What Does
Centrifuge Mean?
A centrifuge is a conical drum that rotates at 2,000 to 4,000 rpm which enables it to remove solids from drilling fluid. It has a limited capability and can process between 50 and 250 gallons of drilling fluid per minute. A centrifuge can also process oily cuttings or perform water clarification processes.
Trenchlesspedia Explains Centrifuge
The centrifuge’s interior includes a vertical axle and a rotating flywheel that can move at up to 4,000 rpm. The top of a series of tubes are attached to the top of the axle with hinges and the bottom of the tube is free to swing up and outward.
At speed, the centrifugal force within the tubes is many times greater than gravity. Heavier materials from core samples separate into solids and water, or core material and loose dirt, which results in cleaning or desaturating the core samples. This prepares the samples for various measurements including irreducible water saturation, nuclear magnetic resonance properties or determining a capillary pressure curve.