Apparatus for separating a liquid mixture

Claim 1

Apparatus for separating a liquid mixture, especially of oil and water, which comprises a stationary supply pipeline for the mixture, a centrifugal separator including a rotor having a separating chamber and provided with an inlet to which the pipeline leads, the pipeline having a discharge end located within the rotor, means rotatable with the rotor and forming a hollow body having an end wall extending transversely of the rotor axis and closely opposing said discharge end of the feed pipeline, said hollow body also having an inner surface forming a smooth surface of revolution concentric to the rotor axis and extending in surrounding relation to the pipeline while widening conically from its said discharge end, said smooth surface being operable to direct a layer of the mixture from said end wall while bringing said mixture into rotation, the rotor including means maintaining a liquid level into which said smooth surface submerges and also including means forming a passage for flow of the mixture from said surface to the separating chamber, a displacement pump in said pipeline by which the flow of liquid entering the pump is fed in its entirety to said inlet of the centrifugal rotor, and variable speed means for driving the pump to control the flow rate of the liquid to said rotor inlet.