US Centrifuge Systems Offers Centrifugal Clarification Technology that Increases the Production Capacity and Quality of Clarifying Raw and Waste Vegetable Oils (WVO) with Equipment Ranging in Capacity from 5 to 350-gpm for both High and Lower Volume Biodiesel Producers.

Clarifying Centrifuges (liquid / solid)
The term “clarification” is used to describe a separation of solids from a liquid. A clarifier is a centrifuge designed to discharge suspended solids from a liquid by using centrifugal force. In the beginning stages of settling tank production, screens and coarse filters generally serve the purpose of clarifying large suspended solids in raw biodiesel oil. In the latter part of the clarification process, settling tanks are used to finish the clarification. This process is slow and costly. A clarification centrifuge serves as a “miniature settling tank”, and accelerates the settling process by subjecting raw biodiesel oil up to 2,500 times the force of gravity (2,500 “G” forces). Essentially any suspended solids heavier than the oil spin out from suspension, accumulate, and may be manually cleaned from the centrifuge or discharged through an automated discharge feature built into the self-cleaning style machine. This is essentially a liquid-solid clarification process.

US Centrifuge Systems Offers Centrifugal Technology that Increases the Production Capacity and Quality of Separating Water / Glycerin / Wash Water from Biodiesel Oils with Equipment Ranging in Capacity from 1 to 30-gpm for both High and Lower Volume Biodiesel Producers

Separator Centrifuges (liquid / liquid separation)
The term “separation” is used to describe the result of centrifugal force acting upon one liquid that separates into two liquid phases consisting of a heavy liquid phase and light liquid phase. In biodiesel production, the feedstock is first clarified of solids in a clarifier centrifuge as described above. In later stages of biodiesel production, after the raw stock has been heated and mixed with catalysts or other chemicals in transesterification process, the fluid is continuously pumped to a biodiesel high-speed disc-bowl separator centrifuge where subjected to high G forces up to 7,500 times the force of gravity (7,500 “G” forces) the fluid typically separates into a heavy phase (water and/or glycerol) and a light phase (usable oil stock). After sufficient separation, the two phases of liquid exit the centrifuge through separate liquid discharge connections. Any residual solids are removed manually from manual clean units and or discharged automatically with a self-cleaning style unit. This is essentially a liquid-liquid separation process.

US Centrifuge Systems biodiesel clarification and separation equipment / systems will reduce production costs and increase productivity providing a better return on investment for plants looking to improve production capacities and product quality
Sedimentation, centrifugation, and filtration are the methods used in the edible oil industry to separate oils and solids. In many instances, the choice of separation method is based more on economics than technical reasons however centrifuges are being used in applications formerly reserved only for settling tanks and filters as new processes have been developed that make former batch separation processes continuous. These developments have had the goal of maintaining separating efficiencies while reducing costs and increasing sanitation.

US Centrifuge Systems supplied clarification and separation equipment can dramatically increase biodiesel production capacity and reduce process time compared to several days generally required for settling out solid particles in liquid / solid separation. US Centrifuge Systems offers a wide capacity and price range of equipment from horizontal continuous cleaning decanter centrifuges and automatic vertical semi-batch self-cleaning centrifuges as well as smaller manual clean units for centrifugal clarification and removal solids such as dirt, charred food, and other non-oil material often found from WVO (WVO), used cooking oil, raw vegetable oils, animal fats, and restaurant greases prior to being chemically altered through the transesterification process. The centrifuges can separate solid particulates as small as 2-micron. Maximizing centrifuge capacities and separation potential typically requires processing the oil warm and or heating the oil within a range of 140°F up to 180°F to achieve the best results.

After the transesterification and or wash water process the glycerin / water phase is more dense than the biodiesel oil phase and the two phases can be separated much faster and cleaner using a centrifuge for liquid / liquid separation.

Biodiesel centrifuges application include:

• Yellow stock and rendering oils
• General refining
• Separation of catalysts from bio-diesel oil
• Separation of glycerin from bio-diesel oil
• Separation from the bio-diesel washing process

These centrifuges are ideal for the separation and removal Magnesol and magnesium silicates.

