Patent GB-409832-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to methods of and means for effecting centrifugal separation
IPC: B04B3/04
Filed: 1932-12-24
Abstract: 409,832. Centrifugal separators. SHARPLES SPECIALTY CO., 23rd Street, Philadelphia, U.S.A.-(Assignees of Brewer, N. ; Lansdowne, Delaware, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.) Dec. 24, 1932, No. 26593. Convention date, Dec. 24, 1931. [Class 23.] A mixture of solids and liquids undergoes sedimentation under the influence of centrifugal force ; the separated liquid is discharged, and the solids are withdrawn to be subjected to centrifugal straining and discharge. The rotor 10, Fig. 1, operates inside a casing 51 divided into upper and lower chambers by a partition 52 and having discharge pipes 15, 16. The rotor 10 is carried by the sleeve 21, and an inner rotor 54 for moving the separated solids is carried by the central shaft 25 ; the sleeve 21, and the shaft 25 are rotated at different speeds through toothed gearing from the shaft 36. The apparatus is enclosed in a casing 11, 12, having a cover 13, and a hopper 17 for the reception of the solids. The wall 39 of the rotor 10 is shown of frusto-conical form, and the base 40 has a number of openings 43. The inner edge of an annular dam 44 determines the position of the surface of the liquid retained in the rotor, and a perforated screen 50 for the retention of solids may be provided at the inner edge of the dam. The upper part of the rotor has internal annular grooves 46 from which perforations lead through the wall. The inner rotor 54 carries two sets of ploughs 71, each of the shape shown in Fig. 10; the turned up edge 72 of each plough acts to turn over the solids while they advance to the point of discharge. The mixture of solids and liquids is run into the hopper 14 and passes to the chamber 59 in the inner rotor 54 from which it is distributed by nozzles 64 to the rotor 10. The first step in the treatment occurs in the lower part of the rotor which acts as a density separator, and the solids move to the periphery while the liquid discharges over the dam 44 into the casing 51 from which it passes through the pipe 16. Owing to the different speeds of the outer and inner rotors 10, 54 the ploughs 71 move the solids to the upper section of the rotor 10 which acts as a strainer. As the solids move upwards they may be treated by a washing liquid supplied through the pipe 96 and the nozzles 66 ; the liquid passes downwards to the dam 44 and the pipe 16. After the solids pass the straining zone, they pass over the edge of the rotor and impinge on the deflector plate 86. They are then directed downwards and traverse a long path through the air in the surrounding casing 11 to the hopper 17. The liquid from the strainer may contain particles of desirable solids, so it is led by the pipe 15 and pump 94 back to the hopper 14. Overflow passages 91 are provided so that any excess of washing liquid will flow through them to the dam 44 and not over the lip 92. When the solids to be recovered are lighter than the liquid, an annular partition 99, Fig. 6, is carried by the dam 44 and arranged to form a passage 100 for the discharge of liquid from the periphery of the rotor. The mixture-supply pipe may have a pivoted valve biassed to its open position by a spring, and controlled so that the supply of material is varied inversely as the current supplied to the main driving motor. The apparatus may be used for the recovery of ammonium sulphate crystals, the separation and purification of salt from brine, the separation of gluten from brewers' grains and the like.