Compliant design of a horizontal solid-bowl centrifuge with cleaning-in-place nozzles

A horizontal solid-bowl centrifuge comprising:

• a stationary housing defining an interior configured to be tightly sealed to maintain a positive pressure when a gas is introduced into the interior through a gas delivery pipe in fluid communication with the interior of the housing;
• a gas outlet and a liquid drain each in fluid communication with the interior of the housing and an exterior of the housing;
• a rotatable drum positioned within the interior of the housing and configured to rotate about a horizontal axis of rotation relative to the housing, said drum including a rear wall, a bowl rim wall opposite said rear wall and a cylindrical inner wall extending therebetween, said bowl rim wall extending inwardly from said cylindrical inner wall toward said horizontal axis of rotation and defining an opening directly opposite said rear wall;
• a plurality of cleaning-in-place jet nozzles positioned inside the drum, the plurality of jet nozzles being positioned offset from and above the horizontal axis of rotation, the plurality of jet nozzles being configured to spray cleaning liquid upwardly onto said inner wall, said rear wall, and said bowl rim wall of said drum after a liquid layer and a solid layer have been removed from the drum, where the cleaning liquid is supplied to the jet nozzles through a pipe passing through an opening in the housing and where the opening is configured to maintain the positive pressure within the housing;
• and
• a tube adapted for removing the liquid layer and the solid layer from the drum, the tube extending through an opening in the housing, where the opening for the tube is configured to maintain the positive pressure within the housing and to allow rotation of the tube relative to the housing and within the rotatable drum, where the tube has an inlet opening positionable at a lowest point within the rotatable drum, wherein said tube is a peeler tube, and wherein said peeler tube is configured to move said inlet opening between a first position above said inner wall, for peeling off the liquid layer, and a second position in which said inlet opening is positioned at the lowest point within said rotatable drum, for removing the solid layer from said drum.

A horizontal solid-bowl centrifuge comprising:

• a stationary housing defining an interior configured to be tightly sealed to maintain a positive pressure when a gas is introduced into the interior through a gas delivery pipe in fluid communication with the interior of the housing;
• a gas outlet and a liquid drain each in fluid communication with the interior of the housing and an exterior of the housing;
• a rotatable drum positioned within the interior of the housing and configured to rotate about a horizontal axis of rotation relative to the housing, said drum including a rear wall, a bowl rim wall opposite said rear wall and a cylindrical inner wall extending therebetween, said bowl rim wall extending inwardly from said cylindrical inner wall toward said horizontal axis of rotation and defining an opening directly opposite said rear wall, said walls defining therebetween a bowl for receiving a solid-liquid suspension;
• a plurality of cleaning-in-place jet nozzles extending into the drum through the bowl rim wall, the plurality of jet nozzles being positioned offset from and above the horizontal axis of rotation and the plurality of jet nozzles being configured to spray cleaning liquid upwardly onto said rear wall, bowl rim wall and cylindrical inner wall of said drum, where the cleaning liquid is supplied to the jet nozzles through a pipe passing through an opening in the housing and where the opening is configured to maintain the positive pressure within the housing;
• and
• a tube for removing the cleaning liquid and a solid layer from the drum, the tube extending through an opening in the housing, where the opening for the tube is configured to maintain the positive pressure within the housing and to allow rotation of the tube relative to the housing and within the drum, the tube having an inlet opening positionable at a lowest point within the bowl, the tube being selected from the group consisting of a siphon tube and a suction tube.