Patent attributes
A method and apparatus for centrifuging. The apparatus comprises a centrifuge for centrifuging a slurry, comprising a bowl driven by a bowl drive motor, a screw conveyor driven by a screw conveyor drive motor, a pump driven by a pump motor, a bowl drive unit operatively arranged to drive the bowl drive motor, a conveyor drive unit operatively arranged to drive the screw conveyor drive motor, a pump drive unit operatively arranged to drive the pump drive motor, and, a general purpose first computer specially programmed to control the bowl drive unit to drive the bowl drive motor at a first constant speed and to control the screw conveyor drive unit to drive the screw conveyor drive motor at a second constant speed and to monitor the torques of the bowl drive motor and the screw conveyor drive motor, while simultaneously controlling the pump drive unit to variably control flow of the slurry through the centrifuge so as to drive one of the bowl drive motor or the screw conveyor motor at a pre-set operating torque.
