Separator's Digest 2008/1 - GEA Westfalia Separator Group

Separator’s Digest 

1 | 2008 

Mega Waste Water 

Treatment Plant Completed 

Changi is running 

Boost Gas Yield – Optimise 

Sewage Sludge Treatment 

Westfalia Separator biogasplus 

Sustainability 

Thanks to Biofuels 

Treatment with compact units 

The Magazine of Westfalia Separator

Contents 

3 PREFACE 

3 “Green“ Centrifuges 

4 SEPARATOR´S NEWS 

4 Topical 

8 

Imprint 

The information contained in this brochure merely serves as a 

non-binding description of our products and is without guarantee. 

Binding information, in particular relating to capacity data and 

suitability for specific applications, can only be provided within the 

framework of concrete inquiries. 

FOOD TEC 

8 Biofuel Second Generation 

10 Greek Yoghurt Also Suits the American Taste 

12 INDUSTRY 

12 New Bioethanol Decanter 

14 

34 LIFESTYLE 

34 The Truth is on the Pitch 

Publisher: 

Westfalia Separator GmbH 

Project management: 

Peter Arens 

Editors: 

Peter Arens (Person responsible 

according to the German Press Law), 

Dr. Jörg Bückle, Manfred Kaiser 

MINERALOIL SYSTEMS 

14 Waste Oil is More Than Merely Waste 

16 Sustainability Thanks to Biofuels 

18 Combined Heat and Power 

in the Swimming Pool Tongelreep 

21 

UMWELTTECHNIK 

21 More Gas, Less Sludge 

24 Outstanding 

26 MBR Decanter as 

Forward-Looking Technology 

30 Changi is Running 

32 Environmentally-Friendly 

Liquid Manure Processing in Belgium 

Photography: 

Michael Dannenmann, Tim Luhmann, 

Archive Westfalia Separator GmbH 

Conception and Layout: 

Kabutz Communication GmbH 

Feldstraße 5 · 59423 Unna 

info@kabutz.de · www.kabutz.de

“Green” 

Centrifuges 

THE RAPID AND UNSTOPPABLE GROWTH IN THE GLOBAL 

POPULATION IS ONE OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES OF 

OUR TIMES: AS RECENTLY AS 100 YEARS AGO, THE 

POPULATION OF OUR PLANET WAS ONLY 1.6 BILLION 

PEOPLE. 

Today, in the year 2008, more than 

6.5 billion people live on our planet. 

Around the year 2050, in other words in 

somewhat more than one generation, more 

than 9 billion people will have to share the 

same space. The global population has 

therefore increased five-fold in a period of 

150 years, which is negligible in terms of 

the history of the world. There will be 

a shortage of space on the earth. People 

will have to live more closely together. 

Water supply in particular will become 

an urgent problem facing humanity. 

The United Nations have therefore 

designated the years 2005 to 2015 

as the international decade of “Water 

for Life”. The aims include a considerable 

improvement in access to drinking water 

and an improvement in the effluent 

situation. Nevertheless, around 90 percent 

of all domestic effluent and 70 percent 

of industrial effluent in developing 

countries is discharged untreated into 

the water cycle endangering reserves of 

drinking water. 

At Westfalia Separator, environmental 

protection is anything but a temporary fad. 

Waste water clarification and fresh water 

processing are challenges which have been 

faced by GEA Westfalia Separator for many 

decades and in which the company has 

built up sound know-how. Mechanical 

separation technology has the advantage 

over other technologies by providing a 

simple attractive solution to the problem of 

providing clean water for an expanding 

global population. It functions purely by 

physical means and without any chemical 

additives. It can be cleaned easily and 

is stable in terms of temperature while 

its continuous operation permits high 

throughput capacities. 

Under the concept Westfalia Separator 

seaprotectsolutions we also offer a new 

generation of separators which reliably 

process bilgewater and sludges containing 

oil, offering a high degree of reliability 

when travelling in sensitive areas of 

the world’s oceans. In the standard 

version, these centrifuges achieve effluent 

qualities of < 10 ppm. With the support of 

additional units, they are able to achieve 

effluent qualities of < 5 ppm. In this way, 

pure water can be discharged into the 

oceans and our environment can be 

protected. 

Preface 

3 

Separator’s Digest 1 | 2008 

Preface 

We are again demonstrating our skills in 

environmental protection at IFAT 2008. 

This is the most important environmental 

exhibition in the world focusing on water, 

effluent, waste disposal and recycling and is 

due to be held in Munich between 5 and 

9 May 2008. At the exhibition, our 

machines, which are green both in 

colour and in their operation and are 

known as “the green machines”, will 

be demonstrating their contribution to 

environmental protection issues. Let us take 

advantage of this opportunity. 

Holger Heinrich 

Division President

Separator‘s News 

In 2008, the most important environmental 

exhibition in the world will be even 

larger than three years ago, with an 

exhibition area totalling 192,000 m 2 . This is 

equivalent to growth of 13 percent. With 

2223 exhibitors from 36 countries as 

well as 109,000 trade visitors from 

166 countries, the event already presented 

record figures back in 2005. 

New Munich 

Trade Fair Centre 

5 – 9 May 

IFAT 2008 with Record Figures 

At IFAT, the 15th International Trade Fair for 

Water, Effluent, Waste and Recycling, 

which is due to be held in Munich between 

5 and 9 May 2008, visitors to the 

exhibition will see innovative, practical and 

cost-effective sector and state-of-the-art 

solutions as well as a wide range of 

associated services. The expansion of the 

subject of recovering energy from waste 

materials will result in more attention 

being devoted to the field of biogas. The 

exhibition will therefore focus on current 

developments in the market and will again 

demonstrate its pioneering role as a leading 

international forum. 

Westfalia

Separator Goes China 

As a company with global operations, it is becoming 

increasingly important for Westfalia Separator to produce 

products on the world market and show a physical 

presence in the large emerging markets. Westfalia 

Separator has now officially commissioned a plant in China 

to open in the spring of 2008. With the establishment of 

Westfalia Separator (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., Westfalia Separator 

has now established a direct presence with its own 

subsidiary in this booming country. The opening of the 

new plant will achieve two objectives. The reduction of the 

length of service routes to the company’s growing 

number of Chinese customers and the local production of 

separators and spare parts to bring costs in line with 

general market levels. 

The operating facility in the Innovation Incubator Park 

in Tianjin in Tanggu district covers an area of more 

than 5500 m 2 , housing production facilities as well as 

Separator’s News 5 

administration offices. The plant is equipped with a 

modern machine park for repairing centrifuges and 

decanters and also for manufacturing pre-assembled 

compact units for marine applications. 

Smooth delivery of spare parts 

and rapid technical support 

Westfalia Separator (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. has been designed 

primarily to provide Chinese customers with high quality 

products, rapid technical service and smooth delivery of 

original spare parts in line with the world-wide standard at 

GEA Westfalia Separator. 



Argentina: 

Quality 

Improvement in Service 

Westfalia Separator Argentina has also satisfied the criteria applicable for an 

authorized workshop. “The authorized workshop is the best reflection of 

our success”, Sergio Bloch proudly states, Managing Director of Westfalia 

Separator Argentina. As an authorized workshop, Westfalia Separator 

Argentina is better able to meet the requirements of customers, to 

optimise the services and also to guarantee confidence in the 

machines and processes of Westfalia Separator. The Safety 

Officer of Westfalia Separator Argentina is Maximiliano 

Zylbersztajn.


Westfalia Separator Mineraloil Systems moved into its new 

premises in Hamburg-Harburg in the middle of last year. 

