Westfalia Separator Ag

Ulrich Wrede

Wilfried Mackel

Paul Bruning

Willi Niemerg

Hubert Gunnewig

Dieter Schulz

A continuous-operation centrifuge drum for concentrating suspended solids. The concentrated solids are diverted out of an outer solids space through channels into an inner chamber, whence the concentrated solids are continuously extracted. At least one vortical-outflow space is positioned between the channels and the inner chamber, with the points of which the medium enters the channels distributed around the outer demarcation of the outflow space and with the outlet from the outflow space extending from a radially outward region in the outflow space to the inner chamber. A separate vortical-outflow space is associated with each channel. Each outflow space consists of two demarcating surfaces, preferably extending in planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the drum, and of a surrounding wall that connects them, and extends radially to a multiple of its axial length. The points at which the medium enters the channels preferably extend in planes through the axis of rotation of the drum and the outlets from the vortical-outflow spaces are positioned away from the wall.

Continuous-operation centrifuge drum for concentrating suspended solids

A continuously operating centrifuge drum for concentrating suspended solids. The solids that precipitate in a stack of disks accumulate in a solids space and are diverted into a receiving chamber through mouthpieces. The mouthpieces contain throttle bores and communicate with the periphery of the solids space. To improve the known centrifuge drum to the extent that an optimal solids concentration can be obtained at low expense with no detriment to the clarified phase, there are secondary mouthpieces that also contain throttle bores, that communicate with a radially inner zone of the solids space, and that another receiving chamber is associated with. Since the volume of solids that can be diverted through the primary mouthpieces is less than the volume of solids separated in the drum, the solids flow out of the primary mouthpieces at the maximum attainable concentration, whereas the excess solids flow out through the secondary mouthpieces.

Continuously operating centrifuge drum

The intake space of a centrifuge drum is divided into a vestibule with ribs and an intake chamber without ribs. The vestibule communicates with the intake chamber through an annular gap between the outside diameter of a disk secured to an intake pipe and the inside diameter of the intake space. The intake chamber communicates with a set of disks through channels. The diameter D.sub.K of the intake chamber at the level of the channels is longer than the diameter D.sub.F that must be maintained at the upper surface of the centrifugate in a skimming chamber during operation. Since the incoming centrifugate does not rotate in the intake chamber and since no rotational pressure is accordingly generated, the intake pressure in the intake pipe is transmitted when the intake chamber is full to the centrifugate in the intake chamber, until the requisite level of centrifugate in the skimming chamber is attained. The pressure that is transmitted to the annular gap is compensated for by the rotational pressure of the centrifugate in the vestibule, allowing absolutely smooth distribution of the centrifugate when the intake chamber is full throughout the whole operational range of the drum.

Centrifuge drum for clarifying or separating centrifugates

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

In the continuous-operation centrifuge drum for concentrating suspended solids the solids are conveyed to a central chamber from a solids space through channels. Before the solids arrive in the central chamber, they must travel through an unribbed annular space. Since the solids concentrate tends to increase its existing kinetic energy, a higher flow resistance is generated. As viscosity increases, the solids, however, are more powerfully affected by friction in the unribbed annular space, their kinetic energy decreases, and the flow resistance decreases. The resulting increase in the volume of solids extracted also decreases its concentration and hence its viscosity. This behavior of the solids in the unribbed annular space of a rotating drum results in automatic regulation of the solids concentration.

A bowl for a centrifuge for clarifying or separating mixtures of liquids. The bowl has a valve or slide that is maintained in the closure position by a closure fluid. The closure fluid circulates at the same angular velocity as the bowl. A closure chamber containing the closure fluid is associated with the bowl. To decrease the consumption of closure fluid, the opening motion of the valve or slide is initiated by closure fluids that act on the closure fluid in a direction opposite the one that the bowl is rotating in and that decrease the angular velocity of the closure fluid and hence the closure force exerted on the valve or slide while the bowl continues to rotate at full operating speed.

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Ennigerloh-Ostenfelde, Germany

Ulrich Wrede