Disc-decanter centrifuge
AssigneeDorr-Oliver Incorporated
InventorsPaul H. Franzen, Ken J. Alit, Richard R. Michaud, Helmuth Probstmeyer, Michael R. Tammone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vertically oriented centrifuge swivably engaged to a support structure so as to enable the centrifuge to attain an optimal operational attitude. The centrifuge includes a bowl, a screw conveyor disposed within the bowl, a hub disposed within the upper portion of the screw conveyor wherein the screw conveyor and hub define a separation chamber, and a plurality of separating discs disposed in the separation chamber and arranged in superimposed layers upon the hub.
Claims16
A centrifuge having a vertical axis of rotation and supported by a support structure for effecting the separation of a feed mixture into multiphase fractions, said centrifuge comprising:
- a shaft positioned upon and rotatably attached to said support structure;
- a bowl coaxially attached to and rotatable with said shaft;
- a heavy fraction chamber adjacent one end of said bowl in communication with the interior of said bowl through a heavy fraction discharge opening;
- an inlet in communication with said bowl for introducing said mixture into said bowl;
- a rotatable screw conveyor longitudinally disposed within and coaxial with said bowl;
- a hub member disposed within the upper portion of said screw conveyor, said hub member being coaxially attached to and rotatable with said bowl, the space intermediate said conveyor and said hub member defining a separation chamber;
- a plurality of separating discs disposed in said separation chamber and stacked in superimposed layers upon said hub member;
- a distributor disposed within said hub and in communication with said inlet means so as to receive the feed mixture, said distributor being attached to said conveyor, said hub having a plurality of passages in the lower portion thereof which lead into said separation chamber;
- an accelerator attached to said distributor for impelling the feed mixture through said passages of said hub and into said separation chamber;
- means coupled to said shaft and conveyor for rotating said bowl and conveyor at different speeds;
- and
- a light fraction discharge outlet in communication with said separation chamber for discharging a light fraction from said bowl.
A centrifuge having a vertical axis of rotation and supported by a support structure for effecting the separation of a feed mixture into multiphase fractions, said centrifuge comprising:
- a shaft positioned upon and rotatably attached to said support structure;
- a plurality of bearings rotatably engaged with said shaft;
- a bearing housing enveloping said plurality of bearings and swivably engaged to said support structure so as to allow said shaft to translate freely in order to obtain an optimum operational attitude during rotation thereof;
- a bowl coaxially attached to and rotatable with said shaft;
- a heavy fraction chamber adjacent one end of said bowl in communication with the interior of said bowl through a heavy fraction discharge outlet;
- an inlet in communication with said bowl for introducing said mixture into said bowl;
- a rotatable screw conveyor longitudinally disposed within and coaxial with said bowl;
- a hub member disposed within the upper portion of said screw conveyor, said hub member being coaxially attached to and rotatable with said bowl, the space intermediate said conveyor and said hub member defining a separation chamber;
- a plurality of separating discs disposed in said separation chamber and stacked in superimposed layers upon said hub member;
- means for distributing said mixture into said separation chamber;
- a pair of diametrically positioned motors for rotating said shaft at a first rotational speed, each of said motors being supported by said bearing housing;
- a set of belts associated with each of said motors, each of said sets of belts being drivingly engaged with a corresponding one of said motors and said shaft;
- a differential speed drive rotatably engaged with said bowl for rotating said screw conveyor at a second rotational speed;
- and
- a light fraction discharge outlet in communication with said separation chamber for discharging a light fraction from said bowl.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.