SEPARATION TECHNOLOGIES OF FLUIDS AND STUDY OF A CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR

By Kunal Vaid Prof. N.N Agnihotri (T3021217)

College Guide

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INDEX

TOPIC
01. Introduction 02.Basic Processes - Filtration - Sedimentation 03.Stoke's Law 04.Centrifugal Force 05.High Speed Separators 06.Modes Of Operation 07.Driving Frames 08.Applications 09.Major Manufacturers 10.Conclusion 11.References

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3 4 5 7 7 8 11 12 14 15 16 17

INDEX (IMAGES & TABLES)

IMAGES
01. Filtration- Basic Illustration 02. Gravity Separation 03. Gravity Separation - Improved effectiveness 04. Separator Body - Details 05. Separator Bowl - Details

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4 5&6 6 9 10

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Separation- an Introduction
In chemistry and chemical engineering, separation is a process that is used to transform a mixture of substances into two or more distinct products. The separated products could differ in chemical properties or some physical property, such as size, or crystal modification or other separation into different components. Barring a few exceptions, almost every element or compound is found naturally in an impure state such as a mixture of two or more substances. Many times the need to separate it into its individual components arises. The mixture that needs to be separated can have particles in any states. The mixture can be a solid-solid mixture, a liquid-solid mixture, a liquid-liquid mixture, a solid-gas mixture or a solid-liquid-gas mixture. The choice of separation depends upon the pros and cons of an individual process. The most preferable separation processes are:i. ii. Mechanical Separation Chemical Separation

Mechanical separation processes are usually favored over chemical separation processes due to their low operating costs. The various basic separation processes include:i. ii. iii. iv. v. Distillation Decantation Evaporation Filtration Sedimentation

In case of mechanical separation, the various physical aspects of the mixture drive the separation process. In case of a solid- liquid separation process, the various factors that govern the separation process are:Page | 3

i. ii. iii. iv.

Weight of the individual components in the mixture Density of the mixture Viscosity Size of the individual particles

The major mechanical separation processes are:i. ii. Filtration Sedimentation

Filtration
Filtration is a mechanical or physical operation which is used for the separation of solids from fluids (liquids or gases) by interposing a medium through which only the fluid can pass. Oversize solids in the fluid are retained, but the separation is not complete; solids will be contaminated with some fluid and filtrate will contain fine particles (depending on the pore size and filter thickness). Filtration is used to separate particles and fluid in a suspension, where the fluid can be a liquid, a gas or a supercritical fluid. Depending on the application, either one or both of the components may be isolated.

Fig. 01 Filtration Basic illustration

The whole process can be further classified into:i. ii. iii. iv. Cake filtration Deep bed filtration Screening filtration Membrane filtration

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Sedimentation
Sedimentation is the tendency for particles in suspension or molecules in solution to settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained, and come to rest against a wall. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to the forces acting on them: these forces can be due to gravity, centrifugal acceleration or electromagnetism. Sedimentation may pertain to objects of various sizes, ranging from large rocks in flowing water to suspensions of dust and pollen particles to cellular suspensions.

The process of sedimentation can be further classified into:i. ii. iii. Floatation Gravity sedimentation Centrifugal sedimentation

Separation due to Gravity/Gravity Sedimentation

If a cloudy liquid is allowed to stand for a while, gravity acts on it. The action of gravity causes the solid particles to settle down and the water is collected

above, which can be separated.

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Fig.02 Gravity Separation

Thus the two layers can be separated and the lighter layer (which in this case is water) can be removed manually. The time required for settling to occur depends upon the: Setting speed of particles Distance travelled by the particles In case the distance travelled by the particles is less and the flow speed is high, proper separation might not take place. This may lead to the mixture still being unfiltered. But in industries, time is a very important factor. The process of separation has to be done in quick succession with high efficiency. This can be achieved by increasing the surface area of contact for the mixture. Insertion of large number of plates inside the tank causes the mixture to travel large areas at high velocity thus causing effective separation.
Fig. 03- Enhanced Techniques for Gravity Separation

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Stokes Law

If the particles are falling into a viscous fluid by their own weight, then a terminal velocity also known as settling velocity is reached when the buoyant force in combination with the frictional force completely balances the gravitational force. The resultant settling velocity is given by:-

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Centrifugal Force- Basic Principle of Operation

