Regarding the centrifuge layout plan~
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I’ve been struggling with a question recently regarding the layout of industrial sedimentation centrifuges and scraper-type centrifuges. Logically, such high-speed rotating equipment shouldn’t be installed on the second floor. Just like with centrifugal pumps, it’s common to place them on the ground floor. However, the documents provided by the centrifuge manufacturers mention that installation is possible without a foundation – does that mean they can be simply placed directly on the floor slab? Their own centrifuges surely have a base or something similar; in the past, for large chemical engineering projects, equipment with a base was also placed on a foundation. Now it’s said that no foundation is needed – so can it be placed on the floor of the second floor instead? I wonder if there are anyone in this forum who works in the pharmaceutical or fine chemical industry; have you ever seen a centrifuge placed on the second floor? Is it really possible to install it without any prior knowledge?
Of course it has to be on the second floor; otherwise how can the slag be removed?
This definitely needs to be placed on the second floor for easy discharge. Previously, we always built on a foundation on the second floor, but considering the civil engineering requirements carefully, it should be possible to place it directly on the platform beam; in that case, a foundation would not be necessary.
Thank you for your reply. Then, does this type of high-speed centrifuge vibrate a lot? It won’t affect the stability of the second floor, right?
Slag removal isn’t a problem; it can still be done on the first floor. What worries me now is that if there’s a lot of vibration on the second floor, that could be problematic~
Small centrifuges do not vibrate much; it is best to lay a foundation for large centrifuges from the ground level
So it’s no problem to place a small laboratory centrifuge on any floor. I’m now interested in industrial-sized centrifuges with a drum diameter of 1250 mm and a weight of 5.5 tons – those are definitely not small centrifuges anymore
Of course it can be placed on the second floor; the vibration load generated by the centrifuge can be taken into account during the design calculations. The beams and columns located beneath and around the centrifuge should also be designed with this vibration load in mind
Everything I’ve seen is arranged on the first floor; a slightly higher base can be constructed, and a pit can be dug at the location where the material is discharged. On the second floor, it’s necessary to calculate the load requirements. I believe the foundation of industrial centrifuges is very important, and they need to be designed in strict accordance with regulatory requirements.
I’ve seen ones with a drum diameter of 500 placed on the second floor; those with a diameter of 1250 require a separate foundation, with the foundation built to a height of 2 meters. The elevation of the operating platform is likely around 3–3.5 meters as well, and there are no issues with material discharge
If an accurate vibration load can be determined without considering civil engineering costs, the problem can certainly be solved; just like in the case of turbines, high-speed equipment comes with quite detailed information regarding the rotational loads of each component. But for this relatively complex project of our scale, it’s certainly not standardized; the manufacturer of the centrifuge provided no data regarding the rotational load, and we ourselves are unable to come up with any reliable figures. Therefore, this approach to solving the problem is basically not considered. . . . . . That’s how things are in reality; it’s better to find an alternative approach. Just don’t use the second floor – being cautious is always the right choice.