Centrifuge load control for automatic infeed gate adjustment

A method for controlling a centrifugal machine comprising the steps of:

• opening a gate of said centrifugal machine to an initial one of a plurality of gate positions between a full closed position and a full open position for entry of charge material into a rotating centrifugal basket of said centrifugal machine;
• measuring a charge wall thickness forming along inner sidewalls of said rotating centrifugal basket;
• determining a fill rate at which said charge material enters said rotating centrifugal basket;
• comparing said determined fill rate to a desired fill rate;
• opening said gate towards its full open position if said fill rate is less than said desired fill rate;
• closing said gate towards its full closed position if said fill rate is greater than said desired fill rate so that charge material enters said rotating centrifugal basket at substantially said desired fill rate;
• comparing said charge wall thickness to a desired pinch fill level;
• entering a pinch mode of machine operation upon said charge wall thickness being equal to or greater than said desired pinch fill level;
• moving said gate from its current position towards a minimum pinch gate opening position while in said pinch mode of machine operation;
• and
• maintaining said pinch mode of machine operation until said charge wall thickness reaches a fill at shut level.

A method for controlling a centrifugal machine comprising the steps of:

• opening a gate of said centrifugal machine to an initial one of a plurality of gate positions between a full closed position and a full open position for entry of charge material into a rotating centrifugal basket of said centrifugal machine;
• measuring a charge wall thickness forming along inner sidewalls of said rotating centrifugal basket;
• determining a fill rate at which said charge material enters said rotating centrifugal basket;
• comparing said determined fill rate to a desired fill rate;
• opening said gate towards its full open position if said fill rate is less than said desired fill rate;
• closing said gate towards its full closed position if said fill rate is greater than said desired fill rate so that charge material enters said rotating centrifugal basket at substantially said desired fill rate;
• and
• closing said gate towards said full closed position in response to sensing an unstabilizing wobble of said centrifugal basket.

A method for controlling a centrifugal machine comprising the steps of:

• opening a gate of said centrifugal machine to an initial one of a plurality of gate positions between a full closed position and a full open position for entry of charge material into a rotating centrifugal basket of said centrifugal machine;
• measuring a charge wall thickness forming along inner sidewalls of said rotating centrifugal basket;
• comparing said charge wall thickness to a desired pinch fill level;
• entering a pinch mode of machine operation upon said charge wall thickness being equal to or greater than said desired pinch fill level;
• and
• moving said gate from its current position towards a minimum pinch gate opening position while in said pinch mode of machine operation by determining a fill rate at which said charge material enters said rotating centrifugal basket;
• comparing said determined fill rate to a desired pinch fill rate;
• and moving said gate incrementally through a linear range of gate openings towards said gate full closed position if said fill rate exceeds said pinch fill rate;
• comparing said charge wall thickness to a fill at shut level;
• and
• maintaining said pinch mode of machine operation until said charge wall thickness reaches said fill at shut level.

A method for sensing unstabilizing wobble of a rotating centrifugal basket of a centrifugal machine comprising the steps of:

• opening a gate of said centrifugal machine to an initial one of a plurality of gate positions between a full closed position and a full open position for entry of charge material into said rotating centrifugal basket of said centrifugal machine;
• measuring a charge wall thickness forming along inner sidewalls of said rotating centrifugal basket;
• determining an apparent feed rate at which charge material enters said rotating centrifugal basket;
• detecting oscillations in said apparent feed rate;
• and
• closing said gate towards said full closed position in response to detecting said oscillations in said apparent feed rate.