Patent ID: 6319186
Filing Date: 2001-11-20
Classification: B04B

Abstract:
A method of cleaning a centrifugal separator intended for a process of separating a liquid mixture containing solid particles into one liquid phase, which is substantially free from solid particles and has a relatively low viscosity, and one concentrate phase, which is rich in solid particles and has a relatively high viscosity and a larger density than the liquid phase, which centrifugal separator includes a rotor (1, 2), which is rotatable around a central rotational axis (4) and which has an inlet (13) for said mixture, an outlet (32) for said liquid phase and an outlet (12) for said concentrate phase, and in which centrifugal separatorthe rotor delimits a process liquid space including at least one separation chamber (5), which has a liquid space (6) for separated liquid phase and a concentrate space (7) for separated concentrate phase, a liquid outlet chamber (28), which communicates with said liquid space, and a concentrate outlet chamber (17), which through at least one concentrate passage (19, 21, 23) communicates with said concentrate space (7),said concentrate passage (19, 21, 23) extends through a vortex device (20) which is adapted at an unchanged pressure drop across itself to admit a larger through flow of concentrate phase having a relatively high viscosity than of concentrate phase having a relatively low viscosity, anda concentrate outlet member (12), which is adapted not to rotate together with the rotor (1, 2), extends into the concentrate outlet chamber (17) for discharge of separated concentrate phase out of the rotor,whereincleaning liquid is introduced into the rotor to a part of the process liquid space of the rotor other than said concentrate outlet chamber (17),cleaning liquid is transferred from said other part of the rotor process liquid space to the concentrate outlet chamber (17) a way other than through said vortex device (20) andcleaning liquid is removed from the concentrate outlet chamber (17) and is conducted out of the rotor through said concentrate outlet member (12).