ABSTRACT
The separation of suspended solids from a carrier fluid is a requirement in many engineering operations, e.g., the extensive listings of wide ranging applications and the equipment available in Besendorfer, Chen, Wakeman and Tarleton and Fernando Concha. The most appropriate method for achieving this depends upon the specific properties of the system, the most important being the size and density of the solid particles and the solids concentration of the feed stream. Solid particles can be removed from a dilute suspension by passing the suspension through a vessel that is large enough such that the vertical component of the fluid velocity is lower than the terminal velocity of the particles and the residence time is sufficiently long to allow the particles to settle out. It is not strictly correct to classify centrifugal separations as "free settling," as the separation in these devices depends on a driving force established by an externally imposed centrifugal force.
