rows 72 rolling more easily as the belt approaches the discharge end. This rolling of the agglomerate rows 72 helps drain water from the agglomerates and increases the efficiency of the gravity thickener 10. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the collection plate engages the surface of the wire mesh belt in a wiping manner to remove sludge from the belt surface and form a recessed portion. If the sludge is uniformly distributed over the belt surface, the sludge layer will cover the mesh and obstruct drainage from the belt, thereby facilitating drainage by removing the sludge layer from the mesh belt.

As shown in the figures, there are a plurality of rows 76 having collection plates 70 spaced apart from each other along the length of the gravity thickener from the reservoir. Each collection plate 7
0 has a relatively thin flat blade, and this blade is attached to the belt 1.
They are lined up parallel to each other across the width of 2. Collection plate 70
is located at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the gravity thickener, and as the aggregate moves along the length of the gravity thickener, it is transferred to the first row of collection plates, then to the next collection plate, and then to the belt 12. It is sent rolling across the surface of the

Although the collection plates 70 may have other shapes, each collection plate 70 is shown as having a flat thin rectangular blade with a flat bottom edge 78 positioned to engage the surface of the belt 12. has. In the drawing, the upper end of the collection plate, ie the end remote from the direction of movement of the upper belt flight, constitutes an inclined or curved edge. This curved edge 80 causes the collection plate 70 to move as the belt 12 moves under the front edge of the collection plate.
This prevents the fiber belt 12 from getting caught. The length of the collector plate blades can vary, but in a preferred embodiment can be about 12 inches long.

Means are also provided for holding collection plate 70 against the upper flight surface of belt 12. This collection plate holding means may have another structure, but in the drawing it is shown across the belt 12 at right angles to the movement of the upper level flight, and is supported by a frame 50 above the upper flight at a distance from the upper flight. There are a plurality of horizontally extending collection plate support frames 82. In the particular configuration shown in the figures, each collector plate support frame has an elongated support plate 84 having an axle 86 at each end thereof. The shaft 86 is held by the frame 50. Each collection plate support frame 82 is also welded at the opposite end of an elongated support plate 84 to the machine frame 50.
It has a support arm 88 with the free end of the shaft 110 supported by. The collection plate support frame 82 supports a plurality of hangers 112 suspended from the bottom surface of the support frame 82, each hanger 112 is in contact with the lower surface of the elongated support plate 84, and has a bolt 114 passing through the horizontal portion and an elongated support. It forms an angle with a flat section that is fixed through a hole in plate 84 and has a vertical flat section 116 with a smooth vertical surface for supporting one of the collecting plates 70 for vertical sliding. To facilitate such vertical movement of the collection plate 70, the vertical portion 116 of the hanger 112 has a pair of vertical holes 118, and the collection plate 70 has a pair of vertical holes 118 that allow the collection plate 70 to supported between. A pair of bolts 122 pass through holes 116 in the backing plate 120, collection plate 70, and hanger 112, and loosely fix them together.
18 allows relatively free vertical movement of bolt 122 therein, thereby allowing hanger 112
This allows the collection plate 70 to move up and down relative to the center.

In operation of the collection plate 70, the lower edge of the collection plate 70 is on the upper surface of the belt 12, and the collection plate 70 is
0 moves up and down relatively freely, the weight of the collection plate 70 will hold it on the surface of the belt 12. The angle of the position of the collection plate 70 relative to the direction of movement of the belt 12 is easily adjusted by rotating the collection plate 70 about the vertical axis of the bolt 114 attaching the hanger 112 to the elongated support plate 84. be able to.

The desired location of the collecting blades 70 is determined by the length of the collecting plate blades and the solids content of the sludge loaded onto the belt. As the sludge moves along the length of the gravity thickener, moisture permeates through the belt, so that the solids content of the sludge increases at the discharge end of the belt. The moisture content of the sludge may also vary depending on the use of the gravity thickener and the source of the sludge supplied to the gravity thickener. The means of independently adjusting the collection plates and the relatively easy means of adjusting the collection plates of the present invention ensure that the collection plates are always properly positioned for optimal treatment of the sludge fed to the gravity thickener. It will be done.

In the drawings, the collection plate support frame 82 is shown as an elongated support plate 84.
The collecting plate is rotatably mounted around a shaft 86 supporting both ends of the collecting plate, thereby allowing the collecting plate to be raised upwardly from the belt 12 during cleaning or maintenance.

