Professional Documents
Culture Documents
7 Centrifuge Controls M
Batch types
Continuous type
This section reviews some of the basic centrifuge control enters a solid-walled bowl, which is rotating about a vertical
systems used on both sedimentation and filtering centrifuges. axis. Centrifugal force and gravity both act upon the solid
The sensors used in measuring the product quality are also and liquid phases. The dominant force is the centrifugal one,
discussed. which moves the heavier liquid phase or the heavier solid
particles to the perimeter and thereby the separation of solid
and liquid phases (or heavy and light liquid phases) takes
CENTRIFUGE TYPES
place as shown.
Filtering centrifuges: These machines have perforated
Centrifuges can be used for both liquidliquid and liquidsolid
walls that retain the solids on a permeable surface through
separation. The centrifuge designs can be classified into two
which the liquid can escape. This design is shown in the
main groups: sedimentation and filtering centrifuges.
bottom portion of Figure 8.7a. The operation that takes place
Sedimentation centrifuges: These designs have solid
is similar to that of a filter but with a much higher g force
walls, and separation occurs by sedimentation. This process
than what can be obtained in gravity or pressure filtration. In
is illustrated in the top portion of Figure 8.7a, where the feed
these filtering centrifuges, nearly all the liquid is removed,
leaving behind an almost dry cake.
Heavy Feed Solids
Light The centrifugal force obtained in industrial machines is
liquid liquid
several times the force of gravity. If a particle is rotating with
an angular velocity w and is located at a distance r (radius)
from the axis of rotation, the centrifugal separating effect or
g force is:
wr
Sedimentation centrifuge G= 8.7(1)
g
Feed
Perforated wall
Filtering centrifuges operate at a g force range of 400
Liquid outlet
1632
INDUSTRIAL CENTRIFUGES
TABLE 8.7c
Classification of Centrifuges
Maximum Capacity
Range of Bowl Maximum Method of
3 3
Diameter in Centrifugal Method of Liquid gals/hr or ft /batch (liters/hr or m /batch)
Rotor Type Inches (mm) Force (g) Solids Discharge Discharge short tons/hr (short tons/hr)
I. Sedimentation Centrifuges
Tubular 26 (50150) 60,000 Manual (batch) Continuous 3,000 g/hr (11,250 l/hr)
Disk 932 (230800) 2,5008,000 Batch or semi Continuous 12,00024,000 (45 to 90,000 l/hr)
continuous
Solid bowl
3 3
Constant-speed 1436 (350900) 1,0003,000 Automatic batch Continuous 60 ft /batch (1.7 m /batch)
(horizontal) overflow
3 3
Variable-speed 1284 (3002 m) Up to 3,200 Automatic batch Continuous 15 ft /batch (0.42 m /batch)
(vertical)
Continuous Up to 3,200 Continuous Continuous Up to 65 tons/hr (59 tons/hr)
solids
II. Filtering Centrifuges
Conical screen
Wide-angle Up to 1,400 Continuous Continuous 15,000 g/hr (56,250 l/hr)
Differential scroll Up to 1,800 Continuous Continuous 70 tons/hr solids (63.5 tons/hr)
Vibrating screen Up to 500 Continuous Continuous 100 tons/hr solids (90.7 tons/hr)
Pusher 1,800 Batch Continuous 10 tons/hr solids (9.1 tons/hr)
Cylindrical screen
Pusher 1,500 Continuous Continuous 40 tons/hr solids (36.3 tons/hr)
Differential scroll 1,500 Continuous Continuous 40 tons/hr solids (36.3 tons/hr)
Horizontal 1,300 Batch Intermittent 25 tons/hr solids (22.7 tons/hr)
Vertical 900 Batch Intermittent 10 tons/hr solids (9.1 tons/hr)
The g concept is often used to compare the performance The control strategies used for these centrifuges are dif-
of solid-wall centrifuges. This equivalence converts the ferent for batch, semicontinuous, and continuous applications.
geometry, size, and speed of the bowl to the area of a settling
tank theoretically capable of the same separation in a gravity Batch Centrifuge Control All laboratory centrifuges and
field of unity. also some of the smaller sedimentation machines in industry
Semiautomatic
operation Automatic operation Start
Centrifuge in version 2 automatic operation
semiautomatic
operation
Indication
Start centrifuge not No Control centrifuge
centrifuge ready! ready?
Yes
Subprogram lling
Centrifuge in standby if slowly revolving
Subprogram
Subprogram Subprogram Subprogram Subprogram
washing 1
No lling washing spinning spinning
details details washing scraping
Restart
Subprogram
spinning 2
Subprogram
washing 2
Semiauto
end
Subprogram
Yes spinning 3
Stop
centrifuge Subprogram
washing 310
spining 411
FIG. 8.7f
Sequencing of the operation of a semiautomatic centrifuge. (Cour-
tesy of Ferrum Ltd.) Subprogram
scraping
Hermetically
Cable connection
sealed
point for power
gauge
source and
chamber
output connection
Body
Base
FIG. 8.7k
The force caused by torque can also be detected by canister-type load cells.
Overow
Housing Head
tank Feed valve
Filling Crystallizer 3 m or interlocks
uid 10 ft.
minimum Centrifuge
Head
tank Feed valve
interlocks
3 meters or
End
10 ft. minimum
ange Centrifuge
Feed by gravity
Air
H
H(SG min)
scroll type, the only controls required are flow control loops
to maintain the slurry and wash-water feed rates constant.
When the magma is continuously extracted, the total DI DT DI
quantity of solids withdrawn must be controlled. This
requires the measurement of the volumetric flow rate and of Span = H (SG max SG min)
If SG w < SG min; elevation = H (SG min SG w)
the solid concentration in the centrifuge feed and the throt- If SG w = SG min; elevation = 0
tling of the laundering fluid flow to maintain the solid charge If SG w > SG min; depression = H (SG w SG min)
rate to the centrifuge constant. However, in some cases this
approach is considered to be too expensive. FIG. 8.7o
There are less expensive methods for the continuous Density detection in the elutriation leg can be based on differential
withdrawal of crystal magma at controlled rates: One is the pressure measurement.
removal in small batches but at such high frequency as to
make the flow virtually continuous. This can be achieved by
the use of ball-check-type or pulsing valves with adjustable
stroke and frequency.
Another method of magma extraction involves the use of
an elutriation leg attached to a crystallizer and the throttling of
the laundering fluid inflow to control the magma density. One
version of this control configuration is shown in Figure 8.7n.
The laundering fluid is on flow control with its set point
adjusted to maintain density as a measure of solid concentra-
tion. Measurement of the differential pressure between two
points in the crystallizer can be a method of density detection.
An important aspect of this control system is the mea-
surement of density in the elutriation leg. The measurement
of differential pressure in this leg or between some other two
points in the crystallizer can be used as a method of density
detection (Figure 8.7o).
If higher accuracy is desired, ionization chamber-type
radiation detectors can be used (Figure 8.7p). If they are FIG. 8.7p
provided with stable amplification, simple, reliable, and accu- Ionization cell-type radiation detectors can be used to more accu-
rate density measurements can be obtained from them. rately measure density.