IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CONTROL OF CENTRIFUGE SYSTEMS

摘要

A method of controlling a centrifuge system (10) for separating solids-laden fluid into solid and fluid parts, which centrifuge system (10) comprises: a bowl (12), a bowl motor system (24) for rotating 5 said bowl, rotation of said bowl resulting in a G-force applied to said bowl (12), a bowl variable frequency drive (54) for driving said bowl motor system (24), a conveyor (18) rotatable within said bowl (12), a conveyor motor (34) for rotating said conveyor (18), a conveyor 10 variable frequency drive (56) for driving said conveyor motor (34), a pump (44) for pumping material to be centrifuged in said bowl, a pump motor (46) for driving said pump, a pump variable frequency drive (46) for driving said pump motor, and a control system (60) for 15 controlling said bowl variable frequency drive (54), said conveyor variable frequency drive (56), and said pump variable frequency drive (46), the control system (60) comprising computer apparatus, which method comprises the steps of: 20 rotating said bowl (12) with said bowl motor (24), and controlling said bowl motor (24) with said bowl variable frequency drive (54); pumping solids-laden fluid into said bowl (12) for separation therein; 25 controlling the operation of said centrifuge system (10) with said computer apparatus; characterised by the step of: said computer apparatus controlling the G-force on said bowl (12) as said bowl is rotated by said bowl motor 30 (24) driven by said bowl variable frequency drive (54) so that the G-force on said bowl (12) does not exceed a pre- set maximum G-force stored in said computer apparatus, wherein G-force is controlled by one of adjusting the G- force on said bowl (12) and adjusting the speed of said 35 - 79 - bowl (12).