Granted Patent B2

US 12,741,288 · App. 18/021,062 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Inventors: Rüdiger Göhmann (Oelde, DE); Kai Helmrich (Drensteinfurt, DE); Kathrin Quiter (Drensteinfurt, DE); Andreas Schulz (Beckum, DE); Jürg Burkart (Rudolfstetten, CH); Simon Stöckli (Rehetobel, CH)

Assignee: GEA Westfalia Separator Group GmbH

B04B1/08B04B7/04B04B7/08B04B9/12B04B11/02

Abstract

Claims (54)

1 . A separator insert for a separator configured to separate a flowable suspension into at least a light and a heavy phase of different density in a centrifugal field, the separator insert comprising:

a) a housing, which is stationary during operation, wherein the housing is a container that is closed except for

a supply opening in a first axial boundary wall of the housing and configured to receive an inflowing suspension;

two outlets in an outer casing of the housing and configured to output the light and heavy phases; and

a recirculation inlet in a second axial boundary wall of the housing;

b) a rotor, which is rotatable about an axis of rotation, arranged within the housing, wherein the rotor comprises a drum, which has multiple openings comprising

at least one first opening and at least one second opening are configured as free radial outlets for the light and the heavy phase into the housing;

two further openings at two axial ends of the drum;

an upper feed pipe extending into an upper one of the two further openings and a lower feed pipe extending into a lower one of the two further openings, wherein the upper and lower feed pipes do not touch the drum, and wherein one of the upper and lower feed pipes is fluidically coupled to one of the two outlets;

c) separating means arranged in the drum; and

d) at least two rotor units arranged at two axially spaced-apart points on the rotor, wherein the at least two rotor units are respectively part of a corresponding magnetic bearing device, and wherein the at least two rotor units are configured to hold the rotor in a suspended state, to rotatably mount the rotor, and to rotate the rotor within the housing during operation of the separator, and

wherein the upper feed pipe passes axially through an upper one of the at least two rotor units and the lower feed pipe passes axially through a lower one of the at least two rotor units.

2 . The separator insert of claim 1 , wherein the separator insert is a pre-assembled, exchangeable unit configured for insertion into a frame of the separator.

3 . The separator insert of claim 1 , wherein the housing and the drum are made entirely or predominantly of plastic or a plastic composite material.

4 . The separator insert of claim 1 , wherein the at least two rotor units are arranged at the two axial ends of the drum.

5 . The separator insert of claim 4 , wherein one or both of the magnetic bearing devices are configured to rotate and adjust a speed of the drum, and one or both of the magnetic bearing devices are configured to act in a radially and axially bearing manner and to maintain the rotor suspended in the drum at a distance from the drum during operation of the separator.

6 . The separator insert of claim 1 , wherein each of the two outlets is associated with a respective trapping ring chamber of the housing.

7 . The separator insert of claim 1 , wherein the two outlets are arranged radially or tangentially on the housing.

8 . The separator insert of claim 1 , wherein the supply opening is formed by the upper feed pipe, which is non-rotatable, which projects with one end out of the housing to a first side with vertical alignment of the axis of rotation upwards, and outwards, and which extends through the first axial boundary wall and through one of the magnetic bearing devices axially into the drum, but does not touch the drum.

9 . The separator insert of claim 1 , wherein the upper feed pipe passes through the housing concentrically to the axis of rotation of the rotor, then extends axially further within the housing into the drum and ends there with its other end, which is a free outlet end, in front of or in a distributor, wherein the distributor is arranged in the drum and rotates with the drum, and wherein the distributor is configured to conduct the suspension into the centrifugal field.

10 . The separator insert of claim 6 , wherein the drum has at least two sections of different diameter, and wherein, in order to discharge the output the light and heavy phases of differing density from the drum in the sections of different diameter, the free radial outlets are provided in each case in an outer casing of the drum, wherein the free radial outlets each have one or more nozzle-like openings in the outer casing of the drum outer casing forming the free radial outlets into the respective trapping ring chambers.

