THE CENTRIFUGE

Joseph Stanovsky PhD

2012 by J S INTRODUCTION A centrifuge is a device used to separate a mixture of liquids such as the separation of cream from milk, a process that may have been performed by farmer or commercial dairy. The centrifuge was invented by Antonin Prandtl in 1864. Karl Gustaf Patrik de Laval (1845-1913) did not invent the milk separator but he and Oscar Lamm founded a company in 1883 to produce dairy and farming machinery. Their de Laval separator was widely used and was of good quality. The centrifuge rotates a container containing a mixture of liquids. A test tube is a container in which a sample of blood is rotated. The blood separation process is not the result of centripetal or centrifugal accelerations. The centrifugal acceleration (with direction from rotary center outward) is fictitious because the centrifugal acceleration is everywhere zero in a centrifuge. The direction of the centripetal acceleration is from the rotating container surface to the center of rotation which means that ingredients in the mixture with the greatest density move toward the axis of rotation. What is s unusual is that the erythrocytes, with a density of 1.125 g/cc compared to plasma (1.025 g/cc), tend to remain at the bottom of the test tube where the centripetal acceleration is greatest. The cause of this peculiar feature in the separation of blood is not known but velocity and viscosity are likely causes of separation. Link to: http://en,wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_fractionation Medical technologists utilize laboratory tabletop centrifuges to separate all of the constituents of blood in three basic ingredients: erythrocytes (red blood cells), plasma and leucocytes. Large devices are used extensively to prepare bags of red blood cells and plasma as ordered for use in emergency rooms and hospitals. Industrial centrifuges are useed continuously. For example, large centrifuges are used in the final stages of the chemical process in which glycerin is separated from a salt-glycerine slurry. These large centrifuges may be six feet in diameter, twelve feet long and rotate at lower angular velocities than the medical centrifuges. Industrial centrifuges used in a glycerin manufacturing process must be entered for two reasons: (1) to redistribute the salt produced after an emergency shut down caused by lumping of the salt, and (2) the need to remove salt. A method for reducing the manufacturing costs of centrifuges like those used to separate glycerin from salt is proposed. CENTRIFUGE MOTION Equation (1) defines the vector OP, eq. (2) is the angular velocity of vector OP and eq. (3) defines the angular acceleration of vector OP (see Fig 1). Cos OP = R Sin meters 0 (1)

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0 0 radian per second 1 0 = 0 = 0 radian/second2 1

(2) (3)

Figure 1 shows a view of the perforated inside surface of an industrial centrifuge. The fluid container is not shown. P y O x Figure 1: This figure shows a typical particle located by angle . The radius OP is R, and locates P from x-axis. THE VELOCITY OF PARTICLE P The velocity vP at particle P is defined in eq. (4) by the cross product OP. 1 1 1 -Sin vP = OP = R 0 0 = R Cos meters per second (4) Cos Sin 0 0 THE ACCELERATION OF PARTICLE P For the constant angular velocity of OP the acceleration of particle P in eq. (5) is P a = ( OP) . 1 1 1 -Cos aP = ( OP) = R 0 0 = R 2 -Sin m/sec2 (5) -Sin Cos 0 0 ROTARY MOTION OF PARTICLE P The calculated velocity and acceleration of point P are determined in eqs. (4) and (5). The results are shown graphically in Figs 2 and 3. P y y x x O O Velocity Components Resultant velocity Figure 2: The resultant velocity at P is orthogonal to OP. P P P aP aP 1 a y 2 y x x O O Acceleration Components Resultant Acceleration Figure 3: The resultant acceleration aPat P is parallel to PO. vP 1 vP 2 P vP

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THE INDUSTRIAL CENTRIFUGE DESCRIBED Industrial centrifuges, like those used to separate glycerin from salt, are constructed like that in Fig 4. The perforated rotary element, containing the mixture of salt and glycerin, contains many small diameter holes through which glycerin, not salt, is separated. The space in the centrifuge between the rotary element and case of the centrifuge (the non-rotating external container) contains centrifuged product which is evacuated by a pump and in this manner transferred to another process that removes small bits and pieces of salt and debris. The final result is glycerin for market.

y Centrifuge volume

Perforated rotary element x Volume of centrifuged product Stationary centrifuge case Centrifuged product continuously extracted

Figure 4: The cross section view of a large industrial centrifuge charged with glycerin and salt in which the rotation of the rotary element occurs at constant angular velocity around center O are driven by large electric motors. The manufacture of the rotating perforated element is costly for three reasons: (1) the structural strength of the perforated rotating element must deform only slightly and thus not contribute to any unbalanced mass vibrations, (2) the size, spacing and number of holes in the rotating element significantly affects the cost of a centrifuge, and (3) the doors that allow entry into a centrifuge add significant costs to the manufacture of and safe utilization of a centrifuge. A COMMENT The resultant acceleration at point P in Fig 3 describes the centripetal acceleration. Centrifugal acceleration does not exist in a centrifuge but if it did its direction would be opposite the direction of the centripetal acceleration. INDUSTRIAL CENTRIFUGE CONSTRUCTION SIMPLIFIED Figure 5 shows the rotating, perforated segment of a centrifuge and the non-rotating container.
Inside of centrifuge Q Perforated rotary element Liquid droplet defined and velocity Stationary centrifuge case

Centrifuged product

Figure 5: The perforated hole in the rotating element shown is located at centrifuge product drain. The liquid droplet falls through hole Q into the temporary centrifuged product volume at a small velocity. Figure 5 shows that neither the centripetal or centrifugal accelerations explain the movement of a liquid from centrifuge volume to the volume of centrifuged product.

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Figure 6 shows a suggested drilling and dimpling pattern. Drill fewer holes. Drill larger holes. The dimpling process produces a higher liquid exit velocity, thus the centrifuge process is performed at a greater rate than with non-dimpled holes. Small screens with appropriate size screens permit the use of a centrifuge for many tasks. The screens are removable and replaceable with screens of many sizes.

Dimpled region rotating surface

Drilled hole Velocity d Appropriate diameter hole

Figure 6: Typical details of a dimpled hole. Figure 7 shows the velocity of the liquid droplet after it falls through the hole. vq x
Liquid droplet shape change

vq y

Figure 7: The liquid droplet changes shape because of changes in the velocity of the liquid droplet as it falls through hole Q in Fig 5. CONCLUSION It can be concluded that it is the linear velocity of a liquid droplet and not particle acceleration that defines the motion of particles that exit the volume of a centrifuge. A universal centrifuge, one more useful than for a single product, can be built by a skilled manufacturer and used by many others to centrifuge liquids of many kinds. There is no centrifugal acceleration in a centrifuge!

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