Methods for centrifugally separating mixed components of a fluid stream

A method of accomplishing separation of a multiple-component fluid mixture comprising:

• feeding the fluid mixture into a chamber of a vessel through an inlet disposed at a first end of the vessel, the fluid mixture including a heavy component and a light component, the vessel having an opposing second end with an first outlet disposed thereat and a peripheral wall extending between the first end and the opposing second end;
• rotating the vessel about a rotational axis extending through the vessel such that the heavy component collects toward at least a portion the peripheral wall of the vessel radially outward from the rotational axis and the lighter component collects toward the rotational axis, a plurality of spaced apart fins being disposed within the chamber, the fins bounding a plurality of fluid channels that extend at least partially between the inlet and the first outlet;
• removing the light component through the first outlet;
• and
• removing the heavy component through a plurality of extraction tubes, each extraction tube being disposed within a corresponding fluid channel and extending from toward the rotational axis to toward the peripheral wall, each of the extraction tubes fluid communicating external of the vessel.

A method for separating particulate matter from a fluid in which the particulate matter is suspended, the method comprising:

• feeding a fluid containing a particulate matter into a chamber of a vessel through an inlet, the chamber being at least partially bounded by a peripheral wall and the chamber also communicating with an outlet;
• rotating the vessel about a rotational axis extending through the vessel such that at least a portion of the particulate matter settles out of the fluid and against at least a portion of the peripheral wall of the vessel;
• delivering a stream of removal fluid into the rotating vessel at or adjacent to the peripheral wall such that delivery of the removal stream into the vessel causes at least a portion of the particulate matter settled against the peripheral wall to resuspend within the fluid;
• removing at least a portion of the fluid having the resuspended particulate matter therein from the vessel through an extraction tube, the extraction tube having an opening to receive the fluid at or adjacent to the peripheral wall;
• and
• removing through the outlet of the vessel the fluid from which the particulate material has settled out.

A method for separating particulate matter from a fluid in which the particulate matter is suspended, the method comprising:

• feeding into a chamber of a vessel through an inlet in a substantially continuous fashion a fluid containing a particulate matter, the chamber being at least partially bounded by a peripheral wall and the chamber also communicating with an outlet;
• rotating the vessel about a rotational axis extending through the vessel such that at least a portion of the particulate matter settles out of the fluid and against at least a portion of the peripheral wall of the vessel;
• removing through the outlet of the vessel in a substantially continuous fashion the fluid from which the particulate material has settled out;
• temporarily stopping the flow of the fluid through the inlet and the outlet of the vessel;
• during the period in which the flow of fluid through the inlet and outlet is stopped, delivering a stream of removal fluid into the rotating vessel at or adjacent to the peripheral wall such that delivery of the removal stream into the vessel causes at least a portion of particulate matter settled against the peripheral wall to resuspend within the fluid contained within the vessel;
• removing at least a portion of the fluid having the resuspended particulate matter therein from the vessel;
• and
• once the at least a portion of the fluid having the resuspended particulate matter therein is removed from the vessel, reinitiating the flow of the fluid through the inlet and outlet of the vessel.

A method of accomplishing separation of a multiple-component fluid mixture comprising:

• feeding the fluid mixture into a chamber of a vessel through an inlet channel, the chamber being at least partially bounded by a peripheral wall and the chamber also communicating with an outlet channel, the fluid mixture including a heavy component and a light component;
• rotating the vessel about a rotational axis extending through the vessel such that the heavy component collects toward at least a portion of the peripheral wall of the vessel radially outward from the rotational axis and the light component collects toward the rotational axis, a plurality of spaced apart fins being disposed within the chamber, each fin projecting from toward the rotational axis to toward the peripheral wall, at least a portion of the fluid mixture being disposed between the plurality of fins during rotation of the vessel, a disc outwardly projecting from toward the rotational axis to toward the peripheral wall, the disc intersecting with each of the plurality of fins and the disc having a plurality of openings extending therethrough, the fluid mixture being feed into the chamber such that at least a portion of fluid mixture passes through the openings in the disc;
• removing the light component through the outlet channel;
• and
• removing the heavy component through a conduit disposed within the chamber, the conduit extending from the heavy component toward the rotational axis and out of the vessel.