Mechanical design of centrifuges

Features of the mechanical design of centrifuges are discussed in Volume 6, where, in particular, the following items are considered ... 

The mechanical design of centrifugal separators is covered by British Standard BS 767. 

Ullock, D. S., Evaluaiing the Mechanical Design of Eiicl-Siiction Centrifugal Pumps, Chem. Eng. Prog., V. 31, No. 5, 1955. 

This chapter covers those aspects of the mechanical design of chemical plant that are of particular interest to chemical engineers. The main topic considered is the design of pressure vessels. The design of storage tanks, centrifuges and heat-exchanger tube sheets are also discussed briefly. 

There have been tremendous advances in the design of centrifugal pump mechanical seals, yet many new pumps employ ancient rope-type packing to prevent product leakage around the shaft. 

Answer—there is an error in the design of this pump. The error is that this is a self-flushed pump. The mechanical seals on centrifugal pumps require a lubricant or seal flush material to keep the seal faces from touching and rubbing. In most pumps, this seal flush fluid comes from the discharge of the pump itself. Such pumps are called self-flushed pumps. 

In order to design and to scale-up a foam centrifuge of the type presented, measurements with the material system in question would have to be performed on a appropriate model appliance. In this manner, the design of the full-scale foam centrifuge presents no problem. Apart from that, these tests and their representation in the sense of Fig.4 give the manufacturers of foaming agents a quantifiable assessment of the mechanical stability of the foams produced. 

The mechanical ways of foam breakdown are realised by various rotating devices (mixers, disks, centrifuges, propellers, etc.) or by employing stream of air, vapour or liquid or by running the foam through cyclones and narrow gaps [1,2]. In all these cases the liquid outflow from the foam is accelerated which creates critical deformations and stresses in films and other foam elements. A convenient classification of the mechanical means of foam breakdown and the methods designing such mechanical devices are considered in [3]. The... 

Wild, P. M., G. W. Vickers, and N. Djilali (1997). Fundamental principles and design considerations for the implementation of centrifugal reverse osmosis. Proc. Inst. Mechanical Engineers, Part E J. Process Mechanical Eng. 211, E2, 67-81. MEP, London. 

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