Patents Assigned to GEA MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT GMBH
  • Patent number: 9714267
    Abstract: A method for processing thin stillage (TS), characterized by the following steps: a) feeding of thin stillage (TS) into a working vessel (3); b) concentrating of thin stillage (TS) in a filtration unit (9); and c) returning of a first substream of concentrated thin stillage to the thin stillage (TSI) present in the working vessel (3) in order to adjust the solids content, and apparatus for producing a protein-containing product of value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Mario Emanuele, Knud Schöneberg
  • Publication number: 20170182502
    Abstract: A solid-jacket screw centrifuge is disclosed. The centrifuge has a rotatable drum with a horizontal axis of rotation which encloses a bowl with a rotatable screw, an inlet for introducing material to be centrifuged into the bowl, at least one liquid and at least one solid discharge, where at least the solid discharge is assigned a non-rotatable housing surrounding it, at least radially bounding a discharge chamber, where the discharge chamber is designed as a drying chamber for the solid matter and has axial walls and one or more walls in the radial direction. The housing extends axially parallel to the axis of rotation at most into the conical region of the drum or the screw.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Applicant: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Poul-Erik AAGAARD, Torben KRISTENSEN
  • Patent number: 9687858
    Abstract: A separator disk package for a rotatable drum of a centrifuge for processing of a fluid product in continuous operation is disclosed. The separator disk package includes axially stacked conical separator disks, where, between adjacent separator disks, disk gaps are respectively formed. On one or more of the axially adjacent separator disks are one or more labyrinth-like flow channels, in which, during operation, a direction of flow of a through-flowing product, which is to be clarified of solids, changes on two or more occasions through respectively at least 120°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Kathrin Quiter, Julian Koenig, Thomas Bathelt
  • Patent number: 9650274
    Abstract: A method for processing raw liquid manure and/or fermentation residues involves providing raw liquid manure and/or fermentation residues, purifying the raw liquid manure and/or fermentation residues in a first purification stage so as to form a first solid phase and a first purified liquid phase, pre-conditioning the first purified liquid phase in order to separate ultrafine particles from the first purified liquid phase, and purifying the first purified liquid phase in a second purification stage so as to form a second solid phase and a second purified liquid phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Sven Heymann, Bernd Lueking
  • Patent number: 9561513
    Abstract: A method for the continuous processing of a product such as a vegetable or animal oil or fat. The processing occurs via a separation into two liquid phases and a solid phase. The method step includes processing the product, the processing occurring in a centrifuge arranged as a separator, the separator including a rotatable drum, a disk stack having risers arranged in the drum, a product feed having a feed tube, a first separator disk to discharge a lighter liquid phase from the drum, a second separator disk to discharge a heavier liquid phase from the drum, and a solids discharge opening to discharge a solids phase from the drum. A separation zone is formed between the lighter phase and the heavier phase in the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Klaus-Peter Eickhoff
  • Patent number: 9522349
    Abstract: A method for processing a product is disclosed. The method includes providing a separator having a rotatable centrifugal drum and a plate assembly arranged in the drum. The product is supplied into the drum. One or more of a solids phase and at least two liquid phases are separated from the product. One or more of the at least two liquid phases and the solids phase is discharged out of the drum. The supplying of the product occurs in one of a continuous and a discontinuous cyclic volume stream performed at a constant cyclic frequency where the constant cyclic frequency has a period duration which is dependent on one or more of the parameters of an inner and outer radius of a plate, an inflow stream in an intermediate space between the plate and an adjacent plate, a plate angle, and a distance of the plate to the adjacent plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Julian Konig, Bernd Terwey, Wilfried Mackel, Andreas Penkl, Thomas Bathelt, Kathrin Quiter
  • Patent number: 9463473
    Abstract: A method for processing a product provides phase separation into two liquid phases and a solids phase. The method includes processing the product in a continuously operating centrifuge arranged as a separator including a rotatable drum having a vertical rotational axis, discharging a lighter liquid phase continuously from the drum, and discharging a heavier liquid phase discontinuously from the drum. The separator has a disk stack having risers arranged in the drum, a product feed tube, a first separation disk for discharging the lighter liquid phase, a second separator disk for discharging the heavier liquid phase, solids discharge openings for discharging the solids phase from the drum, and a separation zone formed between the lighter liquid phase and the heavier liquid phase in the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Klaus-Peter Eickoff
