Blue Flower

To convey the solids out of the centrifuge, the conveyor and bowl must rotate at slightly different speeds. This is accomplished using a planetary gearbox for belt drive centrifuges. Typically the entire assembly rotates in the same direction, but the conveyor rotates at a slightly slower speed. The conveyor moves the solids to the solids discharge end and the liquid, or effluent, empties out of the weirs at the liquid discharge end.


The depth of the pond is controlled by the adjustment of the weirs, or effluent discharge ports, at the large liquid-discharge end of the decanter bowl. Increasing pond depth increases residence time and separation efficiency while reducing flow capacity. On the other hand, if the other parameters are unchanged, reducing pond depth decreases residence time and the separation of finer particles.

Alfa Laval Centrifuge is often used in oil well drilling application. But the high cost of Alfa Laval centrifuge will add to the total well construction cost. The Europe drilling contractor who did use the Alfa Laval Centrifuge for years has been looking for a more cost effect centrifuge, and then they came to us in 2012 for the first unit of decanter centrifuge.

After 1 year testing of GN centrifuge, GN gained a repeat order of 5 units of middle speed decanter centrifuges and 5 units of high speed decanter centrifuges this year. They also buy shale shaker, mud cleaner, vacuum degasser included in their orders. Please see the sales news at GN Solids Control.

mud cleaner shaker

If you are looking for a replacement of Alfa Laval Centrifuge, why not try GN centrifuge?

A decanting centrifuge consist of a conveyor screw inside a rotating bowl. Screw conveyor is an important part of a horizontal decanter centrifuge. Its role is to convery the solids settled against the wall of decanter bowl and push them across a drainage deck, or beach. Dewatering actually takes place on beach, with the decanted solids dischareged through a series of underfow ports.



Screw conveyor is not only a discharging device, but also a factor that determines the treating capacity, service life and separation efficiency.

GN decanter centrifuge screw conveyor are moulded by casting using Stainless Steel 316 as raw material. At the tip of the screw blades, tunsten alloy tile is used as a protection which enables the durability and efficiency of the conveyor. GN also use replaceable tungsten carbon allay ring to protect the solids dischare port.

For more features of GN decanter centrifuge, please see the centrifuge page.

Two units of GNLW363G decanter centrifuge are going to be delivered to an African oil gas service company. The two units stored in GN warehouse.


The GNLW363G decanter centrifuge is the most popular product of GN Solids Control. The unit included in this order is going to be used for the removal of fine solids in drilling mud circulation system. In June of the year, GN delivered GNLW363G to the USA for drilling waste management system.

For other solids control equipment such as shale shaker, desander, desilter, mud cleaner, pumps, please visit GN Solids Control.

In CBM drilling project, some clients request us to include a decanter centrifuge to make drilling mud cleaner. Recently we have built and delivered one CBM mud system with GNLW centrifuge.

cbm mud system

The decanter centrifuge is installed on top of a relatively taller mud tank. The drilling mud from bore hole flows through shale shaker, desander, desilter and was transfer to the decanter centrifuge to remove the find solids particles in it. The mud after the treatment of the decanter centrifuge are considered to be clean and can be reused back to the drilling hole.

cbm mud system

One jet mud mixing unit for adding bentonite, polymers and such drilling mud material is installed at the side of the mud tank to control the mud property.

There are some factors affecting the decanter centrifuge performance from the mechnical point of view, and some of these factors such as Bowl Diameter and Bowl Length can be adjusted to meet different applications.

A decanter centrifuge with bigger bowl diameter and longer length enables a larger sedimentation area and greater treating capacity. At the same bowl rotational speed, the separation factor (G-force) increases and separation performance is better. But it can NOT be enlarged without any limits. Normally the bowl diameter is among 200-1000 mm, L/D ratio is between 3-4. It is a trend that decanter centrifuge shall have big L/d ratio with high speed, this kind of equipment fit well with the low density effluents’ treating, and the cake will be drier.

The other reason is that at the same treating capacity, the big bowl diameter of decanter centrifuge can decrease the gear box operation, because the dig bowl has larger capacity of conveying solids. In order to get the same conveying efficiency, the decanter centrifuge with small bowl will have to increase the gear box speed to achieve this.

GN Solids Control branded decanter centrifuge are big bowl, big volume, high G force available. Please our product pageDecanting Centrifugefor more information.