CENTRIFUGE
A centrifuge is a piece of equipment that puts an object in
rotation around a fixed axis (spins it in a circle), applying a force
perpendicular to the axis of spin (outward) that can be very strong. The
centrifuge works using the sedimentation principle, where the
centrifugal acceleration causes denser substances and particles to move
outward in the radial direction. At the same time, objects that are less dense
are displaced and move to the center. In a laboratory centrifuge that uses
sample tubes, the radial acceleration causes denser particles to settle to the
bottom of the tube, while low-density substances rise to the top.
There are three types of centrifuge designed for different applications.
Industrial scale centrifuges are commonly used in manufacturing and waste
processing to sediment suspended solids, or to separate immiscible liquids.
An example is the cream separator found in dairies. Very high speed
centrifuges and ultracentrifuges able to provide very high accelerations can
separate fine particles down to the nano-scale, and molecules of different
masses.
Large centrifuges are used to simulate high gravity or acceleration
environments (for example, high-G training for test pilots). Medium-sized
centrifuges are used in washing machines and at some swimming pools to
wring water out of fabrics.
Gas centrifuges are used for isotope separation, such as to enrich nuclear fuel
for fissile isotopes.
A laboratory tabletop centrifuge
History
English military engineer Benjamin Robins (1707–1751)
invented a whirling arm apparatus to determine drag. In
1864, Antonin Prandtl proposed the idea of a dairy
centrifuge to separate cream from milk. The idea was
subsequently put into practice by his brother, Alexander
Prandtl, who made improvements to his brother's design,
and exhibited a working butterfat extraction machine in
1875.
Types- A centrifuge machine can be described as a
machine with a rapidly rotating container that applies
centrifugal force to its contents. There are multiple types of
centrifuge, which can be classified by intended use or by rotor
design:
1. Types by rotor design:
•Fixed-angle centrifuges are designed to hold the sample
containers at a constant angle relative to the central axis.
•Swinging head (or swinging bucket) centrifuges, in contrast to
fixed-angle centrifuges, have a hinge where the sample
containers are attached to the central rotor. This allows all of
the samples to swing outwards as the centrifuge is spun.
•Continuous tubular centrifuges do not have individual sample
vessels and are used for high volume applications
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Types by intended use:
•Laboratory centrifuges, are general-purpose instruments of
several types with distinct, but overlapping, capabilities. These
include clinical centrifuges, super speed centrifuges and
preparative ultracentrifuges.
•Analytical ultracentrifuges are designed to perform sedimentation
analysis of macromolecules using the principles devised by
Theodor Svedberg.
•Haematocrit centrifuges are used to measure the volume
percentage of red blood cells in whole blood.
•Gas centrifuges, including Zippe-type centrifuges, for isotopic
separations in the gas phase.
Generally, there are two types of
centrifuges:-
•The filtration and sedimentation centrifuges. For the
filtration or the so-called screen centrifuge the drum is
perforated and is inserted with a filter, for example a filter
cloth, wire mesh or lot screen. The suspension flows
through the filter and the drum with the perforated wall
from the inside to the outside. In this way the solid material
is restrained and can be removed.
•Removing depends on the type of centrifuge,
for example manually or periodically.
Common types are:
•Screen /scroll centrifuges- (Screen centrifuges, where the centrifugal
acceleration allows the liquid to pass through a screen of some sort, through
which the solids cannot go (due to granulometry larger than the screen gap or
due to agglomeration))
•Also known as worm screen or conveyor discharge centrifuge.
This process has been some of the most frequently seen within, especially coal
preparation industry.
Found in other industries such as chemical ,environmental ,food and
other mining fields.
•Pusher centrifuge- Types of filtration techniques that offers continuous
operation to de-water and wash materials such as relatively in –compressible
feed solids, free –draining crystalline, polymers and fibrous
substances.
•Peeler centrifuge –A device that performs by rotating filtration basket in an
axis.
