Westfalia Separator Ag

Hubert Gunnewig

Ulrich Wrede

In centrifuges that concentrate liquids that contain suspended solids and wherein the concentrated solids are removed from the centrifuge at a constant rate, the concentration of solids leaving the centrifuge must be regulated. Some of the concentrated solids leaving the centrifuge for example can for this purpose be returned to the centrifuge. In the method in accordance with the invention, the solids leaving the centrifuge through its second outlet are diverted through a measuring channel that contains a bob. The shape of the bob ensures that the force exerted on it by the solids will increase with the viscosity of the solids. The force can accordingly be exploited to adjust a flow regulator in such a way that amount of solids returned to the centrifuge is decreased.

Method of driving a centrifuge and device for carrying out the method

A method and device for separating two liquid phases by means of a centrifuge. The position of the zone that separates them is varied by supplying additional heavy phase as a function of that position. Once the zone arrives at a certain location, traces of light phase will appear in the heavy-phase outlet. A shutoff is opened and additional heavy phase is supplied for a prescribed length of time through a separate intake, displacing the zone toward another location. The process is repeated, with more heavy phase being diverted through the heavy-phase outlet than is supplied through the product intake.

Method and device for separating two liquid phases by means of a

A self-emptying centrifuge drum has at its periphery an annular gap between its cover and bottom. The gap can be opened and closed with a piston slide. The cover and bottom of the drum are connected by a strainer basket. The basket is rigid enough to ensure unexceptionable concentricity of the parts of the drum under all operating conditions. The position of the strainer basket in the immediate vicinity of the plate insert divides the centrifugation space into a separation space and a solids space in such a way that the sedimentation in the solids space is unaffected by the flow of liquid in the channels.

Self-emptying centrifuge drum

A fully jacketed centrifuge with a helical conveyor for separating mixtures of solids and liquid has apertures below the surface of the liquid in the jacket of the drum. Some of the centrifuges solids are let off through the apertures. Inside the helical conveyor is, in addition to one inlet space for the mixture of solids and liquids, another inlet space that has an access and that communicates with channels that extend in the vicinity of the apertures into the vicinity of the jacket. The apertures are positioned in interchangeable mouthpieces. The concentration of solids flowing off out of the apertures is controlled by constantly returning part of the solids that emerge from the flowoff through the access, the second inlet space, and the channels into the vicinity of the apertures.

Fully jacketed centrifuge with a helical conveyor

A centrifuge with a self-emptying drum including drum jacket having ejection openings for the solids that collect in the solids space. The openings can be blocked off with a piston valve with which is associated a closure compartment that can be charged with closure liquid. The closure compartment has outlet channels around it that can be blocked off with a hydraulically controlled valve body. When the valve is open, the closure liquid flows into a compartment with choked run-off bores. The compartment has sufficient capacity for part of the closure liquid. The compartment has at least one run-off channel that has a valve with a piston that can be shifted hydraulically in it. When the solids space is to be completely emptied, the closure liquid flowing into the compartment moves the valve piston into the opening position so that the closure liquid can flow off through a channel. If the solids space is only to be partly emptied, the valve piston is retained in the sealing position, in which it is charged with pressure liquid on the side facing away from the compartment.

Centrifuge with a self-emptying drum

Discharge nozzles are provided in centrifugal separator drums for the continuous discharge of the concentrate separated in the drum, and are inserted into the drum wall from the outside for the sake of ease of installation and cleaning. To enable the discharge orifice to aim itself correctly tangential to the drum circumference during operation and against the direction of rotation of the drum, there is provided opposite a locking projection on the discharge nozzle, an additional, excentrically disposed projection. The center of gravity of the rotatable discharge nozzle lies in this projection, so that, under the action of centrifugal force when the drum is rotating, the center of gravity of the discharge nozzle will set itself, even if incorrectly aligned at installation, on an axis that is radial to the drum axis. The discharge orifice is aimed opposite to the direction of drum rotation at an angle of 90.degree. to the gravity axis.

Discharge nozzle for centrifugal separator drums

A continuously operating centrifugal separator suitable for concentration of suspended solids contained in a liquid feed material, having a drum for separation of the feed material into a concentrated fraction and a clear fraction, a paring chamber 15 for discharge of the concentrated fraction, a first passageway 13 for delivery of the concentrated fraction from the periphery 12 of the drum to the paring chamber, and a second passageway for receiving concentrated fraction from the paring chamber and discharge thereof from the drum. The invention provides a conduit means for recycling some of the concentrated fraction which has been conveyed to the paring chamber to the first passageway. Thereby the concentration of solids in the concentrated fraction can be controlled without interferring with the separation being effected in the drum.

Continuously operating centrifugal separator drum for the concentration

Centrifugal separator having control valves 12 in the concentrated phase discharge passageway 10 for control of the concentration of solids in the concentrated phase. The control valves are hydraulically operated and have a control chamber 12c for the control fluid. The control fluid is clear phase obtained by communicating the control chamber 12c with the paring chamber 6 for the clear phase. Desirably the closing device of the valves is a resilient deformable tube membrane 12b.

Continuously operating centrifugal separator having hydraulically

A centrifugal separator for the concentration of suspended solids has a rotatable drum and hydraulically operated outlet valves uniformly distributed about the periphery of the drum in the plane of greatest drum diameter. The valves include nozzle apertures and movable valve bodies therein. The valve bodies are mounted to close the nozzle apertures by the centrifugal force of the drum at full rotary speed and are displaced to an open position in response to the feeding of operating liquid during use. A liquid ring valve controllably releases the operating liquid to effect the reclosing of the nozzle apertures under the action of the centrifugal force.

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Oelde, Germany

Hubert Gunnewig