The dispersion box 40 is a means for mixing the polymeric flocculant with the wastewater sludge to form flocculates, and the dispersion box 40 also mixes the sludge and flocculate in relatively quiet conditions to maximize flocculate formation. It has a means to store the medicine. The dispersion box 40 consists of a vertical rectangular chamber 90 with a bottom having a fitting 92 for connecting the liquid sludge to the pipe supplying the dispersion box. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the liquid sludge supplied to the dispersion box is a small amount;
For example, 20% of the primary sludge is mixed with the active sludge to be treated. Means are also provided for introducing liquid polymeric flocculant into the sludge contained in chamber 90. Although there are various means for introducing the flocculant into the dispersion box 40, in the drawing, the flocculant supply line 94 enters the lower end of the dispersion box 40, and as the sludge enters the dispersion box 40, it is mixed with the flocculant. It's becoming like that. A commercially available general flocculant may be used as the flocculant, and a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

The distribution box 40 also has a gravity thickener belt 12.
Means are provided for loading the sludge containing the agglomerates thereon and for distributing it evenly and uniformly over the belt surface. The distribution box for this is distribution box 4.
The sludge is made to be gently deposited onto the belt so that the agglomerates that form within the belt do not disintegrate. The agglomerates that form in the dispersion box are relatively easy to disintegrate, and the flow of the sludge and rough handling can break up the agglomerates in the sludge. Breaking up the aggregates makes dewatering of the sludge difficult.

As a means of loading sludge onto the belt 12, the distribution box 40 has a horizontal chamber 96 projecting horizontally laterally from the upper end of the vertical chamber 90 of the distribution box. This horizontal chamber 96 extends over one end of the gravity thickener;
Weir 98 for diagonally cutting the sludge in the dispersion box
has an open end with a In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dam 98 has a relatively flat broad top surface, and the wide crest on the dam reduces aggregate failure compared to dams with sharp crests. . A ramp 44 runs downward from the top of the dam 98.
extends and has a lower or discharge end 100 proximate the surface of belt 12.

During operation, the sludge in the dispersion box 40 flows into the dam 9.
8 and flows down to the end of belt 12. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ramp 44 has a gradually varying slope so that the sludge is gently deposited onto the upper surface of the belt 12 and the agglomerate is retained. be. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper end of the dam 98 is horizontal so that the sludge flows down the dam 98 over its entire length transverse to the direction of belt travel and allows the belt 12 of the gravity thickener 10 to The sludge or condensate can be distributed evenly over the width of the sludge or condensate.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the belt 12 is provided with cleaning means to improve drainage of water flowing past the belt. During operation of the gravity thickener 10, as the belt carries agglomerates from the sump 41 and as the agglomerates are distributed onto the belt by the collection plates, solids clog in the belt's wire mesh and pass through the belt. Makes water drainage difficult and prevents the gravity thickener from working effectively. The belt cleaning means includes means for continuously cleaning the belt to remove solids from the wire gauze of the belt.

In the drawing, the gravity thickener 10 has a belt cleaning device mounted below the horizontal extension of the distribution box 40 for cleaning the belt and cleaning the agglomerate immediately before it is loaded onto the belt by the distribution box. The solid matter is removed from the wire mesh of the belt. This belt cleaning means is a spray device 124 in the drawing, which has an upper surrounding wall 126 in a gap 125 formed at the bottom of the dam 98, and is located above the upper flight of the belt 12, and also has an upper surrounding wall 126. Lower enclosure wall 128 located just below the belt flight
has. Surrounding walls 126 and 128 span the entire width of belt 12. The upper enclosure 126 includes a spray head having a water tube 132 with a plurality of spray nozzles 134 extending the length of the water tube 132.

Upon operation of the spray device 124, water from the nozzle 134 impinges on the belt 12, discharging solids embedded in the belt mesh into the lower enclosure 128.

One feature of the configuration described above is that the distribution box 40
and the spray device 124 are compactly integrated, including an upper enclosure that can be conveniently located within the cavity 125 formed by the dam 98. Also, although in the present invention the spray device 124 only has one spray head located on the belt 12, in other embodiments the spraying means may be provided at the bottom of the belt 11 so as to spray both sides of the belt. This must be kept in mind.

Effects of the Invention As described above, by using a gravity thickener in combination with the belt press 20, the belt width of which is about twice that of the belt press, it is possible to It has been found that substantially larger volumes of wastewater sludge can be processed with belt presses than with such combinations. The gravity thickener 10 has a processing capacity based on the sludge drainage capacity, whereas the belt press has a processing capacity based on the total amount of sludge.
0 in combination as already mentioned, the moisture in the sludge is removed by the time it reaches the belt press, and the throughput of the belt press is therefore not the total amount of sludge to be processed, but the sludge It can be determined based on the solids content in it.

Another advantage of the above-described adjacent series combination of a gravity thickener and a belt press is that the flocculant only needs to be added once, just before the sludge is loaded onto the gravity thickener. . Since the flocculates are treated in the belt press immediately after being treated in the gravity thickener, the flocculates remain intact and do not require a second flocculant addition when the sludge is fed into the belt press. It is.