The authorized workshop was opened in the autumn of 

2007. All service products of the “Original Manufacturer 

Service” (OMS), including spare parts, sales, repairs, 

technical customer service, training and process 

optimisation, are now united for the first time under one 

roof at the new location. 

For professional handling of spare parts logistics, the 

company has engaged the services of an external service 

provider who is now responsible for handling all aspects of 

warehouse organisation. The new repair workshop, with 

its own balancing and testing room, is located over an 

area of approx. 600 m 2 between the warehouse and the 

office building. 

6 


New infrastructure for training 

An appropriate infrastructure has been created to provide 

training for customers, employees of subsidiaries and 

internal employees. A separate training room is available 

which is equipped with simulation equipment. This means 

that tests can be carried out on machines under conditions 

which are as realistic as possible. The workshop has a test 

bay which can also be used for training purposes. The new 

service product “Process Improvement” is also integrated 

in the Hamburg organisation. 

Separator’s News 

All Service 

Products 

Under One 

Roof 

at New 

Location in 

Hamburg 

Hamburg-Harburg is the name 

of the new location of the 

branch of Westfalia Separator 

Mineraloil Systems – close to 

the port of Hamburg and close 

to the customers.

First Double Cream Cheese 

Installation for Russia 

Butter and processed cheese from the house of Karat are familiar to 

anybody who has used Aeroflot to travel to Russia. Karat 

owns three dairies in Russia, and has been known primarily as a 

manufacturer of processed cheese specialities since 1934. In 

Moscow, the company has now invested in an installation for 

making double cream cheese. Within the framework of this order, 

the Business Unit Dairy Technology supplied one KSA machine for 

making double cream cheese, one CSE machine for bacteria removal 

from the milk for making double cream cheese as well as one 

CNE bacteria-removing machine for the operating room. The milk 

for making double cream cheese is first passed through the 

fat-standardising phase before it enters a pasteurising unit supplied 

by Westfalia Separator; this unit, with an hourly capacity of 

Separator’s News 

7 



5000 litres, is where bacteria are removed, and the product is 

degassed, homogenised and pasteurised. The milk is then coagulated 

in special tanks, and heated to a separation temperature of approx. 

80 °C. The process of concentrating the coagulated milk in the 

KSA separator achieves a double cream cheese with on average 

70 percent fat in the dry matter. Maximum product variety is 

ensured by means of inline salt addition as well as facilities for 

mixing in further ingredients and subsequently blanketing the product 

with nitrogen. The scope of supply also includes a CIP system for 

cleaning the production equipment. Depending on the particular 

recipe used, up to ten tons of double cream cheese can be made 

every day. From 2008, the double cream cheese on your tray on a 

flight to Russia might be made by machines from Westfalia Separator. 

Safety Receives Maximum Priority in India 

Without doubt, safety receives maximum priority at Westfalia 

Separator India; not only does service and repair work have to be 

carried out in accordance with the safety specifications of Westfalia 

Separator, it is necessary to cope with a wide range of assembly and 

production tasks. Since mid-2007, Westfalia Separator India has 

also had an authorized workshop in Bengaluru. Raman Mehta has 

been trained as the Safety Officer. Managing Director Ashok Narula 

explained that the authorized workshop can undertake numerous 

tasks. In addition to a small-scale assembly facility and as a 

Westfalia Separator centripack workshop, the range of services has 

now also been extended. Repair work is carried out and customer 

training is provided to allow even greater access to the market. The 

authorized workshop of Bengaluru is now also certified by the 

TÜV in accordance with ISO 9001, and the products meet CE 

specifications.

Food Tec 

As a diesel substitute, this biofuel also has 

local customers among local freight carriers, in 

agriculture and at some fuel stations. Westfalia 

Separator has skilfully combined centrifugal 

technology and membrane technology for 

the necessary purification of the pressed oil. The 

product recovered from this process is of 

extremely high quality and, in certain cases, far 

exceeds the limits specified in the preliminary 

standard which enable the product to be 

exempted from mineral oil tax. In addition, by 

way of comparison with flotation filtration, the 

oil enjoys a considerable advantage in terms of 

cost. 

T 

Biofuel 

Second Generation 

HYBRID SOLUTION COMBINING CENTRIFUGAL 

TECHNOLOGY AND MEMBRANE FILTER TECHNOLOGY 

FOR LOCAL COLD PRESSING OF RAPESEED OIL 

“From the region for the region” is the aim of operators of local oil mills 

in Germany. With cold pressing of oil seeds, mainly rapeseed, these oil mills 

primarily recover rapeseed oil fuel with processing capacities of between 

0.5 and 25 tons per day. 

“Green” energy 

Far more than 200 local oil seed processing 

installations have been constructed in Germany 

since the beginning of the 1990s. They produce 

mainly rapeseed oil fuel by means of a coldpressing 

technique; however, they also produce 

rapeseed cooking oil, which is becoming more 

and more popular among the population, animal 

feed oil and man-made oils; the latter are used as 

a raw material for transesterification in biodiesel 

production. The related demand is enormous. 

Rapeseed is attractive as a substitute for diesel 

fuel in various ways. Mineral oil tax is currently 

levied on diesel fuel at a rate of 47.06 cents/l; by 

way of comparison, the tax imposed on rapeseed 

fuel is currently running at 10 cents/l. This means 

that the price of rapeseed oil at the pump is 

around 1 euro per litre, which is approximately 

25 percent lower than the price of diesel, but 

with a comparable energy-producing value. 

Numerous oil mill operators use the biofuel 

which is recovered directly within their own 

agricultural operations for tractors and cars or for 

vegetable oil combined heat and power units.

Elegant hybrid solution 

The rapeseed is pressed mainly in filter cage 

bar scroll-type presses. The pressed trub oil 

has to be purified further. For this purpose, 

flotation filters or chamber filter presses are 

frequently used for preliminary filtration, 

with a subsequent two-stage safety and 

polishing filtration process using cartridge 

filters. However, this filtration technology is 

relatively labour-intensive, and the filter 

aids also have a high replacement cost. 

Westfalia Separator has adopted a more 

elegant solution. The acquisition two years 

ago of Membraflow, which specialises in 

ceramic membrane filter technology, has 

enabled Westfalia Separator not only to 

connect the know-how from centrifugal 

technology with membrane technology in 

series; it has also enabled the company to 

skilfully combine the two techniques. 

Normally, the pressed trub oil is sent to the 

decanter centrifuge which removes the 

coarse dirt. The pre-treated oil is then sent 

to a membrane filtration unit which filters 

out the extremely fine trub particles and 

concentrates the solids in the concentrate 

circuit. The approach of Westfalia Separator 

now goes one step further: the filter 

concentrate is again continuously recycled 

back into the decanter centrifuge and 

added to the raw oil. As the membrane 

installation increases the solids concentration, 

it also becomes more likely that the solids 

will be agglomerated. It thus again 

becomes “tangible” for the decanter and 

its consistency means that it can be 

discharged. These solids can be added to 

the press cake in order to be recycled as 

animal feed. With this hybrid solution, the 

decanter is able to remove trub particles 

which it is not able to remove in the first 

process. 

Food Tec 

Permanent operation 

This closed system achieves continuous and 

fully automatic 24 h permanent operation 

of up to six months without the membrane 

unit having to be cleaned. This is a crucial 

advantage, because, with chamber filter 

presses, the cycle times are comparatively 

low, namely 6 to 24 hours. Depending on 

the size of the decanter/ceramic membrane 

hybrid unit, this results in annual cost 

savings of up to 100,000 euros. 

