Filter apparatus

A centrifugal filter apparatus, comprising:

• a cannister housing having a generally cylindrical internal surface, an inlet and two outlets, including a generally axial liquid supernatant outlet and a solids outlet adjacent said inner surface of said cannister housing;
• a central generally cylindrical annular filter element having a plurality of circumferentially spaced filter pores;
• rotatably supported external centrifugal radial fins extending generally radially from adjacent an exterior surface of said filter element to adjacent said generally cylindrical internal surface of said cannister housing and said external, said external centrifugal fins canted relative to an axis of rotation;
• and
• a drive mechanism rotating said external cylindrical radial fins and said filter element driving solids radially outwardly toward said generally cylindrical internal surface of said cannister housing and said solids outlet with liquid supernatant flowing through said annular filter element to said generally axial liquid supernatant outlet.

A filter apparatus, comprising:

• a continuous flexible resilient generally cylindrical helical coil including a plurality of interconnected generally circular helical coils having a substantially regular sinusoidal shape in the direction of the helix, including opposed top and bottom surfaces of adjacent coils in contact at circumferentially spaced locations forming loop-shaped filter pores between adjacent coils;
• a first filter drive engaging said helical coil compressing or releasing compression of said helical coil to decrease or increase a volume of said loop-shaped filter pores;
• and
• a second filter drive engaging said helical coil and rotating one of said generally circular helical coils relative to a remainder of said generally circular helical coils into and out of registry, thereby modifying and controlling a volume of said loop-shaped filter pores.