Benefits Of Centrifuge Technology

Business and operational benefits of using centrifuge technology in biodiesel production may include:

• Reduction in time vs. product output
• Reduction in labor vs. product output
• Reduction of floor space vs. product output
• Redeployment of current floor space
• Cost-effective
• Labor reduction
• Process-intensive systems reduced, simplified or eliminated
• Easy system integration
• Accelerated ROI (in a biodiesel production investment venture)
• Increase profits by shifting from a Batch to a Continuous-process strategy

Manual Clean and Automatic Self-Cleaning Liquid/Liquid Separators Available:

Model MAC 75 BD M Manually Cleaned Hi-Speed Disc-Bowl Separator 75-GPH Maximum Rated Capacity Drive motor 1HP XP 220VAC 60HZ 1Ø 1,750 RPM

Download product detail (PDF - 112K)

Model MAC 250 BD M Manually Cleaned Hi-Speed Disc-Bowl Separator 250-GPH Maximum Rated Capacity Drive motor 1.5HP XP 240/480V 60HZ 3Ø 1,750 RPM

Download product detail (PDF - 99K)

Model MAC 500 BD M Manually Cleaned Hi-Speed Disc-Bowl Separator 500-GPH Maximum Rated Capacity Drive motor 3HP XP 240/480V 60HZ 3Ø 1,750 RPM

Download product detail (PDF - 467K)

Model MAC 800 BD M Manually Cleaned Hi-Speed Disc-Bowl Separator 800-GPH Maximum Rated Capacity Drive motor 3HP XP 240/480V 60HZ 3Ø 1,750 RPM

Download product detail (PDF - 279K)

Model MAC 1850 BD M Manually Cleaned Hi-Speed Disc-Bowl Separator 1850-GPH Maximum Rated Capacity Drive motor 15HP XP 240/480V 60HZ 3Ø 1,750 RPM

Model MAC 925 BD A Auto Self-Cleaning Hi-Speed Disc-Bowl Separator 800-GPH Maximum Rated Capacity Drive motor 5HP XP 240/480V 60HZ 3Ø 1,750 RPM

Download product detail (PDF - 104K)

These units are supplied with all stainless steel bowl components, necessary bowl insertion tools, set of gravity disks, supply device with sight glass for priming and wash water, outlet sight glass, revolution counter, standard set of spares, electric motor, vibration isolators, mounting base, and operation manual. Machines can be supplied as skid modules with pumps, heaters, tanks, and other accessories.

Manually Cleaned Liquid/Solid Separating Centrifuge Available:

Liquid Cleaning Process:

• The liquid continuously feeds into the top of the spinning bowl.
• The separated solids deposit on the internal wall of the bowl liner forming a relatively moisture free cake as the liquid overflows the bowl and exits the frame.

The Manual Clean Out Process:

• Once the bowl fills with solids the machine is shut off and coasts to a stop.
• The hinged enclosure cover is unlatched and opened so the bowl-lid can be removed from the bowl-bottom.
• The liner is removed from the bowl-bottom and solids are scrapped out.
• The liner is put back into the unit to resume operation.

Model M212 2hp up to 10-gpm @ 1,500 x “G”

• Up to 1.0 gallon solids holding capacity with aluminum or stainless bowl
• Removable PVC or stainless steel bowl liner
• Carbon or stainless steel frame construction
• Optional portable machine stand, integrated feed pump, motor starter or timer control box

Clarified solids separated in the M212 bowl liner

Automatic Self-Cleaning Liquid/Solid Separating Centrifuges Available:

Vertical Semi-Batch Cleaning Centrifuge:

• Liquid flows through the spinning bowl and solids accumulate inside the bowl
• Machine stops processing to periodically clean out accumulated solids
• The residual liquid in bowl drains out during clean process
• Counter-rotation between bowl and plow shaft discharges the solids

Three Models to select from: (Price Range: $30,000 to $75,000 depending on selected options)

Horizontal Continuous Cleaning Decanter Centrifuge:

• Liquid flows through the spinning bowl and solids separate against the bowl wall
• Scroll rotates at a differential speed to continuously auger the separated solids from the bowl
• Adjustable differential speed between bowl and scroll controls solids discharge

Five Models to select from: (Price Range: $150,000 to $500,000 depending on selected options)