What is the speed of a centrifugal oil filter?

The speed of a centrifugal oil filter depends on its design purpose, the characteristics of the material being processed (such as oil viscosity, impurity content), and the equipment specifications. The following are the speed ranges and technical points for common situations:

1. Conventional speed range

- Industrial-grade centrifugal oil filter:

- Ordinary lubricating oil/hydraulic oil: usually 6,000-15,000 RPM (revolutions per minute).

- High-precision purification (such as aviation fuel): can reach more than 20,000 RPM.

- Small commercial/domestic oil filter:

- Generally 3,000-8,000 RPM (such as kitchen cooking oil filtration).

2. Key factors affecting the speed

- Oil type:

- High-viscosity oils (such as gear oil) require lower speeds (to prevent emulsification), and low-viscosity oils (such as diesel) can use higher speeds.

- Impurity characteristics:

- Solid particles (such as metal chips) require a medium speed (8,000-12,000 RPM), while water separation may require a higher speed.

- Separation efficiency requirements:

- The higher the speed, the greater the centrifugal force and the better the separation effect, but the energy consumption and equipment wear will also increase.

3. Centrifugal force calculation (key parameter)

The centrifugal effect is determined by the relative centrifugal force (RCF); the formula is:

\[

RCF = 1.118 \times r \times (RPM/1000)^2

\]

- \(r \): drum radius (unit: cm)

- For example, if the speed is 10,000 RPM and the radius is 10 cm, then RCF ≈ 11,180×g (multiples of gravity acceleration).

- Industry standards: Generally, RCF is required to be between 5,000 and 20,000×g.

4. Typical application scenarios and reference speed

| Application scenarios | Recommended speed (RPM) | Application |

|--------------------|-------------------|-----------------------------|

| Waste oil regeneration | 8,000～12,000 | Removal of metal particles and colloids |

| Biodiesel purification | 10,000～15,000 | Separation of glycerol and catalyst residues |

| Edible oil refining | 6,000～10,000 | Removal of phospholipids and moisture |

| Ship fuel processing | 12,000～18,000 | Efficient removal of moisture and tiny impurities |

5. Precautions

- Safety restrictions: Ultra-high-speed centrifuges (e.g. >15,000 RPM) require a dynamic balancing design to avoid explosion risks.

- Energy consumption trade-off: A 20% increase in speed may result in a 50% increase in power consumption, and efficiency needs to be optimized.

- Maintenance cost: The bearings of high-speed equipment wear faster and need to be replaced regularly.

How to choose the right speed?

1. Determine the oil and impurity type (such as water content, particle size).

2. Refer to the speed-RCF curve of the equipment manufacturer to match the separation requirements.

3. Small-scale test: Test at a lower speed first and gradually adjust to the best effect.