Device for increasing dry matter content of flowable medium and method for monitoring performance of device

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for increasing the dry matter content of a flowable medium (S), such as sludge, the apparatus comprises a thickener (1) for thickening the medium (S), a feed pump (2) for feeding the medium (S) to the thickener (1), a discharge pump (3) for discharging the thickened medium (T) from the thickener (1), a discharge hopper (4) at the inlet of the discharge pump (3) or between the thickener (1) and the discharge pump (3), and monitoring means for monitoring the performance of the apparatus, the monitoring device at least comprises a feed flow meter (10) for measuring the feed flow from the feed pump (2) to the thickener (1), the monitoring device further comprises means for measuring the time taken to empty the hopper (4) from the first higher level to the second lower level and / or the time taken to fill the hopper (4) from the second lower level to the first higher level (e.g., the downtime of the discharge pump) during operation of the discharge pump (3), and means (18) for calculating the discharge flow rate of the thickener (1) using the measured time and the discharge volume of the hopper (4).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for increasing the dry substance content (and thus reducing the volume) of a flowable medium, such as sludge, the apparatus comprising:

[0002] a thickener for thickening (e.g. dewatering) the medium,

[0003] a feed pump for feeding the medium to the thickener, and

[0004] a discharge pump for discharging the thickened / dewatered medium from the thickener. BACKGROUND

[0005] Thickening of sludge is an important process or process step in wastewater treatment. Increasing the dry substance content (DS) of a medium, such as sludge, results in a volume reduction due to the extraction of water or other liquid, which reduces the sludge load in downstream processes, in particular during transport of the sludge.

[0006] The thickener is preferably a mechanical thickening device, such as a gravity belt thickener (GBT), which is well known and widely used for increasing the solids concentration by thickening the sludge by draining water or other liquid from the sludge under the influence of gravity through a permeable medium, such as a moving belt or screen belt, wherein the sludge is transported over the moving belt or screen belt through the gravity belt thickener. In a GBT, the dry substance content increases along the length of the belt as water is drained through the belt, and a layer of thickened sludge is formed on the belt. The belt is for example a continuous loop belt designed as a screen belt. The thickened sludge drops from the end of the upper surface of the belt. However, other types of thickener can also be used, such as a drum thickener or a screw press.

[0007] The flowable medium is transported to the thickener by the feed pump, and the thickened sludge is discharged at the outlet of the thickener by the discharge pump.

[0008] The supply pump and / or discharge pump are preferably designed as screw pumps. Screw pumps are a type of pump derived from rotating positive displacement pump sets, used in a wide range of industrial sectors to transport various media, particularly liquid media with solid components (e.g., sludge). A screw pump includes at least a stator, a rotor rotating within the stator, a drive for the rotor, and, for example, a pump housing connected to the stator. This pump housing is also designated as a suction housing depending on the operating mode, and has at least a housing opening or inlet opening for the medium to be transported. For example, the drive of an electric motor operates on a central rotating shaft, which can be a drive shaft or a so-called insert shaft. The rotating shaft is operated via a coupling device (e.g., a connecting rod) on the rotor or its rotor head, which rotates eccentrically to create or ensure eccentricity by means of the coupling device or connecting rod. The stator of a screw pump is typically made of a resilient material and can be enclosed or packaged by a single-piece or multi-piece stator housing or stator casing, which can be made of metal or the like. In the device of the present invention, a screw pump is preferably used as the supply pump and / or discharge pump, but other conveying devices or pumps, such as cam pumps or peristaltic pumps, can usually be used instead.

[0009] Reducing the volume of media / sludge by increasing its dry matter content, for example, in wastewater treatment, is highly economical because increased dry matter content typically leads to direct cost savings, such as during sludge transportation. Typical dry matter content is, for example, in the range of 2.5% (by weight). Any malfunction of equipment or, for example, a thickener can lead to reduced thickening efficiency and thus increased costs. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a device for improving the dry matter content of a flowable medium (e.g., sludge), and in particular a device for monitoring and optimizing device performance.

[0011] Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for monitoring the performance of equipment used to increase the dry matter content of a flowable medium (e.g., sludge).

