Patent ID: 6837842

Claim:
A method of indicating an undesired operation condition of a centrifugal separator, which includes a centrifugal rotor forming a separation chamber, a supply conduit for supplying a liquid mixture to be separated to the separation chamber, the liquid mixture containing at least two components, at least two outlets for discharging separated component, respectively, out of the separation chamber, one outlet of the two outlets for discharging a separated liquid phase comprising one of the components, and a first outlet conduit, the interior of which communicates with said one outlet, said method comprising the steps of operating the centrifugal separator, sensing a normal operating pressure in the first outlet conduit, when a normal flow of the liquid mixture prevails in the supply conduit and a normal flow of the liquid phase prevails in the first outlet conduit, at least substantially decreasing the flow of the liquid mixture through the supply conduit from the normal flow of the liquid mixture during a predetermined period of time, at least substantially decreasing the flow of the liquid phase through the first outlet conduit from the normal flow of the liquid phase during the same predetermined period of time, sensing the course of the pressure change in the outlet conduit from the normal operating pressure during the predetermined period of time, and generating an error signal in response to the sensed course of pressure change when this deviates from an expected normal course of pressure change.