For these benefits to be achieved, it is 

of course essential that the quality of 

the recovered rapeseed oil is right and 

complies with the preliminary standard of 

V DIN 51605. The investigated parameters 

demonstrate: the hybrid solution presented 

by Westfalia Separator for local cold 

pressing of rapeseed provides a top-quality 

product.

Greek 

Yoghurt Also Suits the 

MARKET LEADER FOR CREAM CHEESE SEPARATION 

Westfalia Separator is the market leader in the 

field of centrifugal separation of cream cheese. It 

supplies stand-alone machines right through to a 

complete production line, starting with the 

pasteurising unit, the fermentation equipment, 

the heat treatment unit, the various mixing 

systems for cream, stabilisers, sugar, aromas, 

fruit, herbs, nitrogen, etc. This also includes the 

CIP cleaning system for the separator or the 

complete line. 

The FAGE dairy in Greece ordered six machines 

last year alone. The first four separators were 

installed in the company’s main plant in Athens. 

A completely new plant is being built in the USA, 

and two further machines and equipment have 

been earmarked for this new plant. 

Largest dairy operation in Greece 

with the latest technology 

According to FAGE S.A., it is the largest dairy 

operation in Greece, with a history which goes 

back 80 years. In 1975, this company launched 

the first commercial brand of yoghurt in Greece. 

A new trend then started on the Greek yoghurt 

market. FAGE is one of the most modern dairy 

operations in Europe. With the latest technology, 

FAGE is able to process 50,000 litres of milk every 

hour and to produce 500,000 tubs of yoghurt 

every year. FAGE USA Corp., a subsidiary of FAGE 

S.A., was established in the state of New York in 

June 2000. The US sales subsidiary is to market 

the quality products on a nationwide basis to US 

consumers. In future, the new FAGE dairy in the 

state of New York will produce the Greek yoghurt 

and further products for the US market. 

Complete production 

line modernised 

As a result of more stringent product guidelines, 

particularly regarding the shelf-life and a 

maximum degree of automation, FAGE has 

modernised the complete production line in 

Greece. Following extensive tests with a KDB 30 

which had previously been made available, the 

existing separators of the competition were 

replaced. Each of the KDB 30 machines was 

installed with a separate valve block and DCA 20 

cleaning unit. This ensures that FAGE is able to 

produce flexibly with its eight fermentation 

tanks, each of which has a capacity of 

50,000 litres. In these tanks, special yoghurt 

cultures are used to add acid to and curdle the 

pasteurised skimmed milk. The fermentation 

process of the yoghurt takes between five and six 

hours at a temperature of 40 °C. The whey is 

then separated in the KDB 30 separators. 

10 


Food Tec

American Taste 

Installation in a 

very limited space 

FAGE is extremely satisfied with the excellent 

consistency and shelf-life of the product which is 

achieved with this process. The equipment had to 

be installed in a very limited space. In addition, 

it was also necessary for the equipment to be 

designed in accordance with the specifications of 

the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and 

NYSDAM (New York State Department of 

Agriculture and Markets) the 3 A Standard, 

PMO (Pasteurized Milk Ordinance) and the GMP 

stipulations. 

CROSS-BORDER PROJECT REALISATION 

Food Tec 11 


Westfalia Separator Hellas and Westfalia 

Separator Food Tec, as well as 

Westfalia Separator Engineering and 

Westfalia Separator Inc. USA, worked closely 

together in the realisation of the project. 

As a result of the flexible preassembly in 

Oelde and an extremely motivated assembly 

team in Athens, the separators were delivered 

on time despite special requirements and full 

capacity utilisation. Now Greek yoghurt can 

suit the American as well as the Greek taste.

Industry 

New Bioethanol D 

DG 300: SPECIAL DESIGN FOR SAFE HOT OPERATION

ecanter 

Demand has demonstrated that the 

concept is convincing: the first three 

machines of this new type were delivered 

to a customer in Slovakia shortly after 

the initial market launch in 2006. From 

2007, more than 40 further machines were 

sold to various customers for a wide range 

of applications. 

Five DG 300 decanters 

for an installation in the 

Benelux countries 

One of these users is a leading bioethanol 

company in the Benelux countries. The 

manufacturer is currently in the process of 

building a new bioethanol factory with a 

capacity of 150,000 m 3 bioethanol per 

annum in order to process the wheat and 

sugar by-products. The plant is scheduled 

to go on stream in 2008. For this purpose, 

the customer has commissioned Westfalia 

Separator to deliver five DG 300 decanters. 

The new decanters were an attractive 

option because of their high capacity, their 

technical features (such as hybrid design 

and scroll-type structure) and the very low 

noise emissions: with an operating speed 

of 3500 rpm, the noise emission is approx. 

80 dB(A). The decanters are used for 

thickening the distillation sump. The 

decanter solids are then forwarded to a 

dryer for animal feed production. 

New type of scroll 

design Westfalia Separator 

centricflow 

The DG 300 is the successor model for the 

CB 505, which has been very successful in 

practice. One of the main improvements 

is the design of the Westfalia Separator 

centricflow scroll. This scroll, which 

has been designed specifically for the 

bioethanol application, achieves a lowturbulence 

flow in the bowl, enabling the 

solids to sediment much more easily. 

Further special features of the new 

bioethanol decanter include the simplified 

drive design (which utilizes a differential 

gear) as well as the discharge of the 

clarified phase under gravity. The DG 300 

discharges the product streams with a 

small diameter, which means that it is very 

energy-efficient to operate. 

High-quality processing for 

hot application 

Temperatures of up to 95 °C are by no 

means rare when the distillation sump is 

thickened as part of the production of 

bioethanol. High-quality processing is 

therefore very important. This is the reason 

why Westfalia Separator has designed a 

completely new type of housing using 

hybrid technology. The new hybrid frame 

consists of carbon steel (externally) and 

stainless steel (internally). Together with 

the scroll and bowl, this means that the 

DG 300 is extremely resistant to corrosion. 

If any deposits and impurities become 

lodged between the bowl and the 

housing, they can easily be removed 

with the integrated spray nozzles; this 

means that the decanter does not 

have to be opened specially for this 

purpose. All seals in the new bioethanol 

decanter are of course designed for hot 

operations; this permits safe production 

and also long CIP cleaning runs at high 

temperatures. 

Industry 13 


Industry 

The DG 300 decanter with a hybrid design is the new development in the high-speed “5” 

class. It has been built and designed for applications in industrial biotechnology, the 

chemical industry, starch technology and the food industry. 

Cooling for the bearings 

A further major advantage of the DG 300, 

and also a unique feature in its class, are the 

oil-lubricated bowl bearings. The gear and 

the bowl bearing are equipped with an 

automatic oil-circulation lubrication facility. 

The oil itself is also cooled and filtered; this 

helps to ensure a longer service life for 

the bearings. In this way, the decanter 

operation is not affected by the high 

product temperatures; the bowl speed does 

not have to be reduced, and the decanter 

can develop its full power. 

1000 m 3 g-volume 

over 4 m 2 

In conjunction with the deep pond, the 

g-force of 3850 g is responsible for the 

high performance and the exceptional 

dewatering figures of the decanter. In this 

way, even extremely fine particles are 

reliably separated. With a footprint of only 

4 m 2 , the decanter achieves the maximum 

performance of 1000 m 3 g-volume in 

conjunction with a simultaneous significant 

reduction in energy consumption. 

