IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CENTRIFUGES

摘要

A centrifuge (500) for separating feed material into solid and fluid parts, which centrifuge comprises a conveyor (540) rotatably mounted in a rotatable housing (520), the conveyor having at least one impeller (572) and the rotatable housing having a separating region comprising a pool area and a drying area between the conveyor and a rotatable housing, the arrangement being such that, in use, on entry to the centrifuge said feed material has an axial velocity substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, the feed material passing through the interior of said conveyor (540) with rotational speed being imparted thereto by said at least one impeller (572) prior to treatment in said separating region, said at least one impeller also imparting radial speed to said feed material whilst it moves with axial velocity such that feed material is spread onto the drying area adjacent the length of the at least one impeller, part of the conveyor (540) being liable to wear by feed material moving from the at least one impeller onto the drying area, characterised in that said conveyor comprises a mounting apparatus (580) for (1) providing mechanical integrity to the conveyor and (2) providing a portion to be sacrificed by said wear, the arrangement being such that, in use, the mechanical integrity of the centrifuge is substantially unimpaired by sacrifice of said portion.