Brief description of Decanter Centrifuge

A decanter centrifuge is a device that can create a very fast rotation. A decanter centrifuge is basically used to dilute the fluid that is extracted from the gas or oil mine. Generally, the liquid that is extracted from a mine is of highly concentrated and coagulated. So, extracting minerals from them is practically impossible.  In order to thin up the extracted fluids. By using the rotational speed of a decanter centrifuge, the highly concentrated are turned into minerals extractable thin liquid. There are three basic designs of decanter centrifuges.

Decanter Centrifuge
Decanter Centrifuge

The first one is vertically oriented decanter centrifuge, the second one is horizontally oriented decanter centrifuge and finally the third one is conveyor or scroll decanter centrifuge. In the vertically oriented decanter centrifuges, the fluids or solids are gathered vertically. Vertical decanter centrifuge isvery effective for high temperature and high pressure work. A horizontally oriented decanter centrifuge gathers the fluids or solids generated from high rotation in horizontal orientation. A horizontally oriented decanter is very effective for high pressure works as it provides a strong organization due to its horizontal orientation. Lastly, a conveyor or scroll centrifuge is basically a rotating machine inside a bowl.

How does a decanter centrifuge work?

As it is mentioned before the process of a decanter centrifuge is a bit complex. Usually, a decanter centrifuge depends on sedimentation, differential speed and G force to perform its job. The sedimentation rate is an important feature for the centrifugal process. If the G force or centrifugal force is very high, the separation process becomes very easy and effective. The size and shape of particles and their level of concentration determine the sedimentation rate of any decanter centrifuge. The sedimentation rate also depends on the centrifugal force.

Another important issue for the functionality of a decanter centrifuge is the differential speeds. In a centrifuge two different parts rotate simultaneously. The first part that rotates is the exterior bowl and the second part that rotates is scroll conveyor. Sedimentation is gathered in the centrifugal cylinder as the result of varying speed of the two above mentioned separate parts. If the differential speed of a decanter centrifuge is too high, a little time is required to loosen up the concentration of waste fluids. So, it is very important to keep the differential speed of a decanter centrifuge minimal. Thus, a decanter centrifuge operates its functionalities. (Editor:Kosun Lily.Wang)