Centrifuges are commonly used in both drilling solid control systems and mud conservation systems, but what’s the difference between the centrifuges in each system?
Centrifuge in Drilling Solid Control Systems
In drilling solid control systems, the centrifuges are typically medium to low-speed ones. This is because the solid control system uses multiple stages of filtration. After the drilling fluid passes through the shale shaker, vacuum degasser, and desanding/desilting units, the mud particles become very small. At this point, the centrifuge doesn’t need to be as high-spec. A medium or low-speed centrifuge is sufficient to handle the mud processing.
Centrifuge in Mud Conservation Systems
On the other hand, mud conservation systems use high-speed or variable-frequency centrifuges, which are more advanced. These systems consist of a drill cuttings dryer and a high-speed variable-frequency centrifuge. The mud conservation system is located at the end of the solid control system, designed to process the tailings (cuttings) from the solid control system. These tailings are heavier and contain larger solid particles. Since the centrifuge processes mud that has already been treated by the cuttings dryer, which leaves larger particles behind, the centrifuge needs to be of higher quality. So, high-speed variable-frequency centrifuges are the best fit for these systems.