Other features of the invention are set out in the claims below.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a side view of the gravity thickener and belt press of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the gravity thickener and belt press of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the gravity thickener and dispersion box of Fig. 1. , Figure 4 is the third
Figure 5 is a partial sectional view taken along line 5-5 in Figure 3;
The figure is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the collection plate support means of FIGS. 2 and 3-4. 10...Gravity thickener, 12, 18, 30...
... Belt, 14, 16, 32, 34 ... Roller, 20 ... Belt press, 22 ... Water collection section, 2
6...Frame body, 40...Distribution box, 41...Liquid reservoir,
50...Belt support frame, 64...Plane grid, 70
... Collection plate, 82 ... Collection plate support frame, 91 ... Sludge supply joint, 94 ... Coagulant supply joint, 98
...Weir section, 124 ... Spray device, 134
……nozzle.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A belt press comprising a belt press and means for reducing the water content of sludge before loading the sludge onto the belt of the belt press, the belt press is configured to reduce the moisture content of the sludge between the frame body and the belt. a pair of belts for squeezing the sludge; and means for supporting the belts so as to squeeze the sludge between the belts; wherein the support means comprises a plurality of rollers supported on a frame, and the means for reducing the moisture content of the sludge comprises one or more gravity thickeners adjacent the belt press. , the gravity thickener has a belt flight for supporting the stage, and has one end for receiving the sludge and a first end for receiving the sludge.
The belt has two ends supported by a second roller, the opposite end forming the sludge discharge end, and the belt having two ends supported by a second roller, the belt having two ends supported by a second roller, the opposite end forming the sludge discharge end, and the belt having two ends supported by a second roller, the belt having two ends supported by a second roller, and the opposite end forming the sludge discharge end. The discharge end of the belt flight is water-permeable so that when the solids in the sludge are retained by the belt, the moisture passes through the belt and is discharged, and the discharge end of the belt flight is such that the sludge from the belt of the gravity thickener passes through the belt press. located close to the belt press loaded on the belt of
and the belt of the gravity thickener has a width greater than the belt width of the belt press. 2. The ratio of the belt width of the gravity thickener to the belt width of the belt press is proportional to the solids content of the sludge loaded on the belt end of the gravity thickener and the solids content of the sludge at the discharge end of the gravity thickener belt. An apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the belt width of the belt press is smaller than the belt width of the gravity thickener by an amount proportional to the amount of water removed from the sludge by the gravity thickener. 4. Means for mixing the wastewater sludge with a flocculant to form a flocculate and for loading the wastewater sludge on one end of the belt flight, the means for mixing and loading being on one end of the belt flight. a flocculant supply means having an abuttingly mounted container, the container being connectable to a source of wastewater sludge, and for mixing the flocculant with the wastewater sludge in the container to form a flocculate; and means for depositing this agglomerate-containing sludge onto the ends of the belt flights in a uniform continuous flow over the width of the belt flights. 5. The container comprises a vertical condenser part having an upper end and a lower end, and a horizontal container part having both ends for holding the sludge and flocculant in a still state for forming a flocculate, the vertical container part The lower end of the belt is connectable to a sludge supply source, the upper end is integrally connected to one end of the horizontal section, and the opposite end of the horizontal section is provided with means for loading sludge onto the belt flight end. An apparatus according to claim 4. 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the vertical container section includes means for mixing the flocculant with the sludge, the mixing means being a buffer plate surrounded by the vertical container section. 7. The loading means has a dam across the container end, the dam having a longitudinal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the belt, and wherein the dam has a longitudinal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the belt; 5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a ramp that slopes downward toward the end of the belt flight. 8. The dam has a lower surface for forming a recessed space around the conveyor belt of the gravity thickener, and this recessed space accommodates cleaning means for the conveyor belt during operation of the gravity thickener. An apparatus according to claim 7. 9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the lower end of the vertical container portion has upwardly directed and outwardly sloping side walls. 10 consisting of a belt press and means for reducing the water content of the sludge prior to loading the sludge onto the belt of the belt press, a pair of belt presses for compressing the sludge between the frame and the belt; a belt and means for supporting the belt to squeeze the sludge between the belts, the belt being permeable so that moisture in the sludge is drained through the belt; a plurality of rollers supported on a frame; the means for reducing the moisture content of the sludge includes one or more gravity thickeners adjacent the belt press; The belt means has a part for loading the sludge and another part for discharging the sludge, and the belt means is water permeable and has a belt means for holding the sludge. When the water is loaded on the belt, the water passes through the belt means and is discharged, and the solid content in the wastewater sludge is retained by the belt means, and the belt portion for discharging the sludge is such that the sludge coming from the belt is removed from the belt. located proximate the belt press so as to be loaded at the end of the press, the belt means being loaded onto the belt of the belt press by an amount proportional to the amount of water removed from the sludge by the gravity thickener means. It has a width greater than the width. Equipment for removing moisture from wastewater sludge.