, 

S T 

-

Waste Oil 

is More Than 

Merely Waste 

SUSTAINABLE CONCEPTS FOR 

RECOVERING FUELS AND BASE OIL 

Waste oils, water containing oil, oil sludge from lagoons as well as 

spent emulsions pose disposal problems for industry. At IFAT, the 

world's largest exhibition for the environment and disposal, to be 

held from 5 to 9 May 2008 in Munich, Westfalia Separator will 

demonstrate that waste oil can be much more than merely waste, thanks 

to economic and environmentally sound methods of treatment.

On the GEA joint stand, the Business Unit 

Industry will present innovative concepts 

and holistic solutions concerning the 

subject of waste oil recycling with the aid of 

centrifugal separation technology. Under 

the motto “How to make money from 

waste“, the company will also present a 

business model which offers the operators 

of waste oil installations financially attractive 

technology for treating the waste oil. 

Waste oil recycling is 

worthwhile 

In view of the fact that resources 

are becoming more scarce, responsible 

treatment of crude oil is not a luxury but 

a necessity. In Europe alone, around 

2.4 million tonnes of waste oil are produced 

every year; this waste oil has to be treated 

out of ecological as well as economic 

considerations. Within the context of 

rising prices for crude oil, the processing of 

contaminated waste oils is becoming 

increasingly lucrative. Westfalia Separator 

develops and produces powerful decanters 

and separators for waste oil recycling. 

Waste oil – 

a valuable resource 

Two recycling philosophies can be 

implemented with the large volumes of 

waste oil worldwide. One method of 

recycling envisages simple processing of the 

waste oils, whereby they are subsequently 

used for generating energy. Water and 

solids are efficiently separated in order to 

increase the fuel value. The processed oil 

can then be used as fuel, for instance in 

the cement industry, in metal foundries 

or in power stations, thereby reducing 

the consumption of primary fuels. The 

purified oil is in high demand in the cement 

industry and smelters. The German cement 

industry alone substitutes approximately 

250,000 tonnes of coal every year by 

incinerating processed waste oil. This 

not only makes efficient use of valuable 

primary energy; it also results in cost 

savings. In addition to the waste oils, bilgewater, 

water containing oil, oil sludge from 

lagoons as well as spent emulsions can also 

be processed. 

The second recycling method involves the 

waste oil remaining in the resource cycle 

permitting efficient use of resources in the 

Turnkey container solutions from Westfalia 

Separator for processing waste oil 

long term. Similar to the solution involving 

the waste oil being used for generating 

energy, the oil in this method is first treated 

by centrifugal means, separating water and 

solids so that the oil can subsequently be 

processed further. Various processing forms 

are available, depending on the quality 

of the waste oil. The waste oil can be 

processed to produce flux oil, heating oil or 

methanol, and it can also be processed to 

produce new base oil in the maximum 

treatment form. After additives have 

been added, the base oils can be used as 

valuable lubricants in various applications. 

The various recycling possibilities mean that 

waste oil is turned into a valuable and 

multi-faceted resource. 

Tried-and-tested concept 

The processing of waste oil is becoming 

more and more important. The successful 

commissioning of various waste oil 

installations, such as in Spain and Central 

America, indicates the trend for the future. 

A waste oil processing installation which 

has been commissioned in Italy demonstrates 

the performance potential of the technology. 

The disposal company, which is based in an 

Italian port, collects and treats the oil 

waste of the ships. The waste oils consist of 

oil-water mixtures, most of which come 

from tank washings or the bilge. After the 

separation phase, the oil from the oil-water 

mixtures can be recycled. With the aid of 

centrifugal separation technology, it can 

be recovered and, for instance, be used as 

secondary fuel. 

Mineraloil Systems 15 


Mineraloil Systems 

Decanters such as the 

CC 458 are used if the solids 

content in the suspensions 

is particularly high. 

Turnkey container solution 

For processing the waste oil, Westfalia 

Separator has supplied a turnkey 

container solution consisting of a 3-phase 

decanter as well as a self-cleaning 

separator. The decanter can be used for 

removing impurities from the waste oil in 

the first processing stage. The downstream 

self-cleaning separator removes very fine 

solid particles and water. As a result of the 

high separating efficiency, the oil which is 

separated does not have to be disposed of 

expensively, and instead can be sold on at a 

profit.


Sustainability 

Renewable raw materials make a significant contribution to sustainable and 

environmentally sound power generation, particularly in cogeneration units. 

TREATMENT IN THE COMBINED HEAT AND POWER PLANT 

WITH COMPACT UNITS 

PBB GmbH, based in Oldenburg, is an independent 

power producer with a focus on combined heat and power plants. 

The company is building a new CHP plant in Brake near Bremen in cooperation with 

the Polish licensee H. Cegielski, Posen S.A. of MAN Diesel A/S Denmark. A low-speed 

MAN diesel engine is at the heart of the plant. It feeds 4.2 MW electrical energy into 

the national electricity network as well as 4.2 MW thermal energy into the adjacent 

fat refinery Brake. The efficiency of the entire CHP plant will exceed 87 percent. 

The two-stroke diesel engine is driven by crude palm oil which is comparable with 

light heavy oils in terms of its viscosity, but which is very acidic owing to a total acid 

number (TAN) of up to 15 mg KOH/g. This high acid content requires specialist 

process expertise. The plant will be equipped with a SCR (selective catalytic 

reduction) catalyser, an oxygen catalyser and a flue gas filter in order to 

meet the stringent German emission levels stipulated by TA-Luft (Technical 

Instructions on Air Control Quality). The contract for the installation of this 

engine underlines the importance of maximum efficiency in the utilisation of costly 

CO 2-neutral fuel. 

16 



The fruits of the oil palm are a basis 

for renewable energies. 

Source for the image: MAN Diesel

Thanks to Biofuels 

COUNTLESS FURTHER APPLICATIONS FOR BIOFUELS 

Compact unit for palm oil treatment 

Westfalia Separator Mineraloil Systems is involved in this project in 

various ways. The company is providing the fuel separator unit for 

the CHP plant as well as a separator unit for the lube oil treatment. 

Westfalia Separator Mineraloil Systems is likewise supplying a 

Visco Booster Unit to feed the treated palm oil to the engine in 

accordance with the specifications. The Energy Compact Unit 

for the palm oil treatment in the CHP plant consists of two 

OSD 6 D-Type separators, each equipped with pumps, preheaters 

and controls, pre-assembled as a compact, ready-toinstall 

unit on a foundation frame. Featuring an improved 

separation efficiency, lower fresh water consumption, extended 

maintenance intervals and a reduced weight, these new-generation 

D-Type separators meet the higher demands placed on separators 

today. The flat belt drive instead of a gear makes for simpler 

maintenance through reduction of the number of components. 

Additional features are lower susceptibility to vibrations, low noise 

levels and a better price-performance ratio. The compact 

unit reliably separates solid impurities and water from the 

fuel. A key feature of the separators is the optimum separation 

efficiency even with fluctuating composition of the palm oil. 

Dewatering the oil reduces the content of harmful, water-soluble 

Mineraloil Systems 17 



The CHP plant at Brake is by no means the only application of 

Westfalia Separator Mineraloil Sytems technology in the field 

of liquid biofuels. Via MAN Diesel, Germany, for example, 

Westfalia Separator Mineraloil Systems is delivering a 

Visco Booster Unit for the Thermoindustriale project in Italy. 

