Abstract: An assembly for separating solid phase material from a slurry that comprises a pressurized filtration unit including a vessel and filter media. A slurry is fed to the filtration unit where it is separated into a solid phase material and a liquid phase material. The filtration unit has a solid outlet for discharging the solid phase material to a material transport. The material transport moves the solid phase material to a depressurizing chamber that has a lower pressure than the filtration unit. As the solid phase material enters the depressurizing chamber it is exposed to the lower pressure of that chamber. The material transport maintains the pressure difference between the filtration unit and the chamber. Subsequently, the depressurized solid phase material can be conveyed to other equipment for drying or other processing.

Abstract: A filter assembly comprises a tank, a support pipe disposed at least partially inside the tank, and a filter drum disposed inside the tank, the drum being rotatably mounted to the support pipe for rotation thereabout. The drum carries a filter element and has an inner surface. A suction source communicates with the support pipe to generate an underpressure inside the drum for pulling filtrate through the filter element from the tank during rotation of the drum. A blowback pipe extends into the support pipe and is provided at one end with a pipe section traversing the support pipe and extending toward the inner surface of the drum. A shoe or valve plate having a low-friction outer surface is connected to the pipe section and is disposed between the support pipe and the inner surface of the drum. The shoe may be provided with an elongate outlet slot extending parallel to an axis of rotation of the drum.