Patent ID: 7238150

Claim:
A method of modeling the performance of a decanting centrifuge, wherein the centrifuge includes a bowl having a bowl length, L B , and an inner surface displaced from a central axis by a bowl radius, r 2 , the centrifuge further including a feed inlet extending along the central axis and providing radial fluid communication of feed fluid with a flow rate, Q, to the bowl, wherein a pond of fluid forms along the inner surface of the bowl when the bowl is rotated to have an angular velocity, ω, the pond having a top surface displaced from the central axis by a pond top radius, r 1 , the method comprising the steps of: inputting data related to the centrifuge including the bowl radius, r 2 , the pond top radius, r 1 , the bowl length, L B , the angular velocity, ω into an analyzer; measuring data related to the feed fluid including a fluid density, ρ f , a particle density ρ s , a fluid viscosity, μ, and the flow rate, Q; inputting the measured data related to the feed fluid into the analyzer; calculating a d 100 cut point as a function of the flow rate; modeling a first cut function for laminar flow as a function of a particle diameter, d i , using the calculated d 100 cut point function; calculating a maximum point within the pond, I b , I p , at which a particle having particle diameter, d i , must reach a laminar boundary layer within the pond to be captured within the bowl, wherein I b is defined as the distance from the inlet at which the particle having particle diameter, d i encounters the laminar boundary layer and I p is defined as the height of the boundary layer above a bottom of the pond; modeling a second cut function for turbulent flow having a laminar boundary layer along the bowl inner surface as a function of particle diameter, d i .