Likewise, the Tongelreep project in The Netherlands is 

benefiting from an Energy Compact Unit delivered via Zwart 

Techniek Netherland for palm oil treatment as well as a 

Visco Booster Unit for fuel conditioning. Caterpillar Power 

Generation, Kiel, is equipping the Pon Power project, likewise 

in The Netherlands, with an Energy Compact Unit that has 

two separators for palm oil. Additionally, they will supply 

the Barth project on the peninsula Fischland Darß with two 

Energy Compact Units for lube oil treatment. 

The use of biofuel is expanding in an age heavily influenced 

by the concept of sustainability. The Business Unit Energy of 

Westfalia Separator Mineraloil Systems is making its 

contribution by playing a leading role with its specialised 

know-how. 

trace elements, consequently preventing corrosion in the engine, 

while at the same time slowing down the aging process of the 

palm oil. 

Lube oil treatment and Visco Booster 

The lube oil treatment with mineral oil separators is a further 

feature of the diesel engine power plant that contributes to reliable 

and economical functionality. The lube oil treatment removes 

impurities like metal fines, dust, decomposition products and 

condensation water from the lube oil, hence extending the service 

life. When operating diesel engines of this size, continuous cleaning 

of the lube oil is essential to prevent consequential damage to 

the engine. For this purpose, Westfalia Separator Mineraloil 

Systems is also installing an Energy Compact Unit comprising an 

OSD 6 separator including pump, pre-heater and control system. 

Besides the actual treatment of the fuel and lube oil in the CHP 

plant, Westfalia Separator Mineraloil Systems is supplying a Visco 

Booster Unit with a capacity of 1000 l/h for fuel conditioning.

Combined He 

CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION OF CO 2 EMISSIONS 

Tongelreep, in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is a modern, open-air pool complex of 

Olympic dimensions. The pool complex is also used for swimming competitions. 

There are also plans for top international competitions.

at and Power 

in the Swimming Pool Tongelreep 

Photos: www.tongelreep.nl 

The swimming pool has a 10-lane 50m competition pool as 

well as an 8-lane 25 m diving pool that has an adjustable depth. 

The training pool is equipped with a video training system; 

13 cameras, some of which are installed under water, permit a 

professional analysis of swimming techniques. The total cost 

for building the swimming complex is around 24 million euros. 

The local authority expects to attract 900,000 visitors 

every year.

Photo: www.tongelreep.nl 

ANIMAL FATS AND PALM OIL AS FUEL 

Provision of hot water 

A total of 12,500 m 3 water is required to fill the swimming 

pools. In order to heat this volume of water, the operator 

of the swimming pool (the local authority of Eindhoven) 

has decided to install a combined heat and power plant 

operated with biological fuels, and has invested a total 

of 3.9 million euros for this purpose. As a result of the 

subsidies provided by the Dutch government, the payback 

period for using this biofuel cogeneration facility is 

relatively short. The subcontractor Zwart Techniek 

IJmuiden was the direct client of Westfalia Separator, and 

was responsible for the complete machine room of the 

combined heat and power plant. The cogeneration 

unit produces electricity and heat for direct use in 

the swimming pool; the surplus electricity, around 

17 million kWh, is sold back to electricity plants. 

Animal fats and palm oil as fuel 

The combined heat and power plant uses animal 

fats as fuel; these are processed in Westfalia Separator 

installations for combustion in an ABC diesel engine with 

a capacity of 1600 kWe. The installation is also capable of 

using palm oil for combustion purposes. Westfalia 

Separator will supply a specially designed separator, a 

Visco Booster unit for fuel conditioning (adjusting the 

viscosity of the fuels) and a unit for changing over to 

diesel fuel when starting up and switching off the engine. 

Special materials and components were used for 

20 


designing the machines in accordance with the physical 

characteristics of the fuels. The units are also completely 

insulated. As a result of the installation of the biofuel 

combined heat and power plant, the CO 2 emissions from 

the new swimming pool will have been reduced by 

7,500,000 kg. This is a pleasant success in times of global 

warming. 

Mineraloil Systems

More Gas, 

Less Sludge 

Umwelttechnik 

USE WESTFALIA SEPARATOR biogasplus TO BOOST 

GAS YIELD AND OPTIMISE SEWAGE SLUDGE PROCESSING 

The production of biogas is a 

rapidly expanding market in 

Western Europe. And rightly so. 

The generation of power and heat from the 

renewable energy medium biogas, the associated 

positive effects for the environment and society as 

well as the possibility of generating additional 

income by way of selling electrical and/or thermal 

energy are only some of the many good reasons 

for using a biogas installation. And if the 

new combination-method Westfalia Separator 

biogasplus of GEA Niro Soavi and Westfalia 

Separator Umwelttechnik provides the opportunity 

to progressively boost gas production by 25 percent 

in order to minimize the volume of sludge by the 

same extent, biogas production makes sense in 

more ways than one.

Umwelttechnik 

Reduction 

of Greenhouse Gases 

Municipal digested sludge: 

fermentation of organic substances 

Biogas consists of methane, carbon dioxide as well as 

oxygen, nitrogen and trace gases. It can be used directly 

for heating purposes or, by way of a combined heat and 

power unit, for the combined production of electrical 

power and heat. The gas is generated in biogas 

installations by the anaerobic fermentation of organic 

substances. Agricultural biogas installations normally use 

liquid manure or solid manure as the base material. 

Co-fermentates are frequently used to boost the gas yield, 

e.g. sustainable raw materials or waste products from the 

food industry. The fermented organic material can be used 

as a high-quality fertiliser for agricultural purposes. In 

waste water treatment plants, the sewage sludge is an 

ideal starting point for the technical production of biogas; 

waste substances such as bio waste or food waste (which 

is fermentable and which contains biomass) can also be 

used for such purposes. In these cases, biogas is then also 

known as fermentation gas or sewage gas. 

The main environmental benefit of biogas technology is to 

be seen in the reduction of greenhouse gases. The use 

of a biogas installation supports the climate 

protection objective of at least doubling the 

percentage of renewable energies by 

the year 2010. Biogas technology 

takes account of the idea of 

environmentally sound 

recycling management and local waste recycling: instead 

of merely disposing of organic waste, the waste is used for 

generating energy and the nutrients are utilised. Biogas 

installations therefore also make a contribution towards 

the consistent and efficient use of resources. 

Combination method consisting of low 

pressure homogenisers and decanters 

The investment requirement for digestion and conventional 

sludge dewatering of sewage sludge from waste water 

treatment plants is high and further increases the 

already rising costs of sewage sludge disposal. Westfalia 

Separator biogasplus is a forward-looking solution in 

this respect. The intelligent combination consisting of 

homogenisers and decanters opens up a new dimension of 

cost-efficiency in the field of sewage sludge processing. 

The new process combines low-pressure homogenisers 

from GEA Niro Soavi and decanters from Westfalia 

Separator Umwelttechnik to form an efficient process line 

without any interface problems. GEA Niro Soavi and Westfalia 

Separator Umwelttechnik both belong to the GEA Group, 

which has world-wide operations. However, the operators 

have only one contact: the entire process is in the hands of 

Westfalia Separator Umwelttechnik. All components of 

the standardised and tried-and-tested functional entities 

featuring a plug-and-play concept are derived from a 

single source, and no interface problems occur. 

New dimension of cost-efficiency 

In many waste water treatment plants, the fermentation 

gas potential in the digested sludge is not utilised in an 

optimum manner. The main reason behind this problem is 

that some micro-organisms agglomerate to form flakes 

and protect themselves by means of protein envelopes. 

