Trucent | Products | Centrifuge Systems | Two-Phase Centrifuge Separation

Two-Phase Centrifuge Systems

The CentraSep S-Series Centrifuge: High-Performance Two-Phase Solid/Liquid Separation

Given enough time, every solid will eventually fall out of suspension. But “enough time” can be days, months—even years.

There are many different styles of centrifugal separation equipment to consider: screen/scroll centrifuges, large horizontal decanter centrifuge, tubular bowl centrifuges, disc stack centrifuges, and more. Each is suitable for a wide variety of tasks, but still has its own specific strengths.

The CentraSep S-Series two-phase centrifuge is designed and built for high-performance solid-liquid separation and low-maintenance operation. It takes up little floor space and can run continuously with no operator intervention, extracting up to four times as many solids as similar separation equipment.

Intro to High-Performance Solid-Liquid Separators

All centrifuges are fundamentally similar, in that they are basically accelerated sedimentation tanks, with the outside of the centrifuge’s vessel serving as the settling surface where dense solids collect. They transform a task that takes years in nature, into the work of a few minutes.

Three-phase separators are used for “liquid-liquid-solid” separation. That is, they separate two liquid phases (like oil and water) while also capturing a solid phase (like sediment in fermenting beer or calcium particles).

“Two-phase separators” are similar in principle, but very different in practice. They are used for “solid-liquid” separation, capturing solid particles, and returning clean fluid as efficiently as possible. This may mean capturing extremely fine non-ferrous particles in metalworking fluid, or continuously catching paint sludge before it can overcome a water-wash paint booth’s filtration system, or dewatering large batches of industrial sludge and slurry to reduce its weight, volume, and hazardous qualities before disposal.

In many industrial centrifuges (such as those with a tubular bowl), the overall shape of the vessel is such that denser material (like solid particles) collects and is forced out of one end of the bowl, while less dense liquid flows out the other. Two ends, two phases of separation.

Centrifuge Two Stage Process ScrapeA vertical “scraper bowl” two-phase separator is different. In this high-performance design, the bowl is designed to retain the solid material during the “process cycle.” Solids-bearing liquid is introduced into the spinning bowl by a feed pump. It accelerates to match the vessel’s speed, at which time centrifugal force drives the solid particles out of suspension in the liquid and holds them against the bowl walls. The clean liquid then drains away out of the bottom of the vertical centrifuge. Periodically, the feed pump is shut off (preventing new solid-laden liquid from entering the bowl). The “scrape cycle” begins: A blade is brought up against the bowl’s interior, collecting all of the captured solids.

Simple is Successful: CentraSep S-Series Centrifuges

Most scraper-bowl type two-phase separators rely on complex designs. This makes them expensive to operate and maintain. They have two motors, each with its own independent drive train and motor controllers, with a complex clutch interlock. This design has many potential points of failure. It also brings many more delicate mechanical systems—such as the bearings—into contact with potential contaminants.

CentraSep S-Series centrifugal separator is different. It’s been optimized for hassle-free operation. That starts with a single-motor, vertical-standing, self-discharging design—the only one like it in the world.

CentraSep S SeriesThe S-series is built around a bottom-fed/bottom-discharge design driven by a single top-mounted motor. This keeps the part-count as low as possible, increasing reliability while reducing the space the equipment takes up on your production floor. Bearings are shielded from contamination in a single-piece quick-change rotor assembly, drastically reducing maintenance time. The S-series’ precision-machined centrifugally cast bowl and unique positive-locking clutch prevent oscillation during operation, reducing wear and further increasing efficiency.

On average, CentraSep S-Series users decrease tank cleanings from five or more per year down to a single routine annual cleaning.

CentraSep S-Series Performance

Most customers who adopt the CentraSep S-Series can reduce their chemical costs by as much as 70 percent, and typically see a return on their investment in a year. For operations currently relying on labor-intensive and time-consuming solutions (like “pump and shovel” filtration), that payoff period is even shorter: under half a year, and as little as three months.

We’ve worked with manufacturers who relied on “pump & shovel” filtration and were emptying their 12,000-gallon settling tanks at least once each month (if not more). Owing to the nature of their liquid content and applications, all of that effluent and sludge needed to be treated as hazardous waste. Disposal costs were extremely high: $20,000 in dumping fees alone.

Using a CentraSep S-series separator to dewater their sludge, they went from one to two dumps each month to one or two each year. The savings in disposal alone is roughly $160,000 per year. Once they factor in the reduced cost of labor, maintenance, chemistry, and downtime, they expect to save more than $200,000 annually.

A Process-Oriented Approach to Two-Phase Centrifuge Separation

Service has been the backbone of our business for decades. Trucent is dedicated to a process-oriented approach to separation and purification. We’ve spent decades building teams that bring together people who understand equipment, people who understand liquid separation at a fundamental level, and people who understand your specific fluids, industrial processes, and industry. That team works with you to find the right intervention, use the right technology, and match it to the right application.

Fluid Management Service for Industrial FluidsAnd then we can go one step further. We can install a team in your plant to run and manage all your fluids and filtration technology on a daily basis. Your in-house Trucent team will do more than just handle fluid purchasing and manage separator technology. They’ll pinpoint contaminants at their source and find ways to separate these contaminants from your flow as early as possible.

The results: Top performance in your plant, every single day, hassle-free. No one else offers this level of comprehensive service.

Every solution begins with a conversation. Contact us today to begin that conversation, or schedule a no-obligation on-site consultation. A Trucent engineer will “walk your process,” sampling your liquids pre-process, post-process, and at every important stage along the way. We’ll take samples back to our labs for analysis, then design a separation solution that will meet your spec and your business goals. Every solution is pilot tested in our labs and trialed on-site as needed. We never commit to a solution until we know it will work in the real world.

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Comprehensive 2-Phase Separation Solutions & Services

Trucent comprehensively address your centrifugal fluid purification and solid-liquid separation needs. We can help you maintain your existing centrifuges and decanters—or design an entirely new liquid-liquid-solid separation solution. We can install one piece of equipment, or an entire team to manage all your filtration technology on a daily basis. The goals remain the same: Cleaner fluid, longer tool life, higher quality parts, and a healthier bottom line.

CentraSep S-Series Centrifuges Overview Information
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CentraSep S-126 Centrifuge Technical Data Sheet
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CentraSep S-123 Centrifuge Technical Data Sheet
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Paint booth sludge removal

View Case Study

Cleaner Wash Water Leads to Reduced Costs, Less Downtime & Increased Production

Problem

Whether a side-draft (water curtain) or down-draft spray booth, and whether using water-based, solvent-based, or 2-component (epoxy) paints, this unique centrifugal separation system will help you consistently maintain cleaner process water.

Solution

Decrease in tank cleanings from as much as five times per year down to only one routine annual cleaning.

“Quick responses, personal service, and knowledgeable technicians are able to achieve desired results with little fuss or disruption of our process.”

Engineering Manager, Current Customer