Separating drum for the centrifugal treatment of mixtures

Claim 1

A centrifugal separator suitable for separating a three component mixture of a specifically lighter liquid fraction, a specifically heavier liquid fraction, and a solids fraction, into said three components comprising: (a) a separating drum having an inlet for the mixture disposed adjacent the drum axis, and a disk stack of radially extending disks adjacent the drum axis defining a first separating zone for separation of the specifically lighter fraction, and means defining a passageway for removal of the separated specifically lighter fraction from the drum, the disk stack being spaced from the periphery of the drum so as to define between the disk stack and the periphery of the drum a centrifuging zone for separation of the specifically heavier liquid fraction and the solids fraction, (b) a second separating zone disposed radially outwardly of the first separating zone, in the centrifuging zone, defined by a second disk stack of radially extending disks, means defining distribution channels in the second disk stack for entrance of specifically heavier liquid fraction and solids fraction from the centrifuging chamber into and distribution in the second disk stack, the inwardly disposed end and outwardly disposed end of the second disk stack being open for, respectively, discharge of specifically lighter liquid fraction adjacent the first disk stack, and discharge of specifically heavier liquid fraction and solids fraction into the centrifuging zone, and (c) means defining a passageway for removal of specifically heavier liquid fraction from the centrifuging zone, having an inlet for specifically heavier liquid fraction adjacent the outwardly disposed end of the second disk stack.