[0012] To achieve this objective, the present invention relates to the apparatus as defined in claim 1 and the method as defined in claim 15.

[0013] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for increasing the dry matter content of a flowable medium (e.g., sludge), the apparatus comprising:

[0014] Thickeners used to thicken media (e.g., for dehydration).

[0015] A supply pump used to supply the medium to the thickener.

[0016] A discharge pump used to remove thickened / dehydrated media from a thickener.

[0017] At the inlet of the discharge pump or in the discharge hopper between the thickener and the discharge pump, and

[0018] A monitoring device used to monitor the performance of the device (e.g., to monitor the performance of one or more components of the device).

[0019] The monitoring device includes at least a supply flow meter for measuring the supply flow from the supply pump to the thickener, and

[0020] The monitoring device further includes:

[0021] A device for measuring the time taken to empty the hopper (completely or partially) from a first higher liquid level to a second lower liquid level during operation of the discharge pump and / or the time taken to fill the hopper from the second lower liquid level to the first higher liquid level (during discharge pump shutdown), and / or

[0022] A device for calculating the discharge flow rate of a thickener using measured time and the discharge volume of the hopper.

[0023] This invention is based on the concept of improving the performance of equipment used to increase dry matter content, particularly the performance of the thickener, by using a pump within the device, so that monitoring can be performed without the need for additional sensors. Specifically, no additional flow meter is required at the discharge end of the thickener or in the area of ​​the discharge pump, because the pump flow rate can be calculated by the time spent filling the hopper and / or the time spent emptying the discharge hopper between the thickener and the pump. Considering that an inlet flow meter is typically used between the supply pump and the thickener, no additional flow meter is needed at the outlet of the thickener to determine the volume reduction of the medium (e.g., sludge) and thus the increase in the dry matter content of the medium. The sludge volume reduction can be calculated by comparing the flow rate measured by the inlet flow meter fitted to the sludge supply pump with the calculated flow rate for the discharge pump.

[0024] To determine the time for (complete or partial) filling and / or emptying of the hopper, the apparatus for measuring the time preferably includes one or more detection devices for detecting a first higher level and a second lower level of the medium within the hopper. The detection devices are, for example, one or more level detectors or level sensors, such as a first level detector in the upper region of the hopper and a second level detector in the lower region of the hopper. Alternatively, radar, ultrasonic, or pressure devices can be used as detection devices. Knowing the geometry of the hopper and therefore its volume, the flow rate at the thickener outlet can be easily determined, for example, by an evaluation algorithm. Since the supply pump typically operates during the measurement and thus continuously (re)fills the hopper, it is appropriate to consider the hopper's supply during the time measurement in the calculations using the evaluation algorithm.

[0025] Preferably, a supply line (supply conduit) is arranged between the supply pump and the thickener, and a supply flow meter is adapted to or integrated into the supply line, for example. Furthermore, a discharge line (conduit) may be connected to the outlet of the discharge pump, and preferably, a discharge pressure gauge for measuring the discharge pressure is adapted to or integrated into the discharge line.

[0026] The present invention preferably also utilizes the known concept of injecting a conditioning medium (e.g., a polymer) into a thickener, or preferably into a supply line between the supply pump and the thickener. Thus, an additional pump, designated as a conditioning pump, can be used to supply the conditioning medium, such as a polymer, to the supply line via, for example, a conditioning line arranged between the conditioning pump and the supply line. The conditioning medium is injected into the sludge supply line to optimize the thickening process by flocculating the sludge with the polymer. The polymer is injected, for example, via an injection ring located in the sludge supply line having one or more hoses. In practical use, it is possible that the hoses become clogged, which reduces sludge conditioning and thus reduces the effectiveness of thickening, resulting in a lower dry matter content when the thin sludge flows through the belt. In this case, the discharge pump must handle a larger capacity, meaning the discharge pump must run for a longer time to empty the discharge hopper. In this respect, the present invention is based on the concept that measurements of the discharge time and / or the time spent filling the hopper can be used to monitor for any failures during polymer injection, particularly clogging of the hoses within the injection ring. Therefore, appropriate measures can be taken, such as cleaning or replacing the hoses. To optimize these considerations, flow meters and / or pressure gauges / pressure gauges within the regulating line can be used. By combining measurements from one or more of these sensors with measurements of the time spent filling and emptying the hopper, the problem can be pinpointed to the supply mechanism of the regulating medium (e.g., polymer).

