Process reasoning
A closed tube retains the solids after separation. A decanter must continuously transport settled solids, while a filtration basket must drain through a cake and filter medium and then discharge the cake. Industrial feed acceleration, residence-time distribution, washing, heel formation and solids handling may be absent from the laboratory test. Matching RCF alone does not match these mechanisms. The sample radius, temperature, separation time and concentration all belong in the laboratory record.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
Apply the reasoning
An illustrative slurry forms a compact deposit in a tube after three minutes. The result supports further sedimentation evaluation but does not establish that the deposit can be conveyed at the proposed dry-solids load. Likewise, a clear supernatant does not show that an industrial liquid outlet will achieve the same clarity at continuous feed. Request a trial that includes the actual transport and discharge principle.
What to record
| Item | Basis to document |
|---|---|
| Tube test | Settling response, approximate phase split and sample characterization |
| Filtration test | Cake permeability, media retention and washing behaviour |
| Pilot centrifuge | Feed distribution, operating window and discharge behaviour |
| Scale-up review | Geometry, load, controls and plant interfaces |
Review checklist
- State radius and RCF, rather than reporting RPM alone.
- Measure the feed properties before testing.
- Describe how the separated solids behaved during removal.
- Identify which production mechanisms the test did not reproduce.
Your next decision
A good selection report states what each test established and what remains unresolved. Use targeted trials to close those gaps. The goal is not always the largest pilot campaign; it is enough reliable evidence to choose a separation family and agree the production design basis. Ask for the scale-up assumptions in writing alongside the capacity proposal.