Abstract:
In a rotor for a centrifugal separator there is delimited at one rotor end a distribution chamber ( 24 ) for a pressurized liquid supplied to the rotor for being cleaned from particles, and at the opposite rotor end there are liquid outlets arranged for reaction drive of the rotor. The liquid outlets open on the rotor outside in a liquid free space radially spaced from the rotational axis of the rotor. The separation chamber ( 7 ) of the rotor, which is situated between the distribution chamber ( 24 ) and the outlets ( 27 ), contains arcuate separation discs ( 11 ), which are distributed around the rotational axis ( 10 ) of the rotor and formed such that a lot of axially extending separation channels are delimited, which have a relatively small through-flow resistance to liquid to be cleaned. The separation channels extend axially from the distribution chamber ( 24 ) to a collecting chamber ( 25 ). The collecting chamber ( 2 ) communicates with an outlet chamber ( 26 ) at a radial level in the rotor corresponding to that of the radially innermost parts of the separation discs. Thus, efficient separation can be accomplished and the largest possible part of the pressure of the supplied liquid can be used for the rotation of the rotor.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of and is a continuation of PCT application PCT/SE99/00515, filed Mar. 30, 1999, which designates the United States of America, and also claims the benefit of and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/241,914, filed Feb. 2, 1999 , now abandoned. Both the PCT application and U.S. Ser. No. 09/241,914 claim the benefit of Swedish priority application No. 9801183-6, filed Apr. 2, 1998. The instant application also claims the benefit of said Swedish priority application. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to centrifugal separators intended for freeing a liquid from particles suspended therein and having a larger density than the liquid. More precisely the invention concerns a rotor for a centrifugal separator of this kind, which is rotatable around its center axis and includes a casing having two axially separated end walls and a surrounding wall situated therebetween and surrounding the center axis; an inlet member delimiting an inlet channel centrally in the casing; a separation means mounted in the casing; and at least one outlet member situated in the area of one of the end walls, spaced from the center axis and delimiting an outlet channel, which is directed in a way such that liquid flowing out therethrough accomplishes a reaction force on the rotor in its circumferential direction. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Rotors of this kind, formed for reaction drive by means of an overpressure of the liquid to be cleaned, are previously known. As a rule they have been used for cleaning of relatively small liquid flows and have been relatively small and light. 
     In connections where rotors of this kind have been used the demands on separation efficiency have not been extremely large, but still certain means in the form of rotor inserts of different kinds have been suggested for improvement thereof. 
     Thus, inserts have been suggested in the form of filters of different kinds. GB 1 089 355 and GB 1 595 816 show examples of such filter inserts. Furthermore, different kinds of separation inserts have been suggested which are formed such that they shorten the sedimentation distance for particles, which are to be separated within the rotor from liquid supplied thereto. For instance, GB 729 169 shows a separation insert in the form of a helical wall, which delimits a helical flow path within the rotor for the liquid to be cleaned. U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,217 shows a separation insert having conical separation discs. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,067,273 shows a further construction of a centrifugal rotor of the initially defined kind. In this centrifugal rotor there is mounted a separation means including a lot of separation discs, which are arranged within the casing between the center axis and the surrounding wall of the casing and distributed around the center axis, so that they form a lot of axially extending separation channels. Each separation disc extends both axially and in a direction from the center axis towards the surrounding wall of the casing from a radially inner edge to a radially outer edge, forming an angle with imaginary radii extending from the center axis to the surrounding wall. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a rotor of the initially defined kind, intended for reaction drive and provided with a particular separation means in the separation space of the rotor, which rotor can be given a better separation efficiency than previously known rotors of this kind. 
     This object can be achieved according to the invention if a rotor of the initially defined kind is provided with a separation means of the kind included in a centrifugal rotor according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,067,273 and, further, is provided with an inlet member delimiting an inlet channel centrally in the casing, which inlet channel communicates with the separation channels through a distribution chamber situated between a first one of the casing end walls and said separation means, said separation channels extending from the distribution chamber to an area close to the other end wall of the casing. A rotor of this kind is further characterized in 
     that the separation discs leave a sludge space for accumulation of separated particles between their radially outer edges and the surrounding wall of the casing, 
     that a partition is arranged between the separation discs and said other end wall of the casing in a way such that it delimits on its one side a collection chamber, in which the separation channels open, and on its other side delimits an outlet chamber, 
     that the collection chamber communicates with the outlet chamber at a radial level in the rotor substantially corresponding to the radial level of the radially inner edges of the separation discs, and 
     that the afore-mentioned outlet channel communicates with the outlet chamber and extends to the outside of the rotor, where it opens in a liquid free space at a radial level outside said level, at which the collection chamber and the outlet chamber communicate with each other. 