  • Patent number: 9457358
    Abstract: A method for determining the torque of a worm of a solid bowl worm centrifuge. The solid bowl worm centrifuge includes a rotatable drum and a rotatable worm, the rotatable worm being rotatable at a different rotational speed than that of the rotatable drum. The rotatable drum and rotatable worm are driven via a gear arrangement and a common single drive motor via at least one belt drive, a driving belt pulley, a driven belt pulley and a belt coupling the pulley. The method steps include determining a slip of the at least once belt drive and calculating a torque based upon the determination of the slip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Overberg
  • Patent number: 9333514
    Abstract: A solid-wall screw centrifuge includes a discharge for discharging a clarified liquid from a drum of the centrifuge. The drum includes a passage in a drum cover associated with a weir plate. The passage, drum cover, and weir plate form an overflow weir on a radial inner edge. A deflecting device is arranged on an outside on the drum cover, the deflecting device is arranged such that an exiting fluid flow from the centrifuge is one of deflected in the circumferential direction and subjected to a twist in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Terholsen, Jürgen Hermeler, Ludger Horstkötter, Kathrin Quiter, Jürgen Teigeler
  • Publication number: 20160122661
    Abstract: A method for on-ship processing of heavy oil which is to be utilized as fuel is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes providing the heavy oil for processing. The heavy oil is passed using a pump into a centrifuge with heating of the heavy oil, at least intermittently or permanently, to a separation temperature of more than 98° C. before the heavy oil reaches the centrifuge. An aqueous phase and a sludge phase are separated from a clean oil phase in the centrifuge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Applicant: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen MACKEL, Chrisian BRUNS, Heiko SIMS
  • Publication number: 20160030953
    Abstract: Disclosed is a centrifuge including a rotatable centrifugal drum and a drive spindle to drive the centrifugal drum. The drive spindle is rotatably mounted via a bearing in a housing supported elastically on a machine framework. Further included is a drive device including a drive motor to rotate the drive spindle and a lubricant system to lubricate the bearing. The lubricant system is configured to deliver lubricant from a lubricant supply tank through a lubricant channel into a region of the bearing. An injection device is arranged downstream of the lubricant-supply tank and is configured to deliver the lubricant into the region of the bearing by dispensing quantities of lubricant in temporally discrete pulses with a limited-time air stream. A method is disclosed of directing lubricant into a region of a bearing of the centrifuge as noted above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: GEA MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT GMBH
    Inventors: Wilfried MACKEL, Marie-Theres SEDLER, Thomas BATHELT, Thomas KLEIMANN, Andreas PENKL, Bernd TERWEY
  • Publication number: 20160001302
    Abstract: A separator disk package for a rotatable drum of a centrifuge for processing of a fluid product in continuous operation is disclosed. The separator disk package includes axially stacked conical separator disks, where, between adjacent separator disks, disk gaps are respectively formed. On one or more of the axially adjacent separator disks are one or more labyrinth-like flow channels, in which, during operation, a direction of flow of a through-flowing product, which is to be clarified of solids, changes on two or more occasions through respectively at least 120°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Applicant: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Kathrin QUITER, Julian KÖNIG, Thomas BATHELT
  • Patent number: 9192945
    Abstract: A separator includes a rotatable drum having a vertical rotational axis, a disk stack arranged in the drum, an inner gripper and an outer gripper that do not rotate with the drum are configured to discharge mutually-separated liquid phases. A discharge line is assigned to each gripper and is arranged in an associated gripper chamber of the drum. The inner gripper includes an inner gripper shaft and the outer gripper includes an outer gripper shaft both of which shafts protrude axially from the drum. Each associated gripper chamber, with its associated gripper, revolves on different radii with respect to the rotational axis such that a chamber is formed radially between an outer circumference of the inner gripper shaft and an inner circumference of the outer gripper shaft. A fluid is insertable into the chamber through a channel, which fluid is pressable from the chamber into the gripper chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wolf-Dietrich Herberg, Carsten Waubke
  • Publication number: 20150327572