Centrifugal force represents the effects of inertia that arise in connection with rotation and which are experienced as an outward force away from the center of rotation. Centrifugal force is the reaction force to a centripetal force. A mass undergoing curved motion, such as circular motion, constantly accelerates toward the axis of rotation. This centripetal acceleration is provided by a centripetal force, which is exerted on the mass by some other object. In accordance with Newton's Third Law of Motion, the mass exerts an equal and opposite force on the object. This is the "real" or "reactive" centrifugal force: it is directed away from the center of rotation, and is exerted by the rotating mass on the object that originates the centripetal acceleration. Based on these principles of stokes Law and Centrifugal Force, high speed separators are manufactured. These mechanical devices utilize high speed of rotation to cause effective separation of two media under action of forces which are approximately equivalent to 5000 times the force of gravity.

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The huge advantage these machines have over conventional separation techniques is : They can perform separation of very minute particles. The processes are highly efficient. Time required for the separation process to happen is very less.

High Speed Separators

The basic structure of the separators is as shown:It consists of the following major parts:i. Inlet and Outlet Pipes The inlet and outlet pipes are the supply pipes to the separator body. The mixture to be separated is fed into the bowl via the inlet pipes. The useful separated mixture is collected via the outlet pipes. The waste is discharged out of the bowl body and is collected else where ii. Electric Motor The separator unit is driven by an electric motor. Electric motor is not necessarily a part of the separator. In some cases, the separator is provided without an electric motor and requires an external power source to work. iii. Separator Frame The separator frame is the heart of the separator. The actual separation process takes place inside a separator.

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Fig. 04 -Basic Separator Body

The separator frame further comprises of:a. Separator Bowl The separator bowl rotates at thousands of rpm. The actual separation takes place inside the separator bowl b. Assembly The assembly consists of the motor (if provided), the belt or gear drive and the spindle. This assembly is responsible for the actual rotation of the separator bowl which causes separation inside it.

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Fig. 05 Details of Separator Bowl

The basic structure of the separator bowl is as shown:It consists of the following parts which are responsible for the separation of the particles. A. Bowl Body Its the lower part of the separator bowl B. Bowl Hood Its the upper part of the separator bowl C. Lock Ring It is used to hold the bowl body with the bowl hood D. Distributor Its the part which leads the supply of feed to the bottom of the plates. E. Disc Stack Its the position where actual separation takes place. The feed enters the places between the plates and here separation takes place. Due to high rotation speed the particle have the tendency to move downwards. The action of centrifugal force causes the particles to move towards the bowl frame. Due to the action of both the forces the particles move below the plates and are thus separated from the feed.

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Modes of Operation
The separator can operate in various modes depending on the type of separation process to be done and the type of mixture to be separated. The modes of operation are:1. Clarifier In clarifier mode, the separator is used to separate solid from a liquid phase. In this mode of operation, the feed enters through the inlet pipe and the cleaned liquid leaves through the outlet pipes. The solid particles that are present in the mixture remain inside the separator bowl and are removed by hand after the process is complete. The space between the disc stacks and the solid bowl is known as the Sludge Space and its the area where the solid particles collect. In case there is large amount of solid particles present then the separation process may be hampered as proper rotation of the feed is not possible. The separation process can be made more effective via the following means:I) Increasing the temperature By increasing the temperature of the mixture, the viscosity of the mixture decreases which allows ease of separation of the mixture. II) Reduction in the feed rate By reducing the feed rate, enough time is given to the separator to separate out the particles. 2. Purifier In this mode, a mixture of solids and two different liquids (heavy liquid and light liquid) is separated. In this process, the main aim is to clean the light liquid phase which forms the major chunk of the mixture and needs to be retained.
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The basic structural difference in the Purifier separator is the structure of the disc stacks. In the Purifier mode, the disc stacks have holes in them. This allows ease of separation of the two liquid phases. Due to this the light liquid phases out nearer to the centre of the bowl due to lower density and the heavy liquid collects near the periphery due to its heaviness. Due to presence of two liquids with different densities, a region also arises where the light liquid meets the heavy liquid. This region is known as the NEUTRAL REGION. For best separation results, the neutral zone should be towards the periphery of the bowl. But it should not be too far away or near the disc stack. This could also lead to hindrance in the separation process. 3. Concentrator In this mode, a mixture of two or more liquids (heavy liquid and light liquid) is separated. The mixture may or may not contain any solid particles. In this process the output is the collection of the heavy liquid phase which is present in large proportions in the mixture. Since in this mode of operation, the heavy phase needs to be collected, therefore the holes in the disc stack are nearer to the centre of the bowl so as to phase out the light liquid phase.

