4/5/2015 HighSpeedCentrifugeonShip:ConstructionandWorking

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HighSpeedCentrifugeonShip:ConstructionandWorking
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DECEMBER9,2010BYANISH

Ahighspeedcentrifugeisatypeofseparatorwhichisusedonshiptoremovecontaminationfrom
liquidssuchasfuelandlubeoils.Itisimperativetocarryoutthistreatmentinordertoremovesolid
impuritiesandwaterbeforetheyaresuppliedtothemarineengine.Thus,thetaskofcentrifugeist
removesolidcontaminationfromliquidandtoremoveundesirableliquid(water)fromusefulliquids
(fuel).

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AlfaLaval
Centrifuges
Reconditionedandused
AlfaLavalseparators.

PrincipleofWorking

Theseparationprincipleofhighspeedcentrifugedependsonthedifferenceinthespecificgravity
differentliquids.Tounderstand,letstakeasettlingtankwherefuelisstoredandbecauseofthe
differenceinthegravityofwaterandfuel(waterisheavier)thewatergetscollectedatthebottomp
theduetotheeffectofgravity.Mathematicallythisprocesscanberepresentedby:

Fs=/6xD3(wo)g

WhereFsistheseparatingforce,wisdensityofwater,oisdensityofoilandgisgravitationalf

Nowifweconvertthetankintoaconicalrotatingobject,thenthegravitationalfactorgwillberepla
bythecentrifugalforce2r,where2isangularvelocityofrotationandriseffectiveradius.

Fs=/6xD3(wo)2r.

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Nowtheseparatingforcewillbemuchhigherincentrifugeascomparetosettlingtank.

ConstructionofHighSpeedCentrifuge:

Basiccomponentsofthecentrifugeareasfollows:

Exteriorframework:

Theexteriorframeworkisnormallymadeupofcasteironwhichsupportstheinternalbowlanddis
partsandcarrieswaterline,feedlineandoutletlineconnections.

Bowlanddisk:

Therearebowlsinsidetheframe,whichcanbeasolidassemblyoperatingnoncontinuousandha

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spaceenoughtoretaintheseparatedsludge.Therecanalsobeanarrangementinwhichtheuppe
lowerpartsareseparatefordischargingtheaccumulatedsludgebyacontinuousoperation.These
arenormallymadeupofhightensionstainlesssteel.

Verticalshaft:

TheVerticalshaftisusedtotransformtheelectricalmotoroutputintorotationalmotionforrotating
bowlinhighspeedthroughspurgearandhorizontalshaftorbelt.Thematerialusedforverticalsh
constructionisanalloyofsteel.

Horizontalshaftorbeltdrive:

Theelectricalmotordrivesthehorizontalshaftthroughclutchpadsandisusedfortransmittingthe
rotationalmotiontobowlassembly.Aspecialbelthavingelasticcharacterisusedinsomemodels
placeofhorizontalshaft,thusremovingtheuseofthegearassembly.Thehorizontalshaftmateria
specialalloyofsteel.

Spurgear:

Aspurgearisplacedbetweenthehorizontalandverticalshaftsforthetransferofrotationalmotion
Thesegearsaremanufacturedbyspecialaluminumbronzematerial.

Clutchorfrictionpads:

Anelectricmotorwillgetoverloadedifitisconnecteddirectlytothebowlassemblyfortherotation
sameasthecompleteassemblyisveryheavier.Toavoidthis,clutchorfrictionpadsanddrumass
areinstalledonthehorizontalshaft.Normallythenumberofpadsvariesfrom2to4dependingupo

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frequencysupplytothemotor.

Asthemotorstarts,thepadsinsidethedrummovesoutgraduallyduetocentrifugalforceandcau
frictionintheinternalwallofthedrumresultinginrotationoftheshaftandthebowlgraduallywitho
overloadinganddamagingthemotorandgears.

AttachedGearpump:

Ageneralconstructionofcentrifugeconsistsofahorizontalshaftdrivenattachedsupplyordischar
gearpump.Insomesystemanexternalsupplypumpmaybeinstalledinplaceoftheattachedpum

TypesofCentrifuge:

Therearenormallytwotypesbasedontheapplication:

1)Purifier:Whenacentrifugeisarrangedforseparatingtwoliquidsofdifferentdensities,fore.g
waterfromoil,itisknownasapurifier.Themaincomponentofpurifieriscorrectsizegravitydisco
ringwhichisresponsibletocreateinterfacebetweentheoilandwater.

2)Clarifier:Whenacentrifugalisarrangedtoremoveonlyimpuritiesandsmallamountofwate
calledasclarifier.Sinceitisusedmainlyforthatfluidwheremostlysolidimpuritiesaretoberemov
gravitydiscisnotusedinclarifierinsteadasealingringisusedtokeeptheimpuritiesintactunless
desludged.

Thebasicoperationsofclarifierandpurifierare:

Itcontainsstackofdisknumberingupto150andareseparatedfromeachotherbyverysmallg
seriesofholesarealignedineachdiskneartheoutsideedgewhichpermitstheentryofdirtyoil.
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Duetodifferenceingravityandcentrifugalforce,theheavierimpureliquid(water)andparticles
movesoutsideandlightercleanoilflowsinwardsandgetseparated.

Thecollectedsludgeandimpuritycanbedischargedcontinuouslyoratatimeintervals,depend
upontheconstruction,automationandsystemincorporated.

YoumayalsoliketoreadOilyWaterSeparatorConstruction&Working.

References:

IntroductiontoMarineEngineeringbyD.ATayler

MarineAux.MachinerybyH.DMcGeorge

ImageCredits:kcentrifuge,tradett

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AboutAnish
Anardentsailorandatechie,AnishWankhedehasvoyagedonanumberofshipsasamarine
engineerofficer.Helovesmultitasking,networking,andtroubleshooting.Heistheonebehindth
uniquecreativityandaestheticsatMarineInsight.

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