Importance

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Abstract

A rotor has a coaxial hollow casing with a plurality of concentric radially spaced sieves or screens therein. At least one light phase liquid inlet tube has communication with the radially outer portion of the rotor chamber, and at least one heavy phase liquid inlet tube has communication with the radially inner portion of the rotor chamber to supply light and heavy phase fluids, respectively to the chamber casing. The heavy phase liquid moves radially outward and is removed from the outermost portion of the rotor chamber while the light phase liquid moves radially inwardly and is removed from the radially inner portion of the rotor chamber. The machine is constructed with concentric, radially open distributor or dispersing trays within the rotor chamber communicating directly with each of the light and heavy phase liquid inlet tubes. Each tray includes an annular base wall with radially projecting walls projecting in the form of open ended risers which have large diameter passages extending through them, and which are surrounded by considerably smaller diameter passages in the base wall. The riser walls are of at least such radial extent as to collect a sufficient head of the phase being distributed to pass the phase to be dispersed through the smaller base wall openings under pressure of the tray 'head' developed, without countercurrent flow of the other phase through them. The riser openings provide flow of the continuous other phase (not being distributed) counter-directionally through the risers under the driving force of the head, and are sufficiently large to somewhat minimize appropriately the flow force at the riser openings and control the counter-directional flow.

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First Claim