     In a rotor according to the invention it is possible to accomplish a relatively small through-flow resistance for the liquid to be cleaned, when this liquid passes through the rotor separation means, i.e. through said separation channels delimited between the separation discs. Compared with an ordinary filter or a set of conical separation discs a separation means of the kind suggested according to the invention and, per se, previously known in other kinds of centrifugal separators creates a surprisingly small through-flow resistance for the liquid to be cleaned, particularly if the liquid has a low viscosity. Despite a small through-flow resistance there can be achieved in the afore-mentioned separation channels a separation efficiency, which is as good as the one obtained in the spaces between conical separation discs. In connection with centrifugal separators of the kind here in question it is important that a part as large as possible of the overpressure of the liquid supplied to the rotor for being cleaned is utilized for the driving of the centrifugal rotor. By use of a separation means in the rotor of the kind suggested according to the invention a larger part of the overpressure of the liquid to be cleaned can be used for the driving of the centrifugal separator than by use of a technique according to, for instance, the afore-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,217. This means that the centrifugal rotor according to the invention may be given a higher rotational speed and, thereby, a better separation efficiency than said previously known centrifugal rotor according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,217. 
     Also in comparison with a centrifugal rotor according to the afore-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 2,067,273, which contains a separation means similar to that of the centrifugal rotor according to the invention, the centrifugal rotor according to the invention may be given a better separation efficiency. This depends on the circumstance that the known centrifugal rotor has a less effective driving means than the centrifugal rotor according to the invention. Thus, the outlet nozzles for the reaction drive of the known centrifugal rotor are situated at a very small radius. Furthermore, the outlet channels of these nozzles open into liquid which is subjected to a certain overpressure. 
     That the overpressure, by which a liquid to be cleaned is supplied to a reaction driven centrifugal rotor, may be critical for the drive of the centrifugal rotor has been noticed for instance WO 96/23589. In this case the liquid in question is constituted by liquid flashed back from an automatically cleanable filter. In this connection it may be difficult sometimes to obtain a sufficiently high pressure of the returned liquid for achievement of a good operation of the reaction driven centrifugal rotor. In WO 96/23589 the problem has been resolved in a way such that the centrifugal rotor is continuously supplied not only with the returned liquid but also with a separate driving liquid. An arrangement of this kind is complicated and expensive and can often be avoided by use of the present invention, a good separation efficiency of the rotor being simultaneously maintained. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be described more in detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the centrifugal rotor according to the invention. Thus, FIG. 1 shows a section through the centrifugal rotor, taken along a line I—I in FIG. 2, and FIG. 2 shows the centrifugal rotor in FIG. 1 seen from above, only half of a casing surrounding the centrifugal rotor being shown. The FIGS. 3-5 show a second embodiment of the centrifugal rotor according to the invention. Thus, FIG. 3 shows a section similar to that of FIG.  1 . FIG. 4 is a mixture of a view and a section along the line IV—IV in FIG.  3  and shows the radial extension of certain wings in the upper part of the centrifugal rotor. FIG. 5 illustrates parts of the centrifugal rotor, part of its surrounding casing being removed. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The rotor in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a circular base plate  1 , which has a central opening  2  and centrally supports a tubular column  3 . The interior of the column  3  forms a channel  4 , which communicates with the central opening  2  of the base plate. 
     An annular cap  5  is placed around the column  3  and is kept fastened thereto and to the base plate  1  by means of a nut  6 . The cap  5  and the base plate  1  form a casing around a separation chamber  7  in the rotor. In this casing the base plate  1  forms a first end wall, whereas the cap  5  forms a second end wall  8  and a surrounding wall  9 . The surrounding wall  9  extends between the end walls  1  and  8  concentrically around the tubular column  3 . 
     The rotor is rotatable around a center axis  10  and for this purpose the central column  3  supports bearing members  3   a  and  3   b  at its respective ends. 
     Within the separation chamber  7  the rotor has a separation means comprising a large number of separation discs  11  evenly distributed around the rotor center axis  10 . Each one of the separation discs extends both arcuately in a direction from the center axis  10  towards the surrounding wall  9 , as can be seen from FIG. 2, and axially between flow distributing and liquid entraining upper radial wings  12  and lower arcuately extending wings  13 , as can be seen from FIG.  1 . The separation discs  11  form between themselves thin separation channels, which have the same extension as the separation discs. In FIG. 2 part of the separation discs have been left out so that some of the lower arcuately extending wings  13  can be seen. 
