Method for determining if air is trapped within a centrifugal separator

Abstract

A method for determining if air is trapped within a centrifugal separator, the separator including a stationary frame, a rotatable assembly, a drive unit for rotating the rotatable assembly relative the frame around an axis of rotation, a feed inlet for supply of a liquid mixture to be separated, a first liquid outlet for discharge of a separated liquid phase and a second liquid outlet for discharge of a heavy phase having a density that is higher than said liquid phase. The rotatable assembly includes a rotor casing enclosing a separation space in which a stack of separation discs is arranged to rotate around a vertical axis of rotation. The method includes closing one of the first and second liquid outlets and restricting the flow from the other outlet; supplying feed to the feed inlet and measuring the flow to the feed inlet and the flow from the restricted outlet; comparing the flow as a function of time between feed inlet and the restricted outlet; and determining that air is trapped within the centrifugal separator if the measured flow as a function of time flow deviates between feed inlet and the restricted outlet.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.