    Abstract: A method for obtaining proteins from native mixtures of materials is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes: A): providing a native mixture of materials from seeds having hard fragmentable hulls; B): comminuting the mixture of materials; C): dispersing the comminuted mixture of materials with water; D): adjusting a pH of the pulp of step C) to an alkaline range pH>9.5; E): adding a water-soluble organic solvent alcohol to the pulp; F): separating off a solids phase from the pulp, which has a predominant fraction of the hulls, to form a hull-free pulp; G): shifting the pH of the hull-free pulp from step F) to a pH range of pH=4.5 to pH=7.2; and H): separating the hull-free pulp of step G) into a plurality of phases, wherein one of the plurality of phases is a protein concentrate phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen HRUSCHKA, Wladislawa BOSZULAK, Detlef ULLMANN, Juergen RASSENHOEVEL
  • Publication number: 20150306606
    Abstract: An outlet nozzle for centrifuge drums is disclosed. The outlet nozzle includes a nozzle body which has an inlet channel extending axially therein and an outlet channel extending at an obtuse angle to the inlet channel. The outlet channel has an inlet opening and an outlet opening, where the diameter of the outlet channel increases at least in certain portions. The point on the outlet channel which is narrowest in terms of the cross-section is formed by the inlet opening itself and the cross-section of the outlet channel is not reduced at any point over the axial length of the outlet channel in the outlet direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried MACKEL, Juergen TEIGELER, Volker KASSERA
  • Patent number: 9162233
    Abstract: A separator including a rotatable centrifugal drum having a vertical axis of rotation and an inflow line for a material to be processed by the separator. Also included is a drive spindle for the drum rotatably mounted via a mounting to a housing supported elastically on a machine stand section. A drive device includes an electric drive motor having a stator and a rotor which is aligned with the drive spindle. A lubricant system is configured to lubricate the mounting and the lubricant system includes a lubricant circuit to convey lubricant and has a lubricant collecting container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mackel, Thomas Bathelt, Andreas Penkl, Andreas Schulz, Marie-Theres Sedler
  • Publication number: 20150283561
    Abstract: A separator is disclosed. The separator includes: a centrifugal drum; a drive spindle, where the drive spindle is rotatably mounted in a drive housing by a neck bearing and a foot bearing, and where the drive housing encloses a drive chamber; an electric motor which has a stator and a motor rotor, where the motor rotor is disposed on the drive spindle, where the stator is fixedly connected to the drive housing, where an air gap exists between the stator and the motor rotor, and where the stator and the motor rotor are arranged between the neck bearing and the foot bearing; a lubricating system for lubrication of the neck bearing and the foot bearing; and a coolant system; where the stator has a flange section which is disposed on a collar section of the drive housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Mackel, Dieter Strauch, Johannes Droste
  • Publication number: 20150264970
    Abstract: A method for processing wet olive pomace involves providing wet olive pomace, adding a calcium compound and/or a calcium solution to the wet olive pomace, and filtering the wet olive pomace in a first separating device to obtain a solid phase and a liquid phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Applicant: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Hruschka, Tomas Ignacio Eguiguren Correa, Jose Alberto Corbella
  • Patent number: 9132435
    Abstract: A separator in which a product such as milk is to be processed, the separator includes: a centrifugal drum; an admission tube; a distributor including an admission chamber located downstream of the admission tube and distribution channels leading into a centrifugal chamber of the centrifugal drum. A rib body is located in the admission chamber and the rib body provides an outlet to the distributor channels. The rib body includes a plurality of ribs and a base section connecting the plurality of ribs along a periphery of the base section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventor: Wilfried Mackel
  • Patent number: 9089852
    Abstract: A fully jacketed screw centrifuge includes a rotatable drum having a horizontally oriented rotational axis, a rotatable screw arranged in the drum, and at least one discharge opening oriented at an angle to the rotational axis of the fully jacketed screw centrifuge for discharging solid from the drum in the jacket of the drum. A collecting chamber for solid, which surrounds the drum that rotates during operation in some sections and which does not rotate during operation, is associated with the at least one discharge opening. At least one hose segment not circumferentially closed in the cross-section is arranged in the collecting chamber. The hose segment is composed of an elastomeric material, which oscillates when impinged by discharged solids to reduce accumulation of the discharged solids on the hose segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Terholsen