     The separation discs  11  are supported, like the wings  12  and  13 , by a central supporter comprising a sleeve  14 , which surrounds and is guided by the central column  3 . The sleeve  14  is formed in one piece with a lower annular supporting member  15 , which extends by an axially upwardly directed annular fastening flange into recesses intended therefor in the lower edge portions of the separation discs  11 . Correspondingly formed recesses in the upper edge portions of the separation discs form an annular upwardly open groove  30  (see FIG. 4) for an axially downwardly directed annular fastening flange of an upper annular supporting member  16 . 
     The supporting members  15  and  16  can be axially separated from each other and from the separation discs  11  by the sleeve  4  being divided at  17  (FIG.  1 ). 
     The radially outer parts of the separation discs  11  are kept in place relative to each other by means of three rings  18 , which at different axial levels surround all of the separation discs. For reasons evident from the following the uppermost of these rings  18  fills the whole interspace between the separation discs  11  and the surrounding wall  9  of the casing. The separation discs  11  are kept at a certain distance from each other by means of spacing members  19  formed in one piece with the separation discs and distributed across their surfaces in some suitable manner. 
     Between the lower wings  13  and the base plate  1  an annular partition is adapted to extend from the surrounding wall  9  of the casing radially inwardly to the area of the radially innermost parts of the separation discs  11 . The partition has a central plane portion  20  situated axially opposite to the separation discs  11 ; a short cylindrical intermediate portion  21  surrounding the wings  13 ; and radially outermost a further plane portion  22 , which fills the interspace between the surrounding wall  9  of the casing and the radially outer lowermost parts of the separation discs  11 . 
     A liquid to be cleaned in the rotor is to enter by an overpressure into the channel  4  through the opening  2  in the base plate  1 . Alternatively, the liquid may enter the channel  4  from the opposite direction. From the channel  4  liquid is to be conducted through openings  23  in the column  3  into a distribution chamber  24 , which is formed in the upper part of the casing  5  and in which the upper radial wings  12  are situated. 
     Then the liquid shall flow axially through the separation channels formed between the separation discs  11 . Therein particles suspended in the liquid and being heavier than the liquid are to be separated, and liquid is to flow furtheron downwards to a collecting chamber  25 , in which the arcuately extending lower wings  13  are situated. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the wings  13  have an arcuate extension opposite to that of the separation discs  11 . Thereby, the wings  13  may give axial support to a larger number of separation discs than if they extended only radially and, still, function as members for rotational entrainment of liquid situated in the collecting chamber  25 . The uppermost ring  18  prevents an axial liquid flow radially outside the separation discs  11 . 
     The base plate  1  is provided with two depressions, which form two outlet chambers  26  below the partition portion  20 . These outlet chambers  26  communicate with the afore-mentioned collecting chamber  25  at the radially inner edge of the partition portion  20 . 
     At a limiting wall in each of the outlet chambers  26 , facing in the circumferential direction of the rotor, the base plate  1  is provided with a nozzle having an outlet channel  27 . The outlet channel  27  opens in a liquid free space, which is at atmospheric pressure, outside the rotor at a level radially outside the inner edge of the partition portion  20 . When the pressurised liquid leaves the outlet chambers  26  through the outlet channels  27  the rotor is actuated by a reaction force bringing the rotor into rotation around the center axis  10 . 
     How the rotor is supported and is journalled and how liquid to be cleaned is introduced into the channel  4  has not been shown or described since this is well known to the skilled person of the relevant art. 
     The separation discs  11  as well as the members  14 - 16  keeping them in place in the rotor may, preferably, be made of plastics. If desired, the separation discs may be formed in a way such that they extend through substantially the whole of the separation chamber of the rotor. An advantage with separation discs of the kind described here, in comparison with conical separation discs, is that all of the discs may be formed identically alike and, in spite of this, be given a form such that they extend in all desired parts of the separation chamber. A package of such separation discs, thus, is not bound to a certain geometrical shape in the same way as is a stack of identically formed conical separation discs, but may be adapted to a desired shape of the rotor. Therefore, an available space within the rotor may be utilized to its maximum for the centrifugal separation in question. 
     In a centrifugal rotor formed in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2 particles heavier than the liquid are to be separated therefrom in the separation channels and will then slide along the separation discs towards and be collected in a sludge space at the surrounding wall  9  of the rotor. After a certain time of operation or when a certain amount of particles have been collected in the rotor, the operation is to be interrupted and the cap  5  dismounted for removal of the particles. 
