Patent ID: 7438678

Claim:
A full-jacket helical conveyor centrifuge, comprising: a rotatably disposed metallic drum having a horizontal axis rotation and a centrifugal space therein; a helical conveyor rotatably disposed at a different rotational speed with respect to a rotational speed of the drum, the helical conveyor being rotatable via a gearing by a first drive device or the helical conveyor being rotatable by a second drive device for the drum; the second drive device for the drum includes at least one electromechanical direct drive; the at least one electromechanical direct drive includes either primary or secondary elements arranged either directly at or on the drum or arranged at or on a part non-rotatably connected with the drum, and also includes corresponding secondary or corresponding primary elements arranged at a distance with respect to and without contact with the primary and secondary elements, respectively, as well as being arranged outside the drum or the part non-rotatably connected with the drum; a propulsion force is generated in a gearless manner by an electromagnetic field of travelling waves advancing around the drum or around the part non-rotatably connected with the drum; and the primary or secondary elements being arranged directly on an outer periphery of the drum and at least partially surrounding the centrifugal space.