Centrifugal separator and centrifugal separation system containing the same

A centrifugal separator comprising:

• a centrifugal cylinder supported at opposite end regions in a vertical axial direction to be rotatable around an axis of the centrifugal cylinder, the centrifugal cylinder having an upper end provided with an inflow-outflow pipe for a fluid to be treated or a component fluid after being treated;
• a movable member movable up and down in the vertical axial direction inside the centrifugal cylinder in a state where an outer periphery of the movable member is in close contact with an inner peripheral surface of the centrifugal cylinder;
• a rotation coupling unit provided at an upper end portion of the inflow-outflow pipe;
• a outer case bottomed and disposed outside the centrifugal cylinder so as to surround the centrifugal cylinder, the outer case having an upper side provided with an opening for passing through the centrifugal cylinder and a lower side provided with a partition wall for closing the lower side to form a bottom;
• a non-contact torque transfer mechanism composed of a driven end connected to a lower end of the centrifugal cylinder directly or indirectly, and a drive shaft disposed across the partition wall and facing an end face of the driven end from outside the outer case, the drive shaft being supported so as to rotate on receiving rotational driving force, the drive shaft having a drive end provided at an end close to the partition wall of the drive shaft;
• a drive motor for applying the rotational driving force to the driving end;
• a noncontact seal provided close to the upper end of the centrifugal cylinder, which protrudes from the outer peripheral wall of the centrifugal cylinder and the inner peripheral wall of the outer body to face each other to form a gap between the rotary body and the outer body so as to form a gap between the outer case and the noncontact seal in a direction orthogonal to the axis, the noncontact seal being configured to seal the gap by the centrifugal cylinder being rotated via the noncontact torque transfer mechanism;
• at least one sensor provided to measure and monitor a flow rate or color of a liquid phase of a component fluid after being treated;
• and
• a control device capable of receiving an output signal from the sensor and outputting an instruction signal for increasing and reducing a rotation speed of the centrifugal cylinder to the drive motor, on the basis of the received output signal.

A centrifugal separation system comprising the following (1) to (6):

• (1) A centrifugal separator comprising:
• a centrifugal cylinder supported at opposite end regions in a vertical axial direction to be rotatable around an axis of the centrifugal cylinder, the centrifugal cylinder having an upper end provided with an inflow-outflow pipe for a fluid to be treated or a component fluid after being treated;
• a movable member movable up and down in the vertical axial direction inside the centrifugal cylinder in a state where an outer periphery of the movable member is in close contact with an inner peripheral surface of the centrifugal cylinder;
• a rotation coupling unit provided at an upper end portion of the inflow-outflow pipe;
• a outer case bottomed and disposed outside the centrifugal cylinder so as to surround the centrifugal cylinder, the outer case having an upper side provided with an opening for passing through the centrifugal cylinder and a lower side provided with a partition wall for closing the lower side to form a bottom;
• a noncontact torque transfer mechanism composed of a driven end connected to a lower end of the centrifugal cylinder directly or indirectly, and a drive shaft disposed across the partition wall and facing an end face of the driven end from outside the outer case, the drive shaft being supported so as to rotate on receiving rotational driving force, the drive shaft having a drive end provided at an end close to the partition wall of the drive shaft;
• and
• a noncontact seal provided close to the upper end of the centrifugal cylinder so as to form a gap between the outer case and the noncontact seal in a direction orthogonal to the axis, the noncontact seal being configured to seal the gap by the centrifugal cylinder being rotated via the noncontact torque transfer mechanism;
• (2) a pipe having one end connected to an upper end of the rotation coupling unit provided in the centrifugal separator, and the other end branching into a plurality of branch pipes;
• (3) at least one sensor provided at a midpoint in the pipe to measure and monitor a flow rate or color of a liquid phase of a component fluid after being treated that is fed through the pipe;
• (4) a container for a fluid to be treated and a container for at least one component fluid after being treated, the containers being connected to the corresponding branch pipes so as to communicate therewith;
• (5) selector valves appropriately provided at a midpoint in each of the plurality of branch pipes, a branch point of each of the plurality of branch pipes, or a branch point between the plurality of branch pipes and the pipe, the selector valves being capable of switching operation using electromagnetic action;
• and
• (6) a control device capable of receiving an output signal from the sensor and outputting an instruction signal for switching between opening and closing of each of the selector valves, or for increasing and reducing a rotation speed of the centrifugal cylinder, on the basis of the received output signal.