     Within the scope of the invention it is possible to provide a rotor of the kind here described with an insert, which collects separated particles and which can be removed from the rotor during an interruption of the operation and be disposed of together with the particles, whereafter a new insert of this kind can be mounted in the rotor. 
     An insert of this kind could comprise the above described partition  20 - 22  and a cylindrical container formed in one piece therewith and adapted to form a removable liner within the described cap  5 . A liner of this kind could extend from the partition  20 - 22  up to the uppermost ring  18  surrounding the separation discs. 
     Alternatively, if the separation discs  11  and their supporting members  14 - 16  could be made sufficiently inexpensive, even these members together with the partition  20 - 22  and a liner of the just described kind could form an exchangeable insert. An exchangeable insert of this kind would not necessarily have to be thrown away but could, instead, be cleaned and reused. 
     FIGS. 3-5 show a somewhat modified centrifugal rotor according to the invention. The same reference numerals have been used in the FIGS. 3-5 as in FIGS. 1 and 2 for corresponding details. 
     In the rotor shown in FIGS. 3-5 the separation discs  11  are mounted in a supporter comprising a lower supporting member  15   a  and an upper supporting member  16   a.  The supporting members  15   a  and  16   a  are removably connected with each other by means of a snap lock device  17   a  and are guided by the central column  3 . The snap lock device  17   a  is placed radially inside the separation discs  11  about half-way between their axial ends, whereby it is relatively difficult to reach and, thus, cannot be opened unintentionally. Thereby, the separation discs cannot be freed unintentionally from the supporting members  15   a  and  16   a.    
     The lower supporting member  15   a  is formed in one piece with the partition  20  and with the wings  13  in the collecting chamber  25 . The upper supporting member  16   a  is formed in one piece with the wings  12  in the distribution chamber  24 . 
     As can be seen from the FIGS. 4 and 5, the wings  12  are of two different kinds. Two wings  12   a,  which are situated diametrically on opposite sides of the column  3 , extend substantially all the way into the column  3  in the plane wherein the inlet openings  23  of the column  3  are situated. The other wings  12   b  do not extend, in this plane, into the column  3  but leave between themselves and the column  3  free spaces  28 . 
     The column  3  has two inlet openings  23  for liquid to be treated in the rotor. Each one of these openings opens in an area situated immediately in front of one of the wings  12   a  extending all the way into the column  3 , seen in the rotational direction of the rotor. This rotational direction is shown by an arrow w in FIG.  4 . Thus, liquid entering the rotor through an opening  23  will be entrained in the rotor rotation by the adjacent wing  12   a  and, thus, be prevented from sliding relative to the rotor in a direction opposite to its rotational direction. The main part of the liquid supplied by an overpressure through an inlet opening  23  will be forced in the rotational direction of the rotor through a passage that is formed closest to the column  3  by inter alia said spaces  28 , up to the other wing  12   a  extending all the way in to the column  3 . Hereby, an even distribution is achieved of incoming liquid into all the interspaces between the wings  12   a  and  12   b  and, thereby, in all of the separation channels between the separation discs  11 . 
     The described arrangement of different kinds of wings  12   a  and  12   b,  respectively, and the particular location of the inlet openings  23  in relation to the wings is an advantageous alternative to having a large number of relatively small inlet openings in the column  3 , e.g. one inlet opening in each interspace between adjacent wings, for accomplishment of an even distribution of liquid in the rotor separation chamber. The above described arrangement may be used as soon as the number of wings  12  exceeds the number of inlet openings  23 . 
     In the rotor according to the FIGS. 3-5 the uppermost ring  18   a,  which surrounds the separation discs, does not extend all the way out to the casing  5  but leaves a small space  29  between itself and the casing. This space is dimensioned such that it allows passage of solids, which are separated from the incoming liquid already in the distribution chamber  24  and, thus, deposit on the inside of the casing  5  already in the area of the ring  18   a.  After a short time of rotor operation a layer of particles having deposited on the inside of the casing will at least partly fill the space  29 . As long as no layer of particles of the same thickness has been formed on the inside of the casing  5  below the ring  18   a,  separated particles will move slowly downwardly, however, along the casing  5  passing the ring  18   a,  whereby accumulation of particles in the distribution chamber  24  is avoided. 
     As can be seen, the casing  5  is also slightly conical, so that its diameter increases in the axial direction away from the distribution chamber  24 , which contributes to avoiding complete clogging of the space  29 .