Centrifugal separator with optimized disc separation
AssigneeTetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
InventorÅke ÖLUND
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A centrifugal separator for separating a dairy product into at least a liquid light phase and a heavy phase. The centrifugal separator comprises a disc stack of frustoconical discs arranged inside the centrifuge bowl. The disc stack comprises a first set of discs and a second set of discs. The discs in the first set of discs are separated from each other by spot-formed spacing members and with a distance that is smaller than 0.3 mm, and the discs in the second set of discs are separated from each other with a distance that is larger than 0.3 mm.
Claims11
A method of separating a dairy product using a centrifugal separator, the centrifugal separator comprising:
- a centrifuge bowl arranged for rotating around an axis of rotation, a feed inlet for suppling the dairy product to be separated into the centrifuge bowl;
- a first centrifugal separator outlet for discharging a separated liquid light phase;
- a second centrifugal separator outlet for discharging a separated heavy phase;
- a disc stack of frustoconical discs arranged inside the centrifuge bowl, the disc stack comprises:
- a first set of discs, wherein the discs in the first set of discs are separated from each other by spot-formed spacing members with a first distance, and
- a second set of discs, wherein the discs in the second set of discs are separated from each other with a second distance that is larger than the first distance,
- the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a flow of the dairy product through the first set of discs in the disc stack arranged in the centrifugal separator, thereby allowing the separated liquid light phase, including particles of the dairy product having a diameter smaller than the first distance, to be discharged through the first centrifugal separator outlet, and
- providing the flow of the dairy product through the second set of discs, thereby allowing the separated liquid heavy phase, including particles of the dairy product having a diameter larger than the first distance, to be discharged through the second centrifugal separator outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.