This agglomerate structure has reaction areas which are 

not conducive for further biological degradation. Westfalia 

Separator biogasplus can be easily implemented by 

installing an external cycle on the digestion tank. Before

the decanter efficiently dewaters the 

digested sludge, the digested sludge is 

first processed with the low-pressure 

homogeniser. The sludge is fed through a 

homogeniser valve under pressure to split 

up the agglomerates and to isolate, i.e. 

homogenise them again. This process 

increases the reaction area, which in turn 

results in increased gas production and a 

reduced volume of sludge. The pressure in 

this process is selected so as to maintain the 

cells intact. Digestion times are reduced, 

lower quantities of flocculants are required 

for dewatering purposes, and there is no 

increase in COD contamination. The 

efficiency of this combination is reflected in 

clear figures: 25 percent more gas with 

an equivalent (also around 25 percent) 

reduction in the sludge volume. In addition, 

operating problems attributable to the 

structure of the sludge, such as flotation 

sludge or foaming in the digestion tank, 

are significantly reduced. When a new 

installation is constructed, the costs 

are reduced by up to 25 percent. The 

amortisation times for retrofitting existing 

installations are also short. 

Umwelttechnik 23 

+ CH4 Separator’s Digest 1 | 2008 

Umwelttechnik 

POSITIVE ENERGY BALANCE 

The use of the low-pressure homogeniser results in a positive energy balance in 

the digestion process, i.e. the energy which is produced is higher than the energy 

which is input into the system. Westfalia Separator biogasplus is therefore 

particularly valuable from the point of view of making efficient use of resources. 

The increased gas yield makes an effective contribution to the efficient utilisation 

of resources. The processed digested sludge is then dewatered by a decanter. The 

tried-and-tested decanter technology of Westfalia Separator Umwelttechnik 

ensures optimum dewatering. The high dry matter content in the dewatered 

sludge reduces the volume of sludge and thus makes a significant contribution 

towards minimising disposal costs. The new process optimises the biological 

process in the digested sludge and the energy balance. The improvement in the 

biological processes avoids operating problems and boosts process reliability, 

ensuring a reliable and continuous method of operation.

Umwelttechnik 

THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA IN DECANTER TECHNOLOGY 

Outstanding 

Born to Run – This was and still is the motto of the 

Westfalia Separator cdforce decanter generation, 

which is established on many markets. 

The first machine in the series – the CD 305 – set the scene in 1998 for the 

entire subsequent family. The task for the design engineers in Oelde was 

clear: to develop decanters with a fundamentally improved performance whilst 

simultaneously achieving a significant reduction in service and operating costs. Today, ten years 

later and with 1300 Westfalia Separator cdforce decanters sold it is evident that the concept of 

that time has been successful. However, despite the continual process of developing the design of 

the existing Westfalia Separator cdforce family: time does not stand still. New developments in 

the design and geometry of individual components, the use of simulation software in materials 

technology and gear design, in addition to constantly rising energy and material cost, are defining 

new parameters and possibilities for future design. 

24 


Umwelttechnik

The requirements were therefore clearly 

defined for the design engineers of the 

new decanter. To develop a decanter with 

fundamentally improved performance 

and considerably reduced service and 

operating costs, based on the already 

optimised and successful Westfalia 

Separator cdforce concept. This objective 

has definitively been achieved with the 

new environmental decanter. 

Outstanding 

The result is impressive (also visually). A 

high performance dewatering decanter 

has been developed for use in municipal 

and industrial environmental protection; 

with its wide range of advanced features 

and its new design, this decanter will 

become the basis for new machine 

development. 

The most striking aspect initially is the 

machine’s modern design. The decanter 

has an attractive appearance. The 

design department has taken account 

of ergonomic requirements and has 

designed the machine as a pedestal 

bearing version and has ensured that all 

replacement parts are readily accessible. 

The design of the frame has also resulted 

in an inexpensive reduction in mass. The 

decanter can be placed directly on two 

concrete foundation strips, from which it 

is isolated dynamically by shock absorbers 

on the underside of the frame. This 

arrangement avoids the transmission of 

any vibrations to the foundation. This 

design means that it has been possible for 

the main motor to be installed above the 

axis of the bowl in a space-saving 

manner, and for the secondary motor to 

be installed in line with the gear drive 

shaft. The new split coupling of the 

secondary motor enables the bowl 

to be disassembled and also enables 

the V-belts to be replaced without the 

secondary motor having to be removed 

from the machine. This saves time during 

service and maintenance work. The 

design has also permitted a “lambda 

value” of four (ratio between length and 

diameter). 

70 percent more g-volume 

The special rotor geometry combined 

with the high rotor speed guarantees the 

high throughput capacity of at least 

35 m 3 /h, which means that it covers the 

mid-range performance range within the 

decanter family of Westfalia Separator. 

Compared with the pervious model, the 

g-volume, which is proportionate in 

throughput has been increased by around 

70 percent. With high solid throughputs, 

hydraulic conveyance support reduces the 

strain on the scroll drive. This is made 

possible by a special type of conveyer 

scroll. The electric Westfalia Separator 



Umwelttechnik 

varipond system can also be used as an 

option; this enables the pond depth to be 

varied in a controlled manner. 

Thrifty operation 

Despite the high throughput capacity and 

the substantially higher torque, there was 

a further requirement for the design 

department to meet: energy consumption 

was to be minimized. Westfalia Separator 

fully achieved this. 

, 

5

Umwelttechnik 

MBR Deca 

as Forward-Lookin 

WASTE WATER CLARIFICATION IN CANADIAN CONTAINER CITY FOR

ter 

Technology 

OIL SAND RECOVERY 

Umwelttechnik 

There are huge reserves of oil in the northern Tar 

Sands of the Canadian province of Alberta. Among 

the many operations to recover this valuable 

resource is the Canadian Natural Resource Limited 

(CNRL) Horizon Project.

Umwelttechnik 

A trailer settlement has now been established there for the 

employees of a project designed to recover crude oil from the oil 

sand. The operator is using the innovative Membrane Bio Reactor 

process (MBR) for the high-quality waste water processing facility of 

the trailer city; in this process, the sewage sludge obtained is 

efficiently dewatered with a specially designed MBR decanter from 

Westfalia Separator. 

Second largest oil reserves 

in the world after Saudi Arabia 

IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF FORT MCMURRAY, IN THE NORTH OF THE CANADIAN 

PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, EVERYTHING IS SOMEWHAT LARGER THAN NORMAL. 

More than 50 meters below the surface, there is a layer (which is 

60 meters thick on average) consisting of sand, water, clay 

and valuable bitumen from which the oil is recovered. At least 

100 billion tonnes of oil worldwide can be recovered from such 

sand reserves. With a reserve of 24 billion tonnes, Canada has 

almost one-quarter of global reserves, and virtually overnight 

became the country with the second largest oil reserves in the 

world, after Saudi Arabia. 

The “Horizon“ project 

The Horizon site has been set up approximately 70 km to the north 

of Fort McMurray; this is an open-cast mining operation which 

operates as a three-phase project, with the aim of achieving a daily 

output of 232,000 barrels of synthetic crude oil per day in the 

third phase. 232,000 barrels of crude oil per day is equivalent 

to 270,000 barrels of bitumen, 521,000 tonnes of oil sand 

and 1152 million tonnes of material which has to 

be mined and moved every day. For this purpose, 

CNRL employed approx. 6000 people on site for 

establishing production in 2006 and 2007. Once 

full capacity has been attained, 2400 employees 

will still be employed at the location. These 

employees are housed in a trailer complex called 

Chelsea Lodge. Efficient waste water processing 

is of course also necessary for this “microcity“ in 

trailers, particularly since oil sand extraction is, 

environmentally speaking, a very sensitive subject. 