[0027] Furthermore, the present invention preferably utilizes the known principle of supplying a washing medium (e.g., washing water) to a thickener to clean components of the thickener, such as the belt of a gravity belt thickener. The washing water is supplied, for example, via a washing supply line and a spray bar with multiple nozzles. In practical use, these nozzles can become clogged, reducing the effectiveness of belt cleaning and causing the belt to become "blind." This reduces thickening effectiveness, resulting in lower dry matter content when the thin sludge flows through the belt, and the discharge pump must handle a larger volume. This means the discharge pump must run for a longer time to empty the hopper from the first level to the second level, and the time spent filling the hopper is reduced. The present invention is based on the idea that measuring the time it takes to empty the hopper can also be used to monitor problems in the water supply. To improve the method, a pressure gauge is preferably adapted to or integrated into the washing line. By assessing not only the filling and / or emptying time of the hopper but also the pressure within the washing water supply line, problems can be localized to the washing water supply area. Any detection of problems in the washing water supply can be responded to with appropriate actions, such as nozzle cleaning or replacement.

[0028] As already explained, variations in hopper filling and / or emptying times can have various causes, but are generally related to performance changes within the belt thickener, such as those caused by variations in polymer supply and / or wash water supply. Furthermore, variations in filling and / or emptying times can arise from variations in the performance of the discharge pump, such as wear on the discharge pump or its components. This effect can also be verified by comparing measured data with pump characteristic data.

[0029] According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a method for monitoring the performance of the aforementioned device. The method is defined by the following steps:

[0030] Measure the supply flow rate of the flowable medium.

[0031] Measure the time taken to empty the discharge hopper from the first higher liquid level to the second lower liquid level during operation of the discharge pump and / or the time taken to fill the discharge hopper from the second lower liquid level to the first higher liquid level (during discharge pump shutdown), and

[0032] The discharge flow rate is calculated using the measured time and the discharge volume of the hopper, for example, using an evaluation unit and / or an evaluation algorithm that can be stored on the evaluation unit.

[0033] Preferably, the volume reduction of the medium is determined by the supply flow rate and the discharge flow rate.

[0034] During equipment operation (and during equipment monitoring), the supply pump runs continuously, as does the thickener. However, the discharge pump does not run continuously but is in a start / stop mode. The discharge pump starts when the medium in the hopper reaches the first level and stops when the medium in the hopper reaches the second level, such that the discharge pump's running time corresponds to the discharge time. The discharge pump's "downtime" corresponds to the hopper's filling time.

[0035] As already described, a conditioning medium (e.g., a polymer) is supplied to the thickener or a supply line, and the flow rate and / or pressure within the conditioning line are preferably monitored. Furthermore, a washing medium (e.g., water) is preferably supplied to the thickener via a washing line, wherein the pressure within the washing line is preferably monitored.

[0036] The performance of the discharge pump can also be monitored by evaluating the measured data and comparing it with stored pump characteristic data (for new pumps).

[0037] In summary, this invention effectively monitors the performance of equipment, particularly thickeners, affected by various factors and potential hurt points. The measures of this invention particularly allow for the easy identification of the root cause of increased hopper filling and / or emptying times, which are preferably detected by measuring the operating time of the discharge pump. This invention allows for wear prediction and / or identification of thickener performance for both the supply and discharge pumps. Flow rates calculated in conjunction with discharge pressure assessments and comparisons with pump characteristic curves allow for careful evaluation of any hurt points: lower discharge pressure indicates lower dry matter content. A reduction in hopper filling time (discharge pump downtime) indicates lower DS (dry matter content). Following this evaluation, auxiliary details, such as parameters within the wash water supply and / or polymer supply, are reviewed to identify the causes of reduced or increased operating times. Furthermore, longer operating times without increasing the sludge supply volume indicate discharge pump wear.