11 . The separator insert of claim 6 , wherein a respective one of the free radial outlets for the respective light or heavy phase is formed at a lowest point of the respective trapping ring chamber.

12 . The separator insert of claim 1 , wherein a discharge line with a pump is configured to convey the light or heavy phase emerging from one of the free radial outlets away from the housing, and wherein a branch line opens into the recirculation inlet to form a recirculation line configured to return the light or the heavy phase to the drum.

13 . The separator insert of claim 12 , wherein the pump is configured to recirculate the light or heavy phase into the drum.

14 . The separator insert of claim 9 , wherein the recirculation inlet comprises the lower feed pipe passing through the second axial boundary wall of the housing and opening into a second distributor in the drum, wherein the second distributor does not rotate with the drum.

15 . The separator insert of claim 1 , further comprising:

a controllable regulating valve configured to shut off, open completely, or open partially the recirculation inlet.

16 . The separator insert of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one measuring device configured to determine a parameter of the light phase or the heavy phase.

17 . The separator insert of claim 1 , wherein the separating means is a stack of separator disks in the drum.

18 . The separator insert of claim 2 , wherein all of components of the separator insert are assembled into the pre-assembled unit, wherein all of product-contacting elements of the separator insert are made of plastic or other non-magnetic material.

19 . The separator insert of claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower feed pipes and the free radial outlets project outwardly from the housing as nozzles that are connected to the housing in a sealed manner or are formed integrally with the housing.

20 . The separator insert of claim 1 , wherein the housing is hermetically sealed except for openings with the upper and lower feed pipes and the free radial outlets.

21 . A separator configured to separate a flowable suspension into at least a light and a heavy phase of different density in a centrifugal field, the separator comprising:

a frame; and

a separator insert exchangeably arranged on the frame, wherein the separator insert comprises

a) a housing, which is stationary during operation, wherein the housing is a container that is closed except for

a supply opening in a first axial boundary wall of the housing and configured to receive an inflowing suspension;

two outlets in an outer casing of the housing and configured to output the light and heavy phases; and

a recirculation inlet in a second axial boundary wall of the housing;

b) a rotor, which is rotatable about an axis of rotation, arranged within the housing, wherein the rotor comprises a drum, which has multiple openings comprising

at least one first opening and at least one second opening are configured as free radial outlets for the light and the heavy phase into the housing; and

two further openings at two axial ends of the drum;

an upper feed pipe extending into an upper one of the two further openings and a lower feed pipe extending into a lower one of the two further openings, wherein the upper and lower feed pipes do not touch the drum, and wherein one of the upper and lower feed pipes is fluidically coupled to one of the two outlets;

c) separating means arranged in the drum; and

d) at least two rotor units arranged at two axially spaced-apart points on the rotor, wherein the at least two rotor units are respectively part of a corresponding magnetic bearing device, and wherein the at least two rotor units are configured to hold the rotor in a suspended state, to rotatably mount the rotor, and to rotate the rotor within the housing during operation of the separator, and

wherein the upper feed pipe passes axially through an upper one of the at least two rotor units and the lower feed pipe passes axially through a lower one of the at least two rotor units.

22 . The separator of claim 21 , wherein the frame includes spaced-apart receptacles with stator units of the magnetic bearing devices, between which the housing of the separator insert is insertable in a rotationally fixed and exchangeable manner.

23 . The separator of claim 22 , wherein a relative distance of the spaced-apart receptacles with the stator units of the bearing devices is adjustable in order to exchange the separator insert.

24 . The separator of claim 23 , wherein the separator insert is fastenable to the frame in a form-fitted or force-fitted rotationally fixed manner.

25 . The separator of claim 23 , wherein the housing, the spaced-apart receptacles, and the stator units, comprise corresponding form-fitting means for retaining the housing in a rotationally fixed manner on the receptacle or receptacles.

26 . The separator of claim 21 , further comprising:

at least one measuring device configured to determine a parameter of the light phase or the heavy phase; and

at least one control device configured to control or regulate an amount of recirculation of the light or the heavy phase based on parameters determined by the measuring device.

Assignments (3)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (12)