Abstract: A centrifuge of the type including a housing and a rotatable bowl, and including a heating jacket located therebetween. The heating jacket is established through inflatable seals which selectively seal a space located between the bowl and the housing. The seals may be inflated when the bowl is stationary. A heating fluid is then introduced into the heating jacket so that collected solids in the bowl may be heated and dried. A vacuum may be applied to the bowl to assist in the removal of moisture from the solids. A scraper assembly, including at least one scraper, is disposed within the bowl. The scraper assembly pivots between a stowed position and an operative position to remove the solid that has collected on the inside wall surface of the bowl.

Abstract: A scraper assembly for removing the collected solids component of a feed material from an interior wall surface of a centrifugal separator bowl comprises a supporting shaft positioned within the bowl along a vertically disposed longitudinal axis. The supporting shaft is pivotal between a stowed position and an operational position. At least two longitudinally spaced scraper blades are attached to the supporting shaft along the longitudinal axis and are adapted to contact the solids component when the support shaft is in the operational position. An upper scraper blade is angularly offset with respect to the lower scraper blade along the longitudinal axis so that any collected solids component removed by the upper scraper blade may freely drop clear of the lower scraper blade.

Abstract: A centrifugal separator for separating the solids component of a feed liquid comprises a bowl that is rotatable about a vertically disposed axis. The bowl has an interior wall, a conical lower end and a generally cylindrical portion. The conical lower end includes a central opening and defines a lower edge which has a first diameter and an upper edge which has a second greater diameter. A fluid applicator that is moveable between a stowed position and an application position may apply the feed liquid to the interior wall adjacent to the lower edge of the conical lower end so that as the bowl rotates, the angular velocity of the feed liquid gradually and non-traumatically increases, gently forcing the feed liquid upwards along the wall of the conical lower end and into the generally cylindrical portion of the bowl.