Centrifugal separator and method for eliminating air locks in a centrifugal separator

Abstract

A centrifugal separator bowl includes a rotor casing enclosing a separation space in which a stack of frustoconical separation discs is arranged to rotate around a vertical axis of rotation, wherein the separation discs are arranged with the imaginary apex pointing to the axially lower end of the rotor casing; a feed inlet at the axially lower end for receiving the fluid mixture to be separated; a distributor for distributing the fluid mixture from the inlet to the separation space, the distributor being arranged for guiding the fluid mixture to be separated continuously from an axially lower position at the inlet to an axially upper position in the separation space. The separator bowl further includes a light phase outlet for discharge of a separated phase of a first density and a heavy phase outlet for discharge of a separated phase of a second density higher than the first density, the heavy phase outlet being arranged at the axially upper end of the rotor casing; at least one outlet conduit for transporting separated phase of the second density from the separation space, the conduit extending from a radially outer position of the separation space to the heavy phase outlet; the conduit having a conduit inlet arranged at the radially outer position and a conduit outlet at a radially inner position.