Pump and centrifugal separator apparatus

In a centrifugal separator apparatus for separating oil well production fluid into its constituents including a rotatable casing defining a pumping and separating chamber, means for delivering the production fluid to the chamber, means for collecting and discharging a pressurized clean fluid constituent of the production fluid from the casing, and a plurality of radially disposed orifices in the outer periphery of the chamber for discharging solid contaminant matter constituent from the casing, the improvement comprising:

• means in said casing defining a plurality of generally radially disposed fluid conduits connected at their inner end to the clean fluid collecting and discharging means for diverting a portion of the clean fluid into said radially disposed fluid conduits, a plurality of small diameter pipes mounted in and rotatable with said chamber and disposed in parallel relationship to the axis of rotation of said chamber, said pipes being respectively disposed adjacent to the radially disposed contaminant discharge orifices, each said pipe having at least one orifice in its side wall tangentially directed relative to the chamber periphery, and means in said casing respectively connecting the bores of said pipes to the outer ends of said radially disposed fluid conduits for discharging clean fluid tangentially past the entrance of said radially disposed solid contaminant discharge orifice, thereby preventing accumulations of solid contaminants in the vicinity of said orifice.