[0038] Typically, data can be evaluated using an assessment unit located within the equipment and therefore within the production site. The monitoring unit can be, for example, integrated into or adapted to the equipment's control unit / control center, such as an adaptation to the control center of a wastewater treatment system.

[0039] However, in a preferred embodiment, the evaluation unit that transmits data measured in the field can be located outside the device. For example, a gateway or pump gateway, typically used for transmitting pump data, can be used to transmit device performance data to an external server, such as a cloud server. In this case, the I / O modules of the detectors connected to the device are connected to the gateway, for example.

[0040] Below, we describe a practical example of an evaluation using the typical monitoring procedures covered by this invention. As described above, the downtime and / or running time of the thickened sludge discharge pump are measured. This allows for the calculation of flow rate by taking into account the time for filling and / or emptying the hopper, the volume of the hopper, and the rate of change due to inflow. Furthermore, the operating current can be calculated.

[0041] In the first scenario, the system typically detects an increase in the discharge pump's operating time. The typical operating time for the discharge pump to empty the hopper is in the range of several minutes, for example, approximately four minutes. The increase could simply be due to an increase in the sludge supply rate measured by the supply flow meter, indicating that the operator has altered the process to the point where no further action is required, as the increase in discharge time is not caused by a performance issue. In this case, the discharge pressure usually also increases.

[0042] However, if the system does not detect an increase in supply flow rate and / or a decrease in discharge pressure despite increased discharge time, this indicates a problem within the system. In this case, the system (e.g., an evaluation algorithm) checks other parameters, particularly the polymer supply flow rate, polymer pump discharge pressure, wash water pressure, and / or discharge pump performance. A decrease in polymer supply flow rate can, for example, indicate a blockage in the polymer injection line. An increase in polymer discharge pressure can also indicate a blockage in the polymer injection line. An increase in wash water pressure indicates a problem with the wash water supply (e.g., the nozzle).

[0043] In the second practical case, the system detects, for example, a reduction in the operating time of the discharge pump, and the reduction in the operating time of the discharge pump initiates a corresponding check within the evaluation algorithm, which is not detailed in the description.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the evaluation algorithm, for example, continuously or quasi-continuously analyzes the measured data and / or calculates one or more performance parameters, such as sludge reduction rate, output, and / or cycle time.

[0045] A status monitoring system for thickeners (such as gravity belt thickeners) comprises several components that work together to provide accurate and timely information to the end user. The system architecture may include:

[0046] Physical systems equipped with sensors: thickeners, such as gravity belt thickeners as described above, and pumps, preferably have sensors.

[0047] Cloud-based data storage: Real-time data from the thickener is transmitted and securely stored in the cloud. This data includes measurements from the thickener's sensors, such as the inflow rate.

[0048] Data analysis algorithm: Advanced algorithms, preferably implemented in the cloud, continuously analyze data collected from the thickener. This algorithm calculates various performance parameters, including sludge reduction rate, outflow rate, or circulation time.

[0049] Cloud-based monitoring services: Performance parameters, including those for calculating sludge reduction rates, are available through cloud-based monitoring services. Users can access this service remotely via a web interface or a dedicated application.

[0050] Alert Configuration: In cloud-based monitoring services, users have the ability to define thresholds for alert notification services. These thresholds can also be set automatically using algorithms. These thresholds serve as expected limits for thickener operation within specific time periods. An alert will be generated if any parameter exceeds the configured threshold.

[0051] Notification System: This system includes a notification mechanism that sends alerts (e.g., email alerts) to designated users when thresholds are exceeded. This notification ensures users are promptly informed of any deviations or malfunctions in the thickener's performance. Attached Figure Description

[0052] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments only and do not limit the scope of protection. In these drawings:

[0053] Figure 1 An example of the device and method according to the invention is shown, and

[0054] Figure 2 Showing according to Figure 1 A modified embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0055] The accompanying drawings schematically illustrate an apparatus for increasing the dry matter content of a flowable medium S, preferably sludge S generated during wastewater treatment. The dry matter content of the sludge S is increased by dewatering the sludge, resulting in a reduction in its volume. The apparatus includes a thickener 1 for dewatering the medium. In the illustrated embodiment, the thickener 1 is preferably a gravity belt thickener 1 that uses gravity to thicken the sludge. The gravity belt thickener 1 operates by separating the liquid from the solid via gravity discharge through a permeable belt (e.g., a screen belt), which is particularly an infinitely circulating belt. Since gravity belt thickeners are known in the art, and the present invention preferably uses these types of gravity belt thickeners, details are not shown in the drawings.