The entire oil sand mining operation is very innovative, 

Huge excavators dig through sand, 

clay and gravel to reach one of the 

largest oil reserves on the planet, 

namely the so-called oil sand.

as is the waste water processing 

facility, which does not use conventional 

biological waste water treatment, and 

instead uses a AMembrane Bio Reactor 

(MBR) solution for processing purposes. 

The MBR process requires much less space 

than a conventional biological waste 

water processing facility. The quality of 

the waste water purified by membrane 

filtration is extremely high, and is therefore 

ideal for recycling purposes. However, 

the MBR sludge is relatively difficult 

to dewater. The best solution is to 

use centrifugal separation technology. 

Westfalia Separator has developed a 

special decanter for this purpose. 

Convincing Membrane 

Bio Reactor method 

In the Membrane Bio Reactor method, 

hollow fibre membranes purify the 

water from the biological waste water 

treatment plant. These membranes are 

similar to two-meter-long strands of 

spaghetti, and are immersed as a bunch 

in the waste water tank with waste water 

which has been pre-strained very well. 

Membrane-filtered purified water is 

discharged below atmospheric pressure 

and leaves behind very fine surplus 

activated sludge. This very homogeneous 

sewage sludge is now conditioned with 

flocculants. The special design of the 

MBR decanters of the the Westfalia 

Separator cdforce series ensures that 

polymer consumption is minimised. The 

MBR decanter UCD 305 ("Crocodile") 

used in the Chelsea Lodge project 

then dewaters the sludge, thus achieving 

a reduction in sludge volume which 

is approximately 20 percent higher than 

is the case with chamber-filter or 

strainer-belt presses or other standard 

decanters. The solids concentration of the 

cake in this particular case is somewhat 

less than 20 percent dry substance. The 

Umwelttechnik 

capacity of around 10 m 3 waste water 

sludge per hour is very high. 

In the Chelsea Lodge project, the 

installation has only been designed for a 

population equivalent to approx. 20,000. 

However, the MBR process with the MBR 

decanter, which has been specifically 

designed for handling soft sludges, can 

also be used for medium-range and high 

capacities, where in future it will become 

even more highly regarded as a result of 

its wide range of benefits.

Umwelttechnik 

CHANGI is 

MEGA WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT 

PROJECT IN SINGAPORE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 

It was the largest waste water treatment plant in the world which started commissioning 

in 2007. This was a long-term project which, over a period of five years, required 

dedicated teamwork for meeting extremely tight “milestone“ deadlines. 

In terms of sales volume, it was one of the largest single orders 

which Westfalia Separator Umwelttechnik has ever carried out. 

It was a complete success. Changi Water Reclamation Plant 

(CWRP), the new waste water treatment plant of the City State 

of Singapore has been completed. The 30 large decanters of 

Westfalia Separator included in the project for thickening and 

dewatering were commissioned on time, and has since been 

running to the customer's entire satisfaction. 

Five-year long-term project 

The CWRP has been installed by the City State of Singapore on 

a 54 hectare site which has been reclaimed from the sea. In 

parallel, Singapore also installed a tunnel at a depth of 20 to 

30 


50 meters below the entire city. This tunnel has pipework of 

around 48 km with diameters of between 3.5 and 6.0 meters; 

it conveys waste water from 50 percent of its four million 

inhabitants with a natural gradient, to CWRP. With its 

capacity of 800,000 m 3 /day, it is the main feature of the deep 

tunnel sewerage system of Singapore. By way of comparison: 

the German capital Berlin treats around 650,000 m 3 waste 

water/day. The time scale: in April 2002, Westfalia Separator 

Umwelttechnik received the order for constructing, delivering, 

installing and commissioning 10 CA 1035 decanters for 

dewatering and 20 CA 1036 decanters for thickening, 

including accessories. Two years later, in May 2004, the first of 

the 30 machines arrived on the site. 

Umwelttechnik

Running 

Umwelttechnik 

30 decanters at work 

Production of the 30 decanters in the Niederahr plant started at 

the end of 2002 and was completed at the beginning of 2006; 

installation of the 7.70 m long partially dismantled decanters 

started in the spring of 2004 and was completed by the end of 

2006. 6.5 km pipework was laid for this purpose, 113 km cables 

and 1210 valves, to mention just a few figures. The capacity of 

the decanters is equivalent to an equivalent clarifying area of 

805,000 m 2 . Rakes are initially used to remove coarse particles 

from the incoming waste water, which is then sent to a biological 

stage. The surplus activated sludge obtained is thickened by the 

20 CA 1036 thickening decanters in the solids module of the 

waste water treatment plant which is housed in a multi-storey 

closed building. They permit a sludge throughout of 4000 m 3 /hour. 

The sludge which is thickened in this way is then sent to a digester. 

After the sludge has spent the required amount of time in the digester, 

it is dewatered by the 10 CA 1035 decanters to such an extent 

that it is discharged with a crumbly texture and can be disposed of. 

Desired guaranteed figures 

attained extremely quickly 

Following several months of dry and clear water tests, the 

initial sludge was processed with the type CA 1036 thickening 

decanters on 12 February 2007. The decanters attained the desired 

guaranteed figures extremely quickly. The Westfalia Separator 

varipond system was particularly useful in this respect. This 

patented system enables the desired thickening result to be 

adjusted during ongoing operation. After spending the required 

amount of time in the digester, the thickened sludge was available 

at the end of March 2007 as digested sludge for the type 

CA 1035 dewatering decanters. The decanters were again able 

to treat the sludge without any difficulty. Soon after the initial 

start of the decanter, the dewatered sludge was discharged from 

the solids chute with a “crumbly“ consistency. Even without a 

laboratory analysis, it was clear – the decanters are doing their job. 

In the following weeks and months, the contractually specified 

acceptance procedure was also carried out in parallel with processing 

of the sludge which occurred in the installation. Successful 

commissioning was confirmed by the acceptance certificate on 

time. Following successful acceptance, the service agreement signed 

by the point at which the installation was sold is now running. 

Constant team work 

The Changi mega project has thus been completed for Westfalia 

Separator Umwelttechnik. Extremely successfully, because it was 

completed on time and with the agreed results. In addition 

to the technical performance, the remarkable aspect of this 

assignment was without doubt the high degree of constancy 

which the team demonstrated over the period of five years which 

is extremely long for a single project. Apart from Westfalia 

Separator Umwelttechnik as the sales company, Westfalia 

Separator Industry and Westfalia Separator Engineering were 

also involved. Without doubt, the collaboration between the 

various disciplines internally and externally with the client was 

an impressive organisational and, in the final analysis, also 

human achievement. Changi is up and running.

Umwelttechnik 

Environmentally- 

Friendly 

Liquid Manure 

Processing 

in Belgium

TIGHTER ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION 

HAS CONSEQUENCES FOR PIG FARMING 

At the beginning of the 1990s, environmental laws became more 

strict and implementation was monitored more closely. The 

use of nutrients – and in particular those of animal origin – on 

agricultural areas became more and more restricted. This meant 

that a surplus of liquid manure occurred in Belgium as a result of 

intensive pig farming. 

