Method for clarifying a flowable product with a centrifuge having discontinuously openable solid-discharge openings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10040076-B2
Application number	US-201415030524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2014
Priority date	Oct 21, 2013
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A method is provided for clarifying a flowable starting product with a separator having a feed and at least one liquid discharge for continuously discharging at least one clarified liquid phase—a clear phase—and with discontinuously openable solid-discharge openings for discontinuously discharging the solid phase. The method involves the steps: a. setting or determining a starting time; b. repeatedly determining at least one actual value of a product-parameter of the clear phase derived from the drum; c. determining the time interval until the product-parameter actual value reaches or exceeds a product-parameter limit value; d. preferably initiating a solid discharge as a result of reaching or exceeding the product-parameter limit value; e. determining and setting an operating time interval by using the determined calibrating time interval, the operating time interval being less than or greater than the ascertained calibrating time interval; and f. initiating at least one or more solid discharges each time the set operating time interval has elapsed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
clarifying a flowable starting product using a separator with a rotatable drum, a feed, at least one liquid discharge for continuously discharging at least one clarified liquid phase, and discontinuously openable solid-discharge openings for continuously discharging the solid phase by
a. setting or determining a starting time;
b. repeatedly determining at least one actual value of a single product-parameter of the at least one clarified liquid phase drawn off from the rotatable drum, wherein the single product-parameter of the at least one clarified liquid phase is one of degree of turbidity, a viscosity, and a conductivity;
c. determining a calibrating time interval from the starting time until a time at which the single product-parameter actual value of the at least one clarified liquid phase or a difference quotient of the determined single product-parameter actual values of the at least one clarified liquid phase and respective time intervals between the measurements reaches or exceeds a product-parameter limit value;
d. initiating a solid discharge via the solid-discharge openings in response to the determined actual value of the at least one clarified liquid phase reaching or exceeding the product-parameter limit value;
e. determining and setting an operating time interval using the determined calibrating time interval, wherein the operating time interval is less than the determined calibrating time interval; and
f. initiating one of the plurality solid discharges each time the set operating time interval elapses.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a time of a first solid discharge is determined in step a.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps a.-f. are only repeated after a predetermined number of passages of operating time intervals.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a volumetric flow or a product-parameter of the flowable starting product fed to the separator, wherein steps a.-f. are repeated if the volumetric flow changes or the product-parameter of the flowable starting product changes up to or beyond a limit value.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting of the operating time interval is performed in such a way that, within the operating time interval, the product-parameter directly before the solid discharge deviates by less than 20% from the product-parameter directly after the solid discharge.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the operating time interval is at least 10% less than the calibrating time interval.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid discharge is initiated if the difference quotient reaches or falls below, or exceeds, a predetermined limit value one or more times.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid discharge takes place through discharge nozzles, which are closed and opened by a piston slide valve.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determination of the at least one actual value of the product-parameter of the at least one clarified liquid phase is performed by a sensor arranged in or at an outlet of the separator.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, using a sensor arranged in or at the feed of the separator, at least one actual value of a product-parameter of the starting product.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, by an evaluation unit, a calibrating time interval and operating time interval; and
setting, by the evaluation unit, the operating time interval, wherein the evaluation unit is connected to the sensor and the evaluation unit allows a hydraulic setting of a position of a piston slide valve in the drum.

12. A method, comprising:
clarifying a flowable starting product using a separator with a rotatable drum, a feed, at least one liquid discharge for continuously discharging at least one clarified liquid phase, and discontinuously openable solid-discharge openings for continuously discharging the solid phase by
a. setting or determining a starting time;
b. repeatedly determining at least one actual value of a product-parameter of the at least one clarified liquid phase drawn off from the rotatable drum;
c. determining a calibrating time interval from the starting time until a time at which the product-parameter actual value of the at least one clarified liquid phase or a difference quotient of the determined product-parameter actual values of the at least one clarified liquid phase and respective time intervals between the measurements reaches or exceeds a product-parameter limit value;
d. initiating a solid discharge via the solid-discharge openings in response to the determined actual value of the at least one clarified liquid phase reaching or exceeding the product-parameter limit value;
e. determining and setting an operating time interval for a plurality of solid discharges using the determined calibrating time interval and independent of further determinations of the product-parameter actual value of the at least one clarified liquid phase, wherein the operating time interval is less than the determined calibrating time interval; and
f. initiating one of the plurality solid discharges each time the set operating time interval elapses.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a time of a first solid discharge is determined in step a.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein steps a.-f. are only repeated after a predetermined number of passages of operating time intervals.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining a volumetric flow or a product-parameter of the flowable starting product fed to the separator, wherein steps a.-f. are repeated if the volumetric flow changes or the product-parameter of the flowable starting product changes up to or beyond a limit value.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the operating time interval is at least 10% less than the calibrating time interval.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the solid discharge is initiated if the difference quotient reaches or falls below, or exceeds, a predetermined limit value one or more times.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the product-parameter of the at least one clarified liquid phase and/or of the starting product is at least one of a degree of turbidity, a viscosity, and a conductivity.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein determination of the at least one actual value of the product-parameter of the at least one clarified liquid phase is performed by a sensor arranged in or at an outlet of the separator.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining, using a sensor arranged in or at the feed of the separator, at least one actual value of a product-parameter of the starting product;
determining, by an evaluation unit, a calibrating time interval and operating time interval; and
setting, by the evaluation unit, the operating time interval, wherein the evaluation unit is connected to the sensor and the evaluation unit allows a hydraulic setting of a position of a piston slide valve in the drum.

Assignees

• Gea Mechanical Equipment Gmbh

Inventors

• Mackel Wilfried
• Fleuter Markus
• Linckamp Josef

Classifications

• B04B11/04

  Periodical feeding or discharging; Control arrangements therefor · CPC title

• B04B1/14 Primary

  with periodical discharge · CPC title