[0056] Furthermore, the apparatus includes a supply pump 2 for supplying the medium to the thickener 1, and the supply pump 2 is connected to the inlet of the thickener 1 via a supply line 5. At the outlet of the thickener 1, the apparatus includes a discharge pump 3 for discharging the thickened medium from the thickener 1. A discharge line 6 is connected to the outlet of the discharge pump 3.

[0057] In the embodiment shown in the figure, both the supply pump 2 and the discharge pump 3 are screw pumps specifically designed for conveying liquid media containing solid particles (e.g., sludge). However, the two pumps 2 and 3 (i.e., the first pump and the second pump) are not necessarily designed identically, and the discharge pump 3 may be designed for a lower or higher flow rate (or conveying capacity) than the supply pump 2.

[0058] Furthermore, the equipment is equipped with an additional system for supplying a conditioning medium (particularly polymer P) to the sludge S, which is then supplied to the thickener 1. Therefore, the accompanying drawings show an additional (third) pump designated as conditioning pump 12, which is connected to the supply line 5 via another line or conduit designated as conditioning line 7. Conditioning line 7 is connected to the sludge supply line 5, for example, via an injection system, which may be an injection ring for injecting the conditioning medium (polymer P) into the sludge S within the sludge supply line 5. Thus, the sludge S mixes with the polymer P, causing sludge flocculation, thereby optimizing the thickening process within the gravity belt thickener 1.

[0059] The thickening process within the gravity belt thickener 1 is further improved by using washing water W as the washing medium. The washing water W is supplied to the belt of the gravity belt thickener 1, for example, via a spray bar or other device, to clean the belt and thus optimize the thickening process. For this purpose, a washing device 15 is connected to the thickener 1 via a washing line 16, which is connected, for example, to a spray bar (not shown) within the thickener 1.

[0060] The discharge hopper 4 is arranged at the inlet of the discharge pump 3, and thus between the thickener 1 and the discharge pump 3, so that the thickened medium T is discharged from the thickener 1 to the hopper 4 by the discharge pump 3.

[0061] According to an important aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a monitoring device for monitoring the performance of the apparatus, the monitoring device comprising monitoring one or more components of the apparatus. The monitoring device includes a supply flow meter 10 integrated in the sludge supply line 5 for measuring the supply flow rate of sludge S from the supply pump 2 to the thickener 1. To monitor the performance of the gravity belt thickener 1, due to the reduction in sludge volume, it is necessary to determine the supply flow rate at the inlet side of the thickener 1 and the discharge flow rate at the outlet of the thickener 1, and therefore the performance of the thickener 1 can be determined by comparing the inlet flow rate and the outlet flow rate.

[0062] However, the present invention operates without an outlet flow meter arranged at the thickener outlet. Instead, the discharge flow rate is determined by using the discharge pump 3, and in particular the hopper 4 of the discharge pump 3. For this purpose, the monitoring device includes means for measuring the time taken to empty the hopper 4 from a first higher liquid level to a second lower liquid level and the time taken to fill the discharge hopper 4 from the second lower liquid level to the first higher liquid level during the operation of the discharge pump 3, and means for calculating the discharge flow rate of the thickener 1 using the measured time and the discharge volume of the hopper 4.

[0063] As shown in the figure, the device for measuring time includes two detection devices: level detectors 8 and 9 or level sensors placed at or inside the hopper to detect a first higher liquid level and a second lower liquid level. Using level detectors 8 and 9, the monitoring device can measure the time taken to empty the discharge hopper 4 from the first liquid level to the second liquid level and / or the time taken to fill the discharge hopper from the second lower liquid level to the first higher liquid level, and can also use the volume of the hopper to calculate the discharge flow rate, where the volume of the hopper 4 refers to the discharge volume of the hopper 4 between the first higher liquid level and the second lower liquid level.

