US 2025/0170587 A1Published application

Systems and methods for operating a centrifuge system

AssigneeNational Oilwell Varco, L.P.

InventorsFloyd Wilder, Hector Torres, Ian Holman

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Abstract

A centrifuge system includes an inlet fluid conduit to receive a flow of raw fluid, an outlet fluid conduit to receive a flow of effluent fluid, an effluent sensor to determine a density of the effluent fluid, a centrifuge including an inlet to receive the raw fluid, an effluent outlet to discharge the effluent fluid, and a solids outlet configured to discharge solids separated from the raw fluid by the centrifuge, a feed pump to pump the raw fluid to the inlet of the centrifuge at a selected flowrate, and a controller to automatically adjust at least one of a speed of the feed pump, a rotational speed of a bowl of the centrifuge about a rotational axis, and a rotational speed of a conveyor of the centrifuge about the rotational axis in response to a change in the density of the effluent fluid as determined by the effluent sensor.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A centrifuge system for separating solids from a fluid flow, the centrifuge system comprising:

an inlet fluid conduit configured to receive a flow of raw fluid;
an outlet fluid conduit configured to receive a flow of effluent fluid;
an effluent sensor located along the outlet fluid conduit and configured to determine a density of the effluent fluid received by the outlet fluid conduit;
a centrifuge comprising an inlet configured to receive the raw fluid from the inlet fluid conduit, an effluent outlet configured to discharge the effluent fluid received by the outlet fluid conduit, and a solids outlet configured to discharge solids separated from the raw fluid by the centrifuge;
a bowl rotatable about a rotational axis of the centrifuge, and a conveyor located within the bowl and configured to rotate about the rotational axis, and wherein the conveyor is configured to separate solids present in the raw fluid received by the inlet to thereby produce the effluent fluid discharged at the effluent outlet;
a feed pump in fluid communication with both the inlet fluid conduit and the inlet of the centrifuge, wherein the feed pump is configured to pump the raw fluid to the inlet of the centrifuge at a selected flowrate;
and
a controller connected to the effluent sensor and the centrifuge, wherein the controller is configured to automatically adjust at least one of a speed of the feed pump, a rotational speed of the bowl of the centrifuge about the rotational axis, and a rotational speed of the conveyor of the centrifuge about the rotational axis in response to a change in the density of the effluent fluid as determined by the effluent sensor.

5 more elements

A method of operating a centrifuge system for separating solids from a fluid flow, the method comprising:

(a) pumping a flow of a raw fluid by a feed pump to an inlet of a centrifuge of the centrifuge system;
(b) operating the centrifuge to separate solids present in the raw fluid received by the inlet to thereby produce an effluent fluid from the raw fluid;
(c) discharging a flow of the effluent fluid from an effluent outlet of the centrifuge;
(d) discharging a flow of solids separated from the raw fluid from a solids outlet of the centrifuge;
(e) determining a density of the flow of the effluent fluid discharged from the centrifuge by an effluent sensor;
and
(f) automatically adjusting by a controller of the centrifuge system at least one operational parameter of the centrifuge system in response to a change in the density of the effluent fluid as determined by the effluent sensor.

4 more elements

A method of operating a centrifuge system for separating solids from a fluid flow, the method comprising:

(a) pumping a flow of a raw fluid by a feed pump to an inlet of a centrifuge of the centrifuge system;
(b) rotating both a bowl and a conveyor of the centrifuge about a rotational axis of the centrifuge system to separate solids present in the raw fluid received by the inlet to thereby produce an effluent fluid;
(c) discharging a flow of the effluent fluid from an effluent outlet of the centrifuge;
(d) discharging a flow of solids separated from the raw fluid from a solids outlet of the centrifuge;
(e) determining a density of the flow of the effluent fluid discharged from the centrifuge by an effluent sensor;
and
(f) automatically adjusting by a controller of the centrifuge system at least one of a speed of the feed pump, a rotational speed of the bowl of the centrifuge about the rotational axis, and a rotational speed of the conveyor of the centrifuge about the rotational axis in response to a change in the density of the effluent fluid as determined by the effluent sensor.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/833,453Filed 27 Jan 2023
Priority: 27 Jan 2022
Published: 29 May 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B04B 1/2016
Discharging solid particles from the bowl by a conveying screw coaxial with the bowl axis and rotating relatively to the bowl: driving control or…
B04B 13/00
Control arrangements specially designed for centrifuges
B04B 1/20
Centrifuges with rotary bowls provided with solid jackets for separating predominantly liquid mixtures with or without solid particles:…
B04B 9/10
Drives specially designed for centrifuges; Arrangement or disposition of transmission gearing; Suspending or balancing rotary bowls: control of…