Separation of liquid manure 

With a decanter, liquid pig manure can be separated easily into a 

solid mass and a “thin” centrate phase without the addition of 

polymers. Up to 40 percent of the nitrogen content and up 

to 80 percent of the phosphate content are concentrated 

in the solids. After processing, the solids normally have a dry 

matter content of approximately 30 percent and the centrate has 

approximately one to two percent solids and some salts. Decanters 

from Westfalia Separator are increasingly handling liquid manure 

separation, and Westfalia Separator Belgium has in recent months 

received orders for numerous projects, particularly with machines 

of the type UCD 305 and UCD 345, which are ideal for these 

applications. The dewatered solids are not sterile and have to be 

processed further. A heat-based procedure is usually used for this 

purpose, for instance drying, composting or combustion. After 

having been sterilised, the solid manure can be exported or sold to 

private customers, for instance as soil for gardening purposes. 

Until 2006, the nutrient-reduced centrate was used as a fertilizer on 

agricultural areas. Since the beginning of 2007, there has been a 

further tightening of Belgian laws with regard to the European 

nutrient laws. The consequence was that either pig stocks had to 

be reduced or that the centrate had to be processed accordingly 

(or both). 



Umwelttechnik 

In certain regions, for instance the northern part of Belgium, the amount of nutrients 

resulting from agricultural fertilizers is higher than the environment can absorb. 

Agricultural areas are saturated with nutrients to such an extent that there is a risk of 

drinking water becoming contaminated. 

Separators handle centrate clarification 

In practice, the stricter legislation meant that some small and 

loss-making farmers had to abandon their pig-farming operations. 

In this way, nation-wide pig stocks declined slightly. On the other 

hand, larger farms and pig-breeding operations are investing in 

liquid manure processing installations. At present, there are only 

a few centrate-processing installations in Belgium which can 

guarantee that the effluent is of adequate quality for being 

discharged into rivers. Most of the effluent is still used as fertiliser 

to be spread over fields. However, Westfalia Separator has shown 

that further clarification of decanter centrate by means of a disc 

centrifuge (separator) is feasible.

Lifestyle 

The Truth is on the 

FOOTBALL IS CLEARLY MORE 

THAN MERELY SPORT 

And of course this football euphoria gives rise to the question: 

Why this game? There is a simple explanation: football is more than 

merely a sport. It offers so many facets that football fever can break 

out even among rationally thinking scientists. Even off the pitch. 

Miraculous bananas 

Simply enter the term “banana cross” into a search engine on 

the Internet. These are the miraculous free kicks and crosses of 

artists such as Manni Kaltz, Mario Basler, Roberto Carlos and 

David Beckham, which suddenly describe a sharp bend. 

Thousands of hits are displayed, including mathematical models 

for linear and non-linear types. In strictly scientific terms: 

for a banana cross, the ball has to be kicked off-centre. This offcentre 

force is translated into a forward motion and a rotational 

motion. Ideal conditions are approximately 100 km/h and a 

rotational frequency of more than eight revolutions per second. 

Under these conditions, the miraculous bananas initially travel 

so quickly that the airflow around the ball is almost completely 

turbulent. The result: the ball moves in a straight line despite its 

rotation. The speed of the ball is then continuously reduced as a 

result of air resistance. And then the crucial thing happens: at a 

certain speed, the air turbulence is replaced by a laminar flow. 

The rotating ball “grips” again. The air which is pushed along by 

the rotation on one side of the ball now encounters the air 

coming from the opposite direction – overpressure is generated. 

34 


On the other hand however, both layers of air are flowing 

in parallel – underpressure is encountered. As a result of 

this “Magnus” effect, the ball is forced to describe a curve. 

Mathematically at any rate. Almost as simple as the centrifugal 

effect in a centrifuge. And similarly effective. 

Ball-enamoured strikers of steel 

The fact that truth is to be found on the pitch is also known by 

robot developers. This is demonstrated by the fact that, between 

14 and 20 July 2008, Suzhou, China, will be the venue of the 

RoboCup World Cup, at which football robots made from rubber 

and steel will contend for the title. The first Robot Football 

World Cup was held in 1997. This was also a very special year 

for the relationship between man and computers. We will return 

to this point later. Originally, the initiator of the RoboCup, the 

Japanese IT specialist Hiroaki Kitano, conceived of a competition 

in which robots were to contend in specific applications such as 

maintenance or catastrophe aid. Kitano however recognised 

that it was better to first develop the fundamental technologies 

in a game and then transfer them to the desired areas. The 

game chosen by Kitano was of course football. It proved to 

be particularly suitable as a result of its dynamic nature, the 

necessary high degree of co-operation, and not least its worldwide 

popularity. It is simply the ideal platform to make robot 

progress available to a wide public. 

Lifestyle

Pitch 

Robots should win the 

Football World Cup in 2050 

Several thousand scientists in approx. 35 countries are now 

infected by the idea of the steel striker. This is because they are 

all aware that robots which are able to play football also have 

the fundamental skills which are necessary for instance in the 

autonomous control of production processes or assembly in 

space. The scientists organised in the International RoboCup 

Federation also have a much more ambitious objective – namely 

world dominance in stadiums. By no later than the year 2050, 

robots which are similar to humans are expected to play against 

real footballers for the Football World Cup, and of course are 

also expected to win. Of course in accordance with the official 

FIFA rules prevailing at that time. Until then however, there will 

be several difficult problems to be solved. The football robots 

are today capable of dribbling and also executing overhead 

bicycle kicks. However, the machines are still ball artists very 

much enamoured of their own skills, and co-operation at 

present mainly consists of not standing in the way of each other. 

The robot developers will have to solve these challenges and 

many other challenges on the way to the 2050 World Cup. 

However, we should not underestimate the artificial football 

intelligence; we learnt this lesson in the above-mentioned year 

1997 – the computer Deep Blue in that year achieved an overwhelming 

victory over the Chess World Champion Gary Kasparov. 

Lifestyle 35 


Lifestyle 

When the European Football Championships kick off in 

June, the world will again focus on one aspect: the ball 

has to find the net, preferably the opponent’s. 

A computer machine has 

therefore already beaten an 

outstanding example of 

human skill. However, football 

has its own laws. We 

in Germany like to quote 

Gary Lineker, who once said: 

“Football is a simple game; 

22 men chase a ball for 

90 minutes, and at the end 

the Germans always win.”. 

We are looking forward to 

football in the year 2008 with 

its many emotional moments 

(because they cannot be 

calculated mathematically) at 

the European Championships in 

Austria and Switzerland.

4 Competitors – 1 Winner 

The UCD 536 from Westfalia Separator Umwelt- 

technik is the most efficient and economical 

decanter on the market for the treatment of sewage 

sludge. This was demonstrated in autumn 2007 in a 

direct comparison test which was attended by the 

four most renowned European manufacturers. 

The mobile model from the Westfalia Separator 

cdforce family convinced after targeted performance 

comparisons were made using the same original 

sludge and monitoring specific parameters: 

consumption of flocculent, separation efficiency 

and dry substance – and it even achieved these at 

different throughput capacities. 

Mechanical Separation 

Westfalia Separator Umwelttechnik GmbH 

Following an assessment of operating, maintenance 

and investment costs of the competing decanters, 

the plant operator had finally determined the test 

winner, the Westfalia Separator UCD 536. 

Take the Best – Separate the Rest 

Werner-Habig-Straße 1 · 59302 Oelde (Germany) · Phone +49 2522 77-0 · Fax +49 2522 77-2950 

umwelttechnik@gea-westfalia.de · www.westfalia-separator.com 

9997-1365-000/0408 EN · Printed in Germany · Printed on chlorine-free, bleached paper 

4.007

Separator's Digest 2008/1 - GEA Westfalia Separator Group

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