Importance

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Abstract

A centrifugal separator has a housing with a generally cylindrical inner surface defining an inner chamber. A hollow rotor is disposed within the chamber for rotation therein. At least one inlet is provided for introducing a liquid mixture into the annular volume between the rotor and the housing, where it is then directed into the rotor. An upper rotor assembly separates the liquid mixture by phase densities with the disparate components directed to respective outlets. In one embodiment of the invention, the upper rotor assembly includes an easily removable weir ring to facilitate 'tuning' of the separation process. The rotor of the separator is mounted on a unitary rotor shaft that extends axially through the separation chamber to upper and lower bearing assemblies in the separator housing. The bottom surface of the housing, where the liquid mixture is directed from the annular mixing volume into the rotor, preferably includes a plurality of radial vanes that are curved in the direction of rotation of the rotor to assist in directing the liquid mixture with minimal turbulence. Collector rings for the separated components provided from the upper rotor assembly are preferably formed integrally in the wall of the housing with a smoothly contoured peripheral surface to reduce turbulence of the output streams.

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First Claim