[0064] Therefore, the monitoring device according to the invention can determine the performance of the thickener 1 without the need for additional sensors at the discharge end of the gravity belt thickener 1, and in particular, without the need for additional flow sensors or dry solids meters at the discharge end. In other words, the invention utilizes a virtual flow meter implemented by the discharge pump 3 and its discharge hopper 4, which is equipped with a simple level detector and evaluation device.

[0065] Therefore, the basic principle of the present invention is achieved simply by using the supply pump 2 and the discharge pump 3 and the flow meter 10 in the sludge supply line 5, without the need for, for example, an additional flow meter (or pressure gauge) at the discharge end.

[0066] However, in a preferred embodiment, additional detection devices and sensors can be used to improve the monitoring process. This is because different effects or failures (“damage points”) can affect the performance of the gravity belt thickener 1. Using and evaluating additional sensors helps to distinguish different sources of failure.

[0067] Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, an additional pressure gauge 11 is adapted to the sludge supply line 5. Furthermore, pressure gauge 21 is preferably adapted to the discharge line 6 at the outlet of the discharge pump 3. The figures also show that flow meter 13 and / or pressure gauge 14 can be adapted to or integrated into the regulating line 7, which serves as a polymer line. Finally, an additional pressure gauge 17 is preferably adapted to the washing line 16 for supplying washing water W to the gravity belt thickener. All these sensing devices are connected (e.g., via a sensing module, such as I / O module 19) to... Figure 1The evaluation unit 18 is shown. In addition, pumps 2, 3 (or pump controllers) or at least outlet pump 3 can be connected to the monitoring and evaluation unit 18, because in particular, the time spent filling and emptying the hopper 4 of discharge pump 3 is important for the evaluation.

[0068] During equipment operation, the supply pump 2 and thickener 1 operate continuously, meaning that sludge S is continuously supplied to thickener 1, and thickener 1 continuously thickens the sludge and fills hopper 4. The discharge pump 3 operates "discontinuously" in a start / stop mode. If the first level sensor 8 detects that hopper 4 is full, the discharge pump starts; and if the second level sensor 9 detects that the hopper is empty, the discharge pump stops.

[0069] The evaluation unit 18 is preferably equipped with an evaluation algorithm that evaluates the measured data in the manner described above.

[0070] Figure 1 A first embodiment with an evaluation unit 18 is shown, which is located directly at the device, for example in the control center of the device or wastewater treatment equipment.

[0071] Figure 2 A modified (preferred) embodiment is shown, wherein the evaluation unit 18 is not located at the device but outside the device, such as at an external service location or an external cloud server. For this purpose, the already combined... Figure 1 The sensor described is connected to a detection module 19, which can be a common I / O module. The I / O module 19 is connected, for example, to a communication module 20, which can be a gateway, etc., for transmitting the measured data to the evaluation unit 18 located at the service location and / or a cloud server.

[0072] In both cases, the algorithm for evaluating the measured data in the manner described above is stored in the evaluation unit 18, which may be located at the equipment site. Figure 1 ) or service site or cloud server ( Figure 2 ).

Claims

1. An apparatus for increasing the dry matter content of a flowable medium (S), such as sludge, the apparatus comprising: a thickener (1) for thickening the medium (S), a feed pump (2) for feeding the medium (S) to the thickener (1), a discharge pump (3) for discharging thickened medium (T) from the thickener (1), a discharge hopper (4) at the inlet of the discharge pump (3) or between the thickener (1) and the discharge pump (3), and a monitoring device for monitoring the performance of the apparatus, the monitoring device comprising at least a feed flow meter (10) for measuring the feed flow from the feed pump (2) to the thickener (1), and the monitoring device further comprising: a device for measuring the time taken to empty the hopper (4) from a first higher level to a second lower level and / or to fill the hopper (4) from a second lower level to a first higher level during operation of the discharge pump (3) (e.g. the discharge pump downtime), and a device (18) for calculating the discharge flow of the thickener (1) using the measured time (s) and the discharge volume of the hopper (4).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, the device for measuring the time comprising one or more detection devices for detecting the first higher level and the second lower level of the medium within the hopper (4).

