US 4,334,647 A · Centrifuges

Abstract

A centrifuge includes a power exchange rotor of efficient design which is provided with at least one channel member for guiding the flow of material therethrough from a first end exposed to a source of the material, which is a feed source in a rotor used as a feed accelerator and is material discharging from the bowl treating zone in a rotor used in power recovery. The channel is so formed as to change the direction of flow of the material at least about 90 degrees as it flows therein to a discharge outlet at the other end and is spaced from the rotor axis less than the maximum radius of the bowl in the area of the treating zone. The rotor is mounted for rotation at a rate such that the tangential velocity of the channel ends is substantially less than that of the bowl treating zone. Combined with the rotor is a means for directing transfer of the material between one of the channel ends and the annular pool in the bowl treating zone, approximately tangentially to the surface of the annular pool, while maintaining the kinetic energy of the material substantially unchanged. The rotor used as a feed accelerator is connected to a source of power for rotating it which may include a rotor used for power recovery. The rotor used for power recovery is connected to a means for deriving power from energy imparted to the rotor by the material, which means may be the centrifuge motor shaft or the bowl or other component driven thereby or an electric generator.

Claims43

Dependent claims

In a centrifuge having a bowl with an annular treating zone within the outer portion of said bowl,

means for rotating said bowl about an axis for forming material within said zone into an annular pool to subject material in said pool to centrifugal force treatment,
feed means for supplying material flowable as a liquid to be treated to said annular treating zone, and
discharge means for discharging material flowable as a liquid from said treating zone and said bowl while said bowl is rotating,
the improvement for conserving energy wherein at least one of said feed means and said discharge means comprises:
a power exchange rotor mounted for rotation about an axis and provided with at least one material flow direction changing channel member spaced from the rotor axis less than the maximum radius of said bowl in the area of said treating zone,
said channel member constructed and arranged to guide flow of material therethrough from an inlet end to a discharge end while changing the direction of flow of said material therein at least about 90 degrees in a manner to effect energy transfer from one of said material and rotor to the other with at least about 70 percent efficiency,
transfer means arranged to direct transfer of material between said annular pool in said treatment zone and one end of said channel member, along a path which is substantially tangential to the surface of said annular pool at its interface therewith and substantially tangential to the path of rotation of said channel member end at its interface therewith, while maintaining the kinetic energy of the material being transferred substantially unchanged;
and
power means connected to said rotor for translating said energy transfer into power saving.

6 more elements

In a method of treating a material flowable as a liquid in a centrifuge which includes the steps of feeding the material to a centrifuge bowl rotating about an axis so that the material forms an annular pool in a treating zone in the outer portion of the bowl where it is subjected to centrifugal force treatment, and of discharging treated material flowable as a liquid from said bowl, the steps for conserving energy by power exchange which include, in at least one of said feeding and discharging steps:

causing said material to flow through at least one channel of a rotor rotating about an axis at a rate such that the velocity of each end of said channel is substantially less than the velocity of the material in said treatment zone at the surface of said pool, and while the material is spaced from the rotor axis less than the maximum radius of the bowl in said treating zone;
in said channel changing the direction of flow of said material at least 90 degrees in a manner to effect energy transfer from one of said material and rotor to the other with at least about 70 percent efficiency;
transferring the material between said rotor and said pool in at least one stream which is substantially tangential to the surface of said pool at its interface therewith and substantially tangential to the path of rotation of an end of said channel at its interface therewith, and while maintaining the kinetic energy of the material being transferred substantially unchanged;
and
translating said energy transfer into power saving.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Centrifuges

Life of this patent

Centrifuges

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims43