Self-emptying separator for the gentle discharge of shear-sensitive products, and method for operating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11389809-B2
Application number	US-201816498540-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2018
Priority date	Mar 29, 2017
Publication date	Jul 19, 2022
Grant date	Jul 19, 2022

Abstract

A self-emptying separator includes a rotatable drum with an inlet, a liquid outlet, outlet openings for solid material, and a control system. A flowable starting product is cleared of the solids in continuous operation in a centrifugal field in the rotating drum. A continuous discharge of a clear phase is performed. A solid phase is discharged via the outlet openings from a solids collecting space of the drum into an annular solids catcher. The solids catcher has a device for generating a fluid curtain against which the solids, issuing from the outlet openings for solid material, impact.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A self-emptying separator, comprising:
a rotatable drum having a vertical axis of rotation;
a feed;
at least one liquid drain;
outlet openings for solids;
a piston slide valve configured to open and close the outlet openings; and
a controller,
wherein a free-flowing starting product is clarified of the solids in continuous operation in a centrifugal field in the rotatable drum,
wherein a clear phase is emptied continuously and a solid phase is emptied from a solid collection chamber of the rotatable drum into a ring-shaped solid collector discontinuously via the outlet openings,
wherein the solid collector comprises a device for producing a fluid curtain, on which the solid phase exiting from the outlet openings for solid impact, wherein the device for producing a fluid curtain comprises openings that are distributed on an upper wall of the ring-shaped solid collector or on an adjoining component, the openings of the device for producing a fluid curtain have exit ends that are axially oriented downward,
wherein the openings of the device for producing the fluid curtain are nozzles, which are distributed on a circumference of the solid collector,
wherein the separator is configured to discontinuously empty the solids,
wherein the controller is configured to control a position of the piston slide valve and supply of fluid to the nozzles so that the fluid curtain is produced for a first period of time while the piston slide valve is in a first position that closes the outlet opening, the fluid curtain continues to be produced for a second period of time while the piston slide valve is in a second position that opens the outlet openings, and the fluid curtain stops being produced after passage of a third period of time after the piston slide valve returns to the first position.

2. The self-emptying separator of claim 1 , wherein at least four or more nozzles are distributed on the circumference of the solid collector.

3. The self-emptying separator of claim 1 , wherein the solid collector comprises a baffle wall.

4. The self-emptying separator of claim 3 , wherein the fluid curtain is formed along an entire circumference of the solid collector in front of the baffle wall.

5. The self-emptying separator of claim 1 , wherein a fluid forming the fluid curtain is water.

6. The self-emptying separator of claim 1 , the free-flowing starting product or the clear phase obtained from the starting product to be processed is a fluid forming the fluid curtain.

7. The self-emptying separator of claim 1 , wherein a supply line supplies the fluid to the nozzles, wherein the supply line is openable and closeable by a final control element.

8. The self-emptying separator of claim 7 , wherein the controller is connected to the final control element via data connections.

9. A method for operating a separator, the method comprising:
rotating a rotatable drum having a vertical axis of rotation;
supplying a free-flowing starting product into the rotatable drum to separate the free-flowing product into a clear phase and a solid phase;
continuously emptying the clear phase from the rotatable drum;
producing, via nozzles distributed in an upper wall of a ring-shaped solid collector or an adjoining component for a first period of time, a fluid curtain on which the solid phase exiting the outlet openings impact, wherein a piston slide valve is in a first position covering outlet openings for solids of the separator during the first period of time;
moving the piston slide valve from the first position to a second position in which the piston slide valve does not cover the outlet openings for solids and emptying the solid phase from the rotatable drum into the ring-shaped solid collector while the piston slide valve is in the second position, wherein the nozzles continue to produce the fluid curtain while the piston slide valve is in the second position;
moving, after a second period of time, the piston slide valve from the second position to the first position, wherein the nozzles stop producing the fluid curtain after passage of a third period of time after the piston slide valve is moved from the second position to the first position.

Assignees

• Gea Mechanical Equipment Gmbh

Inventors

• Hundertmark Tim
• Emanuele Mario
• Piek Alexander
• Mäckel Jürgen

Classifications

• B04B11/04

  Periodical feeding or discharging; Control arrangements therefor · CPC title

• B04B1/12

  with continuous discharge · CPC title

• B04B1/14

  with periodical discharge · CPC title

• B04B1/10

  with discharging outlets in the plane of the maximum diameter of the bowl {(cleaning B04B15/06)} · CPC title

• B04B11/02

  Continuous feeding or discharging; Control arrangements therefor · CPC title