Process for centrifugal separation and apparatus for carrying it out, applicable to a mixture of phases of any states
First Claim
1. A process for centrifugal separation of a heavy phase from a light phase in a mixture comprising steps of:
- providing a housing having an outlet and a plurality of apertured plates rotating therewithin;
offsetting the apertures in adjacent plates to define an inclination therebetween so that at least one uninterrupted helical path through the plates is defined and extends for a substantial length of said housing;
feeding a fluid mixture which is to undergo separation to the housing;
defining a boundary between said helical path and a zone outside said helical path which defines the profile of the helical path;
said zone being located between portions of the helical path and between portions of said plates;
rotating the plates and imparting an absolute tangential velocity to fluid flowing in said helical path and an absolute tangential velocity to fluid located in said zone, the absolute tangential velocity of the fluid in said helical path exceeding the absolute tangential velocity of the fluid in the zone, said absolute tangential velocity creating a helical path centrifugal force in said helical path and a zone centrifugal force in said zone, any heavy phase crossing said boundary and entering said zone being prevented from moving toward said housing outlet and being subjected to said zone centrifugal force to be moved radially outward of said plates to effect a zone centrifugal separation, and any heavy phase remaining in said helical path being subjected to said helical path centrifugal force which is higher than said zone centrifugal force to effect a helical path centrifugal separation, whereby a plurality of centrifugal separations are performed on said mixture;
fluidly connecting the zone with a heavy phase collecting means;
collecting the heavy phase in the heavy phase collecting means;
fluidly connecting the helical path with a discharge means; and
discharging the light phase fluid flowing in the helical path from the housing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a process for centrifugal separation and to an apparatus for carrying it out, applicable to a mixture of phases of any states, said apparatus comprising, disposed coaxially and moved in rotation in a fixed enclosure, a fan adapted to create a depression upstream, a rotary distributor converting the pressure drop resulting from the action of the fan on the upstream pressure into a speed of rotation of the mixture added in the same direction to the positive speed of rotation of said distributor, and a rotor comprising elements for guiding running streams, trap elements which imprison still layers and pick up heavy particles, elements for conducting these latter.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A process for centrifugal separation of a heavy phase from a light phase in a mixture comprising steps of:
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providing a housing having an outlet and a plurality of apertured plates rotating therewithin; offsetting the apertures in adjacent plates to define an inclination therebetween so that at least one uninterrupted helical path through the plates is defined and extends for a substantial length of said housing; feeding a fluid mixture which is to undergo separation to the housing; defining a boundary between said helical path and a zone outside said helical path which defines the profile of the helical path; said zone being located between portions of the helical path and between portions of said plates; rotating the plates and imparting an absolute tangential velocity to fluid flowing in said helical path and an absolute tangential velocity to fluid located in said zone, the absolute tangential velocity of the fluid in said helical path exceeding the absolute tangential velocity of the fluid in the zone, said absolute tangential velocity creating a helical path centrifugal force in said helical path and a zone centrifugal force in said zone, any heavy phase crossing said boundary and entering said zone being prevented from moving toward said housing outlet and being subjected to said zone centrifugal force to be moved radially outward of said plates to effect a zone centrifugal separation, and any heavy phase remaining in said helical path being subjected to said helical path centrifugal force which is higher than said zone centrifugal force to effect a helical path centrifugal separation, whereby a plurality of centrifugal separations are performed on said mixture; fluidly connecting the zone with a heavy phase collecting means; collecting the heavy phase in the heavy phase collecting means; fluidly connecting the helical path with a discharge means; and discharging the light phase fluid flowing in the helical path from the housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5)
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4. A centrifugal separating apparatus for separating a heavy phase from a light phase in a mixture, comprising:
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a housing having an outlet; a rotatable shaft extending axially through said housing; a plurality of apertured plates mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, each plate having a plurality of apertures defined therein, the apertures in one plate being offset from corresponding apertures in adjacent plates to define an inclination therebetween to define a plurality of uninterrupted helical paths through said housing for a substantial length of said housing; means for feeding a fluid mixture which is to undergo separation to the housing; means for moving the mixture axially through said housing; a boundary defining means for defining a boundary between each helical path and a zone outside the helical path to define the profile of said helical paths, said plates being spaced very close to one another, and said boundary defining means including plate edges which define said apertures, said zone being located between portions of said helical path and between said plates; means for rotating said shaft at a velocity to impart an absolute tangential velocity to fluid flowing in said helical path and an absolute tangential velocity to fluid located in said zone, the absolute tangential velocity of the fluid in said helical path exceeding the absolute tangential velocity of the fluid in the zone, said absolute tangential velocities creating a helical path centrifugal force in said helical path and a zone centrifugal force in said zone, any heavy phase crossing said boundary and entering said zone being prevented by said plates from moving toward said housing outlet and being subjected to said zone centrifugal force to be moved radially outward of said plates to effect a zone centrifugal separation, and any heavy phase remaining in said helical path being subjected to said helical path centrifugal force which is higher than said zone centrifugal force to effect a helical path centrifugal separation whereby a plurality of centrifugal separations are performed on said mixture; a heavy phase collecting means connected to said having; and a light phase discharge means connected to said housing and housing outlet. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification