Centrifugal separator having a valve body provided in an outlet channel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9387491-B2
Application number	US-201414772672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2014
Priority date	Mar 6, 2013
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

A centrifugal separator includes a centrifuge rotor mounted to a spindle and includes a rotor casing enclosing a separation space. Peripheral ports extend from the separation space through the rotor casing. A valve slide is movable between a closed position closing the peripheral ports and an open position opening the peripheral ports. A closing chamber is provided between the valve slide and the rotor casing. An inlet channel supplies hydraulic medium to the closing chamber to hold the valve slide in the closed position. An outlet passage permits an outlet flow of the hydraulic medium for moving the valve slide to the open position. The outlet passage includes outlet channels extending though the rotor casing. A valve body is provided in each outlet channel and is axially movable from a closing position to an opening position against the direction of the outlet flow.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A centrifugal separator comprising:
a frame;
a spindle rotably supported by the frame;
a centrifuge rotor mounted to the spindle to rotate together with the spindle around an axis of rotation, wherein the centrifuge rotor comprises a rotor casing enclosing a separation space in which a stack of separation disks is arranged;
a plurality of peripheral ports extending from the separation space through the rotor casing to a surrounding space;
a valve slide movable between a closed position, in which the peripheral ports are closed, and an open position, in which the peripheral ports are open;
a closing chamber provided between the valve slide and the rotor casing and containing a hydraulic medium acting on the valve slide;
an inlet channel configured for supplying the hydraulic medium to the closing chamber in order to hold the valve slide in the closed position; and
an outlet passage for discharging an outlet flow of the hydraulic medium in an outlet direction from the closing chamber in order to move the valve slide to the open position, wherein the outlet passage comprises a number of outlet channels for the outlet flow, and wherein each outlet channel extends through the rotor casing and is associated with a respective valve body,
wherein the valve body is provided in the outlet channel and is axially movable in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation from a closing position to an opening position against the outlet direction in order to permit the outlet flow,
wherein the valve body rests against a valve seat in the outlet channel when the valve body is in the closing position,
wherein the centrifugal separator comprises a closing mechanism arranged to move the valve body from the closing position to the opening position by removing the valve body from the valve seat towards the valve slide,
wherein the closing mechanism comprises an annular control slide extending around the axis of rotation and being movable from a first position to a second position, thereby removing the valve body from the valve seat to the opening position.

2. The centrifugal separator according to claim 1 , wherein the closing mechanism comprises an annular control chamber provided adjacent to the annular control slide and a supply channel configured to supply hydraulic medium to the annular control chamber in order to move the annular control slide to the second position.

3. The centrifugal separator according to claim 2 , wherein a restriction aperture extends from the annular control chamber to the surrounding space.

4. The centrifugal separator according to claim 2 , wherein the outlet passage comprises an annular outlet chamber located between the annular control slide and the outlet channels, and wherein at least one communication channel extends through the annular control slide and connects the annular control chamber and the annular outlet chamber to each other in order to enable transport of hydraulic medium between the annular control chamber and the annular outlet chamber.

5. The centrifugal separator according to claim 4 , wherein the annular control slide has a first projection area in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation in the annular outlet chamber and a second projection area in the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation in the annular control chamber, and wherein the second projection area is smaller than the first projection area.

6. The centrifugal separator according to claim 4 , wherein a second restriction aperture extends from the annular outlet chamber to the surrounding space.

7. The centrifugal separator according to claim 1 , wherein the closing mechanism comprises a number of pins, each of the number of pins extending from the annular control slide to act on a respective one of the valve bodies.

8. The centrifugal separator according to claim 7 , wherein each of the number of pins has a cross-sectional size that is smaller than the cross-sectional size of the valve body.

9. The centrifugal separator according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet passage comprises an annular outlet chamber located between the annular control slide and the outlet channels.

10. The centrifugal separator according to claim 9 , wherein the annular outlet chamber is outwardly open towards the surrounding space by an annular gap extending around the axis of rotation.

11. The centrifugal separator according to claim 9 , wherein the annular outlet chamber is closed by a wall extending from the annular control slide.

Assignees

• Alfa Laval Corp Ab

Inventors

• Bodelson Berth

Classifications

• B04B1/14 Primary

  with periodical discharge · CPC title

• B04B11/04 Primary

  Periodical feeding or discharging; Control arrangements therefor · CPC title

• B04B1/18

  controlled by the centrifugal force of an auxiliary liquid · CPC title

• B04B7/14

  for separating walls of conical shape · CPC title