LYNX

The Alfa Laval LYNX decanter centrifuge is a key component in solids-liquid separation for oil, gas and drilling industry processes such as barite recovery and slop oil. It is specially designed for heavy duty and high recovery at large feed flows and has the best available wear protection. It is also available as a three-phase version for separation of oil, water and dry solids.

LYNX1000 decanter

High performance decanter centrifuge

  • Unmatched levels of product recovery in continuous operation
  • High capacity on market’s smallest footprint
  • Low labour cost due to less operator intervention
  • Suitable for any harsh conditions
  • Robust and trusted technology
LYNX decanter centrifuges can be tailored to specific requirements using options such as advanced wear protection, automated controls and remote monitoring. They are available as 2 or 3-phase designs. The bowl and conveying speed, pond depth in the bowl and feed rate are all adjustable to support optimum performance. We also cater for EX classification Zone 2 as well as Zone 1.

Accelerating sustainable solutions

Imagine a more sustainable world. A world in which less is needed to produce even more. A world in which we efficiently meet our growing energy needs and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions. Imagine a world where we can harness the power of natural resources while preserving them. At Alfa Laval, we don't just imagine this world. We build it together with our customers and our partners.

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Proven in the Oil & Gas field

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Drilling

The LYNX decanter has proven its performance and reliability for the past 20+ years and is the standard solids control decanter in the drilling industry. It is unrivalled in solids recovery performance and feed rate capacity compared to installed foot print.

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Slop oil

The LYNX decanter has a long history of high oil recovery and cake dryness. The robust build makes it suitable for any kind of slop oil. The small footprint and versatile usage make it ideal for a mobile unit to clean slop oil from different ponds and factories

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Oil sands

The LYNX decanter offers unrivalled capacity in the very large decanter category coupled with high recovery of micro-fines. It has been proven itself to be a highly viable technology for area reclamation for mature fine tailings ponds. This process guarantees an optimal and safe process to clean mature fine tailings waste.

Alberta oil sands

Case stories 

Mature fine tailings, Canada

More than 30 Alfa Laval decanter centrifuges have been installed at three different tailings treatment sites in Canada. The decanters have proven to be an outstandingly efficient solution for large-scale dewatering of tailings. They efficiently remove the finest particles that conventional solids control equipment is unable to deal with

water at a mining site

Toxic hazard becomes sellable resource in Kazakhstan

Entrepreneur uses Alfa Laval centrifuges to separate the waste oil that scars the Kazakh steppe into water, solids and marketable crude.

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How it works

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The Alfa Laval LYNX decanter centrifuge is built around a slender cylindrical bowl with a relatively large length/diameter ratio and a conical end. This bowl rotates at speeds of up to 4000 rpm (depending on model) producing a centrifugal force of anywhere from 300 to 3574 G. The other key components include a main drive motor, heavy-duty gearbox, back drive motor and an AL automation solution. The unique Alfa Laval direct drive gearbox ensures automatic control of the conveying speed.

The liquid is fed into the long cylindrical bowl where the centrifugal force presses it outwards to form a layer (known as the pond) on the wall of the bowl. The thickness of this layer is determined by a series of discharge weirs at the end of the cylindrical section. The clarified liquid flows out over these weirs with the aid of centrifugal force. Since the solids in the mud are heavier, they remain on the bowl wall, and are continuously removed by the screw conveyor. They are then transported up to the conical section (known as the beach) where they exit via the discharge ports at the narrow end. Cleaned liquid exits at the opposite end.

3-phase design

In 3-phase separation, the decanter has a pairing disc installed which separates the light phase from the heavy phase via a pump and level tube action. This enables you separate both solids light phase and heavy phase in the same operation without adding a second step.

Liquid-liquid separation

Special versions of the Alfa Laval LYNX decanter centrifuge can be used for liquid-liquid separation (for example oil from water) to deliver liquids of a clarity never before achieved using decanter centrifuges. The availability of online inter-phase adjustment, with no need for mechanical changes, makes it easy to optimize the quality of the separated liquid phases.

The separation into two liquid phases takes place over the entire length of the cylindrical part of the bowl, and the clarified heavy and light liquid phases are discharged from the bowl by flowing over different sets of level tubes.

Learn more

Find out how the Alfa Laval range of LYNX decanter centrifuges can optimize your solids control.

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Supports sustainability goals

LYNX decanter centrifuges reduce waste volumes and disposal costs as well as chemical usage. The bowl can be equipped with special power tubes that harness and exploit hydraulic energy to reduce overall power consumption. The unique Alfa Laval direct drive system automatically controls the conveying speed to ensure optimum solids dryness, irrespective of acceptable variations in the feed flow.

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Contact us

If you are looking to maximize your waste and solids control get in touch with us now.

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