Quarries & Aggregates Limestone Czech Republic

Vápenka Vitosov

Water and sludge treatment plant for aggregate washing under harsh climatic conditions and continuous operation.

Vapenka Vitoul, part of the Vitošov Group, operates a limestone quarry in the Czech Republic producing high-purity limestone for lime and micronised products. Separation performance directly affects the purity and quality of the final product, while the plant must operate continuously under demanding climatic conditions. CAB Minerals worked with Tecnoidea to design and integrate the aggregate-washing and water-treatment plant.

The project challenges

Turbid water

The wash water had extremely high turbidity, requiring a controlled preliminary dilution step before clarification.

Winter temperatures

Continuous 24 h/day operation at temperatures down to -10 °C required measures to protect the pipework and equipment against freezing.

Sludge dewatering

Milk-of-lime dosing had to be accurately controlled to support sludge filterability, produce spadeable filter cakes and manage operating costs.

Tecnoidea’s process-engineering approach

Flocculant dosing

Part of the clarified water is automatically recirculated for preliminary dilution of the incoming turbid water, reducing flocculant demand.

Thermal insulation

The plant and its pipework were insulated to support operation at ambient temperatures down to -10 °C.

Twin-turbine agitation for milk of lime

The sludge-dewatering system was equipped with a twin-turbine agitator to mix the milk of lime uniformly with the sludge before filtration.

Results

Reduced flocculant consumption

Recirculating clarified water for preliminary dilution reduces the flocculant dose required for the incoming turbid water.

Spadeable filter cakes

Controlled milk-of-lime dosing and sludge mixing support the production of firm, spadeable filter cakes.

Automated 24-hour operation

The integration of Tecnoidea’s SADF automatic flocculant dosing system and LEM sludge-level monitoring supports automated process control and continuous 24 h/day operation.