Patent ID: 8113356

Claim:
A system that is adapted for separating a mixture comprising drilling fluid and solids material, said system comprising: a first screen deck that is adapted to receive a flow of said mixture and separate at least a first portion of said flow of said mixture into a first separated solids portion and a first screen outflow comprising drilling fluid and a first unseparated solids portion; a second screen deck that is arranged in a series flow configuration with said first screen deck, wherein said second screen deck is positioned below said first screen deck and is adapted to receive said first screen outflow and separate said first screen outflow into a second separated solids portion and a second screen outflow comprising drilling fluid and a second unseparated solids portion; a third screen deck that is positioned below said second screen deck and is adapted to receive said second screen outflow and separate at least a first portion of said second screen outflow into a third separated solids portion and a third screen outflow comprising drilling fluid and a third unseparated solids portion; a fourth screen deck that is arranged in a parallel flow configuration with said third screen deck, wherein said fourth screen deck is positioned below said third screen deck and is adapted to receive at least a second portion of said second screen outflow and separate said at least said second portion into a fourth separated solids portion and a fourth screen outflow comprising drilling fluid and a fourth unseparated solids portion; a first flow diversion apparatus comprising a first overflow weir and a first flow channel apparatus, wherein said first flow diversion apparatus is adapted to create said parallel flow configuration between said third and fourth screen decks; and a second flow diversion apparatus comprising a second flow channel apparatus, wherein said second flow diversion apparatus is adapted to divert said third screen outflow so as to bypass said fourth screen deck.