•High rotation speed provides high centrifugal force that allows the
suspended solid in feed to settle on the inner surface of basket.
• Inverting filter centrifuges
•Sliding discharge centrifuges
•Pendulum centrifuges
Separator centrifuges [Continuous liquid]:-
common types are:
• Solid bowl centrifuges
• Conical plate centrifuges
•Tubular centrifuges
Decanter centrifuges, in which there is no physical separation between the
solid and liquid phase, rather an accelerated settling due to centrifugal
acceleration.
•Though most modern centrifuges are electrically powered, a hand-powered
variant inspired by the whirligig has been developed for medical applications
in developing countries.[8]
•Many designs have been shared for free and open source centrifuges that can
be digitally manufactured. The open source hardware designs for hand-
powered centrifuge for larger volumes of fluids with a radial velocity of over
1750 rpm and over 50 N of relative centrifugal force can be completely
3-D printed for about $25s
1 ) Laboratory separations
•A wide variety of laboratory-scale centrifuges are used in
chemistry, biology, biochemistry and clinical medicine for isolating
and separating suspensions and immiscible liquids.
• They vary widely in speed, capacity, temperature control, and
other characteristics.
•Accept a range of different fixed-angle and swinging bucket rotors
able to carry different numbers of centrifuge tubes and rated for
specific maximum speeds.
•Ultracentrifuges spin the rotors under vacuum, eliminating air
resistance and enabling exact temperature control.
• Zonal rotors and continuous flow systems are capable of handing
bulk and larger sample volumes, respectively, in a laboratory-scale
instrument.[1] Another application in laboratories is blood
separation
DNA preparation is another common application for
pharmacogenetics and clinical diagnosis
Isotope separation
Other centrifuges, the first being the Zippe-type centrifuge, separate
isotopes, and these kinds of centrifuges are in use in nuclear power and
nuclear weapon programs.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Human centrifuges are exceptionally large centrifuges that test the reactions
and tolerance of pilots and astronauts to acceleration above those experienced in
the Earth's gravity.
The first centrifuges used for human research were used by Erasmus Darwin, the
grandfather of Charles Darwin.
The first large scale human centrifuge designed for Aeronautical training was
created in Germany in 1933.
Non-Human centrifuge
At the European Space Agency (ESA) technology center ESTEC (in Noordwijk, the
Netherlands) an 8-meter diameter centrifuge is used to expose samples in both fields of
Life Sciences as well as Physical Sciences. This Large Diameter Centrifuge (LDC) is
operational since 2007. Samples can be exposed to a maximum of 20 times Earth gravity
•Industrial centrifugal separator
•Industrial centrifugal separator is a coolant filtration system for
separating particles from liquid like, grinding machining
coolant. It is usually used for non-ferrous particles separation
such as, silicon, glass, ceramic, and graphite etc.
•Filtering process does not require any consumption parts like
filter bags, which saves the earth from harm.
•Geotechnical centrifuge modeling
•Geotechnical centrifuge modeling
•Used for physical testing of models involving soils. Centrifuge
acceleration is applied to scale models to scale the gravitational
acceleration and enable prototype scale stresses to be obtained
in scale models.
Problems such as building and bridge foundations, earth
dams, tunnels, and slope stability, including effects such as blast
loading and earthquake shaking.
Commercial application
•Standalone centrifuges for drying (hand-washed) clothes –
usually with a water outlet.
•Washing machines are designed to act as centrifuges to get rid
of excess water in laundry loads.
•Centrifuges are used in the attraction Mission: SPACE, located
at Epcot in Walt Disney World, which propels riders using a
combination of a centrifuge and a motion simulator to simulate the
feeling of going into space.
•Large industrial centrifuges are also used in the oil industry to
remove solids from the drilling fluid.
•Centrifuges are used to separate cream (remove fat) from milk;
see Separator (milk)