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, The one or more detection devices are one or more level probes (8, 9), or radar devices, ultrasound devices or pressure devices.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, having a feed line (5) from the feed pump (2) to the thickener (1), wherein the feed flow meter (5) is adapted to or integrated in the feed line (5).

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having a discharge line (6) connected to the outlet of the discharge pump (3).

6. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, A discharge pressure meter (21) for measuring the discharge pressure is adapted to or integrated in the discharge line (6) or the discharge pump (3).

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a conditioning pump (12) for feeding a conditioning medium (P), such as a polymer (P), to the thickener (1) or to the feed line (5) via a conditioning line (7) connected to the feed line (5), for example.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, A flow meter (13) and / or a pressure meter (14) is adapted to or integrated in the conditioning line (7).

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a washing device (15) for supplying a washing medium (W), such as washing water, to the thickener (1) via a washing line (16) and preferably via a spray bar or the like.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, A pressure meter (17) is adapted to or integrated in the washing line (16).

11. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, The monitoring device further comprises an evaluation unit (18) to which the feed flow meter (10), the feed pressure meter (11), the detection device (8, 9), the discharge pressure meter (21), the regulation flow meter (13), the regulation pressure meter (14) and / or the washing pressure meter (17) and / or the discharge pump are preferably connected.

12. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The thickener (1) is a mechanical thickening device, for example a gravity belt thickener with an endless circulating permeable belt on which the medium (S) is conveyed in order to reduce the liquid content of the medium by the belt.

13. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The feed pump (2) and / or the discharge pump (3) is a screw pump.

14. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, The feed pump (2) and the discharge pump (3) are designed for the same or different flow rates or conveying capacities or are operated at the same or different flow rates or conveying capacities, for example the discharge pump is designed for a lower or higher flow rate than the feed pump.

15. A method for monitoring the performance of a device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the method being carried out by the following steps: measuring the feed flow rate of the flowable medium, measuring the time taken to empty the discharge hopper from a first higher level to a second lower level during operation of the discharge pump and / or measuring the time taken to fill the hopper from a second lower level to a first higher level, and using the measured time (s) and the discharge volume of the hopper, for example using an evaluation algorithm, to calculate the discharge flow rate.

16. The method according to claim 15, further determining the volume reduction of the medium from the measured feed flow rate and the calculated discharge flow rate.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the feed pump and / or the thickener are continuously operated during monitoring and the discharge pump is operated in start / stop mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The discharge pump is started and stopped depending on the detected level of the medium in the discharge hopper, and the time taken to empty the hopper is preferably the operating time of the discharge pump and / or the time taken to fill the hopper is preferably the downtime of the discharge pump.

19. The method of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein, A regulation medium is supplied to the thickener or preferably to the feed line, and preferably the flow rate and / or the pressure in the regulation line is monitored.

20. The method of any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein, A washing medium is supplied to the thickener, for example via a washing line, wherein preferably the pressure in the washing line is monitored.

21. The method of any one of claims 15 to 20, wherein, The performance of the discharge pump is monitored by evaluating the measured data and comparing the data with stored pump characteristic data.

22. The method of any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein, The measured data are transmitted, for example via the internet, to an evaluation unit, for example located externally to the device, for example at a cloud server.

23. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 22, using an evaluation algorithm, preferably stored at the evaluation unit.

24. The method of any one of claims 21-23, wherein, The evaluation algorithm, for example continuously or quasi-continuously, analyzes the measured data and / or calculates one or more performance parameters, for example sludge reduction rate, outflow and / or cycle time.

25. The method of any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein, The measured data and / or the calculated performance parameters are made available to a user or a user device, for example by a cloud-based monitoring service.

26. The method of any one of claims 21 to 25, wherein, The evaluation unit or the cloud-based monitoring device creates an alert notification to be sent to a user, preferably the user can define threshold values for the alert notification service.

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