Development of a dynamic process model for the mechanical fluid separation in disk stack centrifuges

This work presents an innovative process model that simulates the dynamic separation processes in disk stack centrifuges. Current process simulation tools for the calculation of the separation process in disk stack centrifuges are limited to steady-state conditions and are not suitable for real-time simulations. A physically based computational model has been developed that combines experimentally derived material functions with dynamic modeling. The material functions represent the physical behavior such as sedimentation and sediment formation within the apparatus that are relevant to calculate separation. The dynamic model is based on a partitioning of the process area into individual compartments and this describes the transient behavior of the apparatus. The numerical algorithm presented is able to map the residence time distribution of the solids in the apparatus in real time. The validation of the developed model was performed by comparing numerical simulations with experimental results.