Method of controlling the discharge of solids from an orifice of a centrifugal separator

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM A VISCOUS FLUID BY THE USE OF A CONE-SHAPED CENTRIFUGE FORMING A CHAMBER HAVING A TANGENTIAL OPENING IN THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF, AN AXIAL FLUID DISCHARGE OPENING IN THE TOP OF THE CENTRIFUGE, AND A NORMALLY FLUID TIGHT, FLUID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE, VALVED OUTLET OPENING IN THE LOWER END OF THE CONESHAPED CENTRIFUGE, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES; (A) INTRODUCING TANGENTIALLY, UNDER PRESSURE INTO THE CENTRIFUGE, A MIXTURE OF VISCOUS FLUID CONTAINING SOLIDS, (1) SWIRLING THE MIXTURE OF VISCOUS FLUID AND SOLIDS, BY PRESSURE, ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF THE CHAMBER WITHIN THE CONE-SHAPED CENTRIFUGE TO CREATE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, THE PARTIAL VACUUM ZONE OF THE SWIRLING MASS HAVING A VERTEX AND EXTENDING TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CENTRIFUGE, (2) CREATING WITHIN THE CENTER OF THE CENTRIFUGE SAID PARTIAL VACUUM ZONE TO NORMALLY HOLD THE VALVED OUTLET OPENING CLOSED IN FLUID TIGHT RELATION, BY SUCTION, WHEN THE VERTEX OF SAID PARTIAL VACUUM ZONE CREATED BY THE SWIRLING MASS, IS IN ONE POSITION, (3) THROWING SOLIDS OUTWARDLY BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TO PASS DOWNWARDLY BY GRAVITY TO ACCUMULATE IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CENTRIFUGE, THEREBY TO CHANGE THE SHAPE OF THE CHAMBER WITHIN THE CENTRIFUGE, (B) DISCHARGING FLUID FROM WHICH SOLIDS HAVE BEEN SEPARATED, AS THE SOLIDS PASS DOWNWARD, THROUGH THE AXIAL DISCHARGE OPENING IN THE TOP OF THE CENTRIFUGE, (C) MOVING THE VERTEX OF THE PARTIAL VACUUM ZONE UPWARD BY CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THE CHAMBER IN THE CENTRIFUGE TO RELIEVE THE SUCTION ON THE VALVED OUTLET OPENING, AND (D) REPLACING THE SUCTION ON THE VALVED OUTLET OPENING WITH POSITIVE FLUID PRESSURE GENERATED BY THE FLUID IN THE CHAMBER OF THE SWIRLING OF THE MIXTURE TO OPEN THE VALVED OUTLET OPENING TO DISCHARGE SOLIDS FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CENTRIFUGE.