Sector of invention
[0001] The present invention refers to the sector of centrifuges for oil extraction from
an oily mixing which comes from the treatment of olives. Those centrifuges, being
used in the oil industry, are known to skilled technicians also as "decanter". In
particular, the present invention refers to a horizontal centrifuge for oil extraction
from an oily mixing due to previous rivendication No. 1.
Basis of the Invention
[0002] In the oil industry, oil will be obtained from an oily mixing which comes from an
olive treatment and also from other oily products. Oil will be obtained by means of
extraction through centrifugation, which is based on the separation of liquids (essentially
water and oil), which are contained in the oily mixing and which differ from each
other for their specific weights in a centrifugal area.
[0003] As known, centrifuges for oil extraction have a cilindrical drum with conical or
cilindrical extremities; inlet heading with nozzles for the outlet of liquids (water
and oil), a closing heading at the conical extremity with perforations for the sansa
outlet; a coaxial scroll disposed in the internal part of the drum, which is foreseen
to transport the humid solids to the outlet perforations which are disposed on the
conical or cilindrical extremity, and a leading-in tube for the oily mixing from which
oil will be extracted.
[0004] The centrifuges are able to work in a bimodal way, this is to say in two or three
phases functioning. You will have a two phases functioning, when there are foreseen
an oil outlet and an outlet for solid residual, this is to say for sansa and water.
You will have a three phases functioning, when three outlets are foreseen respectively
for each phase, this is to say for oil, water and sansa.
[0005] On this premise, it is evident that the main aim of horizontal centrifuge's technology
is to obtain possibly the highest extraction efficiency.
[0006] The only limit to this efficiency is determined by the solid residual or sansa in
which there still will be a considerable percentage of oil content.
[0007] In the past, two extraction series were foreseen by means of two different centrifuges.
Afterwards it has been suggested the solution to realize the second extraction in
the same centrifugal equipment, considering an additional radial extraction along
the path length of extraction, besides a delimiting diaphragm. The radial extraction
occurs by means of an additional series of radial nozzles. Such a solution is represented
by the previous technology and very close to the invention's subject of this applcation.
[0008] In centrifuge's functioning at two phases are foreseen two oil outlets.
[0009] The inconvenience of those centrifuges at double extraction is that around the nozzles
of radial extraction, there will be an accumulation of sansa quantities. This happens
in particular with slurried olives, which do not peel very well. The result is a blocking
up of the nozzles and therefore the machine has to be stopped and cleaned.
[0010] The general task of the present invention is to supply a horizontal centrifuge for
the oil extraction, which offers a considerable better efficiency instead of the centrifuges
already known.
[0011] The particular task of the present invention is furthermore to supply a centrifuge
which doesn't suffer the inconvenience already mentioned above.
[0012] This task will be accomplished due to the teaching of the present invention with
a centrifuge according to the enclosed claim 1.
[0013] This invention will be intended in the best way due to the following particular description
of its favoured realization form, which is merely an example, but not limitative,
in relation to the design enclosed, in which
- FIGURE 1 shows a centrifuge due to the present invention in a longitudinal cross-section.
[0014] In relation to FIGURE 1, the horizontal centrifuge for the oil extraction from oily
mixings consists of drum 1 supplied with two headings (2,3) and with a registrable
leading-in tube (4) for the immission of the mixing, the tube (4) passes through the
first heading (2) and ends in the internal part of the scroll (5), on the central
axe of the same, the which forms a unique body with the helicoidal spirals, giving
to the scroll the ability to expel the solids fed. The central axe of the scroll (5)
are provided with four perforations (7) and further four perforations (24), corresponding
to two respective chambers (17,18) for the mixing's outlet which will be fed through
an adjustable tube (4).
[0015] On the central axe of the scroll (5) are applied four diaphragms (8,9,10,11). The
diaphragm (8) with internal perforations is located near the closing heading (2) and
allows the oil passing towards the outlet (12), in this way the machine works at two
phases and allows the dam of oil, when the machine works at three phases. The diaphragm
(9) divides the two extraction chambers. The diaphragms (10 and 11) are provided with
perforations in the internal part which allow the four tubes (13) not to emulsify
the liquid (oil) in the second chamber and not to suck the solid accumulated in that
point to interrupt the spiral, the spiral's interruption allows the passing of the
four tubes (13). The perforations in the internal part of the two diaphragms (10 and
11) allow the oil passing, in order to be sucked from the tubes (13) which on their
turn bring oil to the drum's outside (1).
[0016] The extremity (14) of the central axe of the scroll (5) doesn't allow the oil passing
towards the solid expulsion (15).
[0017] The four tubes (16) allow to remove oil from the separation chambers (22), both when
machine works at two phases, this is to say without addition of dilution water, and
when machine works at three phases with addition of water.