Driving Frames
High-speed centrifugal separators have either a Belt-drive frame or a Gear-drive frame to drive the bowl - the vessel in which separation takes place - at speeds of between 4,500 and 9,000 RPM. There are a variety of bowl types available, each having both a particular separation function and a different method of discharge specially suited to the process liquid in question. I) Worm gear drive Horizontal parts

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In most separator types, with the exception of certain large machines with type (1)-drive, the vertical bowl spindle is driven by a worm gear from a horizontal drive shaft known as the worm-wheel shaft. Power is transmitted from the motor through a coupling pulley to the worm wheel gear via a drive shaft supported by ball bearings in the base of the frame.

Vertical parts The vertical bowl spindle is driven by horizontal shaft. The base of the frame forms an oil bath in which the worm wheel turns, splashing oil over the bearings. Oil mist to the top bearing is sucked up by an oil fan on the spindle. The springs in the top bearing allow for small radial movements of the bowl due to uneven loads (such as sludge deposits). They also absorb the vibrations that occur during run-up and run-down when the bowl reaches a speed corresponding to the resonant frequency of the bowl assembly. This is of transitory nature and disappears once the critical speeds have been passed. Friction clutches Most separators have centrifugal friction clutches to ensure that the separator starts smoothly. The normal standard electric motor comes up to full speed almost immediately, but the heavy stationary separator bowl has considerable inertia, so that running up may take as long as ten minutes. Slippage in the clutch during this period naturally generates heat, but this does no harm unless an explosive product is being treated. In these cases, a rigid coupling and an explosion-proof motor must be used. Rigid coupling For large and ex-proof separators it is necessary to have a rigid coupling between the motor and the worm wheel shaft. Special motors have then to be used that can withstand the extra long starting period required to bring the bowl up to full speed. Brakes
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The most usual type of brake consists simply of a spring-loaded shoe acting on the conveyor pulley of the worm-wheel shaft. It is operated either manually by a lever or by compressed air. If for some reason rapid braking is required (as on latex separators), an eddy-current brake is supplied. Regulating, warning devices and instruments The base of the separator usually carries a mechanically-driven revolution counter button which rotates at a speed proportional to the speed of the bowl.

II) Belt drive: (R10 and R18 frames) These separators have a frame with a vertically mounted CT-motor , a flat belt with pulley and a spindle cartridge. Control torque motors These differ from normal standard motors of the same kW rating in respect of dimensions, insulation class, rotor resistance, slip (speed), cooling system (e.g. fan size) and other details. These special motors are also known Control Torque Motors or CT motors. CT-motors have to be started in star-delta. If direct starting could be used, this would reduce the starting period by two thirds. However, the mechanical stresses involved would be too high, and the starting current would in most cases be too high for the power supply available.

Applications
The important areas in which the separators find their applications are:- Heavy fuel oils - Milk - Breweries - Distilleries - Oil refineries - Latex

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- Vegetable oils

Major Manufacturers
The manufacturing of separators is a job of expertise. Therefore not many companies venture out. The major manufacturers of separators already existent in the industry are:-Alfa Laval -Westfalia -Pieralisi -Mitsubishi

Conclusion
I. Centrifugal separation involve high efficiency with extreme compactness. II. It is used to break down hard emulsions.
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III. It has the capacity to separate two liquids up to 2m. IV .Centrifugal separation also has the capacity to separate particles down to 0.5m.

References
1 .Journal of Fluids Engineering (2005) By Sebastien Poncet, Roland Schiestel, Marie-Pierre Chauve Volume: 127, Issue: 4, Pages: 787 2. Eugene A. Avallone, Theodore Baumeister, Ali Sadegh, Lionel Simeon Marks (2006).
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Marks' standard handbook for mechanical engineers (11 ed.). McGraw-Hill Professional. 3. Takwale, R. G. and P. S. Puranik (1980). Introduction to classical mechanics. Tata McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780070966178
4. Separator Manual Alfa Laval

By Den Lille Rde 5. Separator Manual Westfalia 6. Fluid Mechanics By P.M. Modi

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