Centrifuge
AssigneeM-I L.L.C.
InventorsThomas Geehan, Leonardo Renzo Vicentini, Albert Walraven
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A centrifuge, including: a flange closing off one axial end of a separation chamber; a plurality of apertures that traverse axially through the flange at a radial distance from a flange axis, wherein at least one aperture is in fluid communication with a first outlet passage; a plurality of weir inserts removably disposed within the plurality of apertures to control a flow of one or more fluids from the separation chamber; wherein at least one weir insert disposed within the at least one aperture in fluid communication with the first outlet passage is changeable to prevent or allow fluid communication between the separation chamber and the first outlet passage.
Claims29
A centrifuge, comprising:
- a flange closing off one axial end of a separation chamber;
- a plurality of apertures that traverse axially through the flange at a radial distance from a flange axis, wherein at least one aperture is in fluid communication with a first outlet passage;
- a plurality of weir inserts removably disposed within the plurality of apertures to control a flow of one or more fluids from the separation chamber;
- wherein at least one weir insert disposed within the at least one aperture in fluid communication with the first outlet passage is changeable to perform at least one of 1) both prevent and allow fluid communication between the separation chamber and the first outlet passage and 2) change centrifuge operation from two-phase to three-phase;
- and
- wherein the at least one changeable weir insert is changeable without separating the flange closing off one axial end of the separation chamber from the separation chamber.
(canceled)
A centrifuge, comprising:
- a flange closing off one axial end of a separation chamber;
- a plurality of apertures that traverse axially through the flange at a radial distance from a flange axis, wherein at least one aperture is in fluid communication with a first outlet passage;
- a plurality of weir inserts removably disposed within the plurality of apertures to control a flow of one or more fluids from the separation chamber;
- wherein, when in a first position, a weir insert disposed within the at least one aperture in fluid communication with the first outlet passage provides for fluid communication between the separation chamber and the first outlet passage;
- wherein, when in a second position, the weir insert disposed within the at least one aperture in fluid communication with the first outlet passage blocks fluid communication between the separation chamber the first outlet passage;
- wherein at least one weir insert disposed within the at least one aperture in fluid communication with the first outlet passage, in the first position or the second position, is changeable to allow the centrifuge to operate in two-phase or three-phase;
- and
- wherein the at least one changeable weir insert is changeable without separating the flange closing off one axial end of the separation chamber from the separation chamber.
(canceled)
A method for converting a centrifuge between two-phase and three-phase operations, wherein the centrifuge comprises:
- a flange closing off one axial end of a separation chamber;
- a plurality of apertures that traverse axially through the flange at a radial distance from a flange axis, wherein at least one aperture is in fluid communication with a first outlet passage;
- a plurality of weir inserts removably disposed within the plurality of apertures to control a flow of one or more fluids from the separation chamber;
- the method comprising:
- changing the at least one weir insert disposed within the at least one opening in fluid communication with the first outlet passage to both prevent and allow fluid communication between the separation chamber and the first outlet passage;
- wherein the method does not require separating the flange closing off one axial end of the separation chamber from the separation chamber to perform the changing.
(canceled)
-34. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.