[0018] In the internal part of the scroll's central axe (5) two chambers have been obtained
(17,18) to allow the adjustable feeding pipe of the mixing (4) to discharge the mixing
in a well definite position due to whether the machine works at two phases (chamber
17) and at three phases (chamber 18).
[0019] In the liquid collectors, for water and oil (25, 26 and 27), are applied three cocks
(19, 20 and 21), which allow the washing by pressure of the little tubes and of the
perforations (12) till the liquids can leave the same without interferences while
the machine is extracting, in case the little tubes (13-16) and the perforations are
blocked up, the machine has to be stopped and the horizontal centrifuge has to be
cleaned manually.
[0020] After having described the construction of a centrifuge due to the present invention,
it will now be described the functioning.
[0021] As already shown, there are foreseen for the present invention two ways of functioning:
the way of two phases and three phases functioning.
[0022] The two phases functioning will be without the addition of dilution water. In this
case the olive mixing will reach chamber (17) along the central axe of the scroll
(5) by feeding tube (4) and will be projected through the perforations (7) in the
separation chamber (22), in which there will be the division of liquids and solids.
The heavier solids deposit itself on drum's wall (1) and they proceed through the
expulsion scroll to drum's taper surpassing the diaphragm (9) to be expelled to the
exit (15) and discharged in the collector (28). The water, containing the mixing,
always follows the solid's proceeding, in order to be expelled at the outlet (15).
[0023] Solid and liquid go through the separation chambers 23 to be expelled at the outlet
(15); along this path length, there will be set free the last percentage of oil which
is contained after the separation in chamber (22) leaking through the tubes (13),
as for oil is no more able to continue water and solid's path length, because, this
will be obstructed by the extremity on the scroll's central axe (14), while oil passes
through the perforations of diaphragm (8) in the separation chamber (22) and leaks
out from the level dam of heading (12) and from those tubes (16) placed before diaphragm
(8).
[0024] In the three phases way, with or without addition of water, there are foreseen the
water outlet (12) and the oil outlets (13 and 16), leaving one part of the conical
drum without liquids, while the oily mixing reaches chamber 18 of the scroll's central
axe (5) through an adjustable feeding tube (4) and is projected to the separation
chamber (23) through the perforations (24).
[0025] The solids being heavier will be deposited on the wall of drum's internal diameter
(1) and by means of the expulsion scroll, solids will be put on forward to drum's
taper to leak out (15) and to be discharged in the collector (28).
[0026] The oil contained in the mixing leaks out from tube (13), while water goes back and
goes beyond the diaphragm (9) and entering the separation chamber (22) to leak out
from the heading level (12), going through the space between the external disk's diameter
of the diaphragm 8 and the internal diameter of the drum 1.
[0027] Going along this path length in the chamber 22, water gets rid of the percentage
of oil it still contains, oil is leaking out from tube 16.
[0028] The present invention has been described and illustrated in relation to its specific
realization, but it has to be explicitly understood that additions, variations and/or
omissions can be done without leaving the protection area in relation, which will
be limited only by the enclosed claims.
1. An horizontal centrifuge for oil extraction from oily mixing, comprises a carcass,
in which is mounted a rotating drum and a rotating scroll, with the relative central
axe, mounted in the drum, the drum and the scroll rotating at different regimes and
comprise an axial diaphragm (9) delimiting two extraction chambers in the interstice
between scroll and drum, and two series of radial nozzles for the oil extraction respectively
in the before mentioned first and second extraction chamber; as well as comprising
an adduction tube of this oily mixing in the internal part of the scroll's central
axe already mentioned, the which is provided with openings for the leaking out of
the same mixing into the mentioned interstice to submit it to the centrifugal area
generated by the rotation of the drum and scroll, and comprising an outlet for the
residual solid of the oily mixing; the interstice is closed by inlet and outlet headings,
characterised by the fact, that these openings of the scroll's central axe are distributed
in two series which put in comunication the two extraction chambers with its respective
chambers (17; 18) supplied in series on the central axe; the mentioned adduction tube,
being adjustable, is able to dispose itself in order to leaking out in one of the
two chambers, and is able to leak out the mixing in the centrifugal area in one of
the two separation chambers; the mentioned inlet heading shows the perforations (12)
of the liquid's leaking out, the radial extraction nozzles are adjustable in order
that those perforations of the inlet heading becomes also the oil's outlet in the
two phases functioning and becomes also the water's outlet in the three phases functioning.
2. The centrifuge, due to claim 1, in which the mentioned radial nozzles in the second
extraction chamber are protected on one and another side of the axial direction of
the scroll by the respective diaphragms against the accumulation of residual solids
thereon.