Drilling-mud desanders and desilters · Hydrocyclone cone size, place in the solids-control train, capacity per cone, feed pump, underflow shakers
Desanders and desilters are banks of hydrocyclones in a drilling rig's solids-control system that spin drilling mud to throw drilled solids out of the bottom of each cone while cleaned mud leaves from the top. Ask three things first: the cone size and number for the solids you need to remove, the mud flow the bank must treat, and the feed pump and any underflow shaker that come with it.
Hydrocyclone desanders, desilters and combined mud cleaners for oil, gas and water-well drilling fluids. Shale shakers on their own, decanting centrifuges, degassers and mineral-processing hydrocyclones are outside this page.
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01
SLB's Energy Glossary defines a hydrocyclone as an inverted cone fed tangentially at its larger upper end: the spinning flow forces solids to the wall and out of the bottom (apex) while cleaned liquid exits at the top. It classifies hydrocyclones by cone size, giving desanders as 12 in diameter (typ.) and desilters as 4 to 6 in diameter, and states that “The efficiency of hydrocyclones is poor in viscous weighted muds.” [1]
The desander sits after the shale shakers and degassers but before the desilters or mud cleaners; cleaner, lighter mud leaves through the central vortex at the top and is routed to the mud tanks and the next mud-cleaning device. Desander and desilter cones are functionally identical, with cone size determining the size of particles removed. [2] The desilter uses a greater number of smaller cones to remove smaller diameter drill solids than a desander does, and in the surface mud system it comes after the desander. [3] [2]
Give the supplier the mud circulation rate, mud type and density, the cone size and count wanted, whether an underflow shaker (mud cleaner) is needed, power supply and hazardous-area classification, skid and tank layout, and the feed pump's location.
02
Brightway's desander models use 1 × 10 in (250 mm) cones for up to 120 m³/h with a 30 kW feed pump, or 2 × 10 in cones for up to 240 m³/h with a 55 kW pump. Its desilters use 8 × 4 in (100 mm) cones for 120 m³/h with a 30 kW pump, or 12 × 4 in cones for 240 m³/h with a 55 kW pump, and can sit on a vibrating screen with API 150–200 mesh as a mud cleaner. It rates capacity on mud of 1.2 g/cm³ density and 45 s funnel viscosity, lists IEC, UL, ATEX and CE certification options, and a design ambient range of −40 to 50 °C. [4] [5]
Editorial calculation: Brightway's figures imply about 120 m³/h per 10 in desander cone (240 ÷ 2) but only 20 m³/h per 4 in desilter cone (240 ÷ 12), which is why the desilter needs 12 cones against the desander's 2 for the same 240 m³/h. [4] [5]
03
Brightway's card links to the desilter page used for the sizing figures above; the other makers list desanders, desilters or mud cleaners within wider solids-control ranges, and Sino Mechanical sells them alongside drilling rigs and mud pumps.
Ask any supplier for cone size, number and material, rated flow and the mud conditions it was rated on, inlet pressure and feed pump, underflow screen size and mesh, motor certification, skid weight and dimensions, and wear-part supply.
04
| Part | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrocyclone cones | Separate solids by centrifugal force. [1] | Size and count. |
| Inlet manifold | Feed mud tangentially. [2] | Pressure; connection. |
| Overflow manifold | Return cleaned mud. [2] | Routing. |
| Feed pump | Supply mud to the cones. [5] | Power; flow. |
| Underflow shaker (mud cleaner) | Screen the cone underflow. [4] | Screen size and mesh. |
| Skid and motors | Mount and drive. [4] | Certification; weight. |
05
Brightway rates capacity on 1.2 g/cm³ mud, so ask for the flow at your own mud weight and viscosity; cone inlet pressure, cut point and liner hardness are not published in the reviewed sources. [4]
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Processing Capacity (m³/h) | e.g. 120 or 240 m³/h at 1.2 g/cm³. [4] [5] | Flow at your mud. |
| Separation Particle Size (μm) | Set by cone size. [2] | Cut point for each cone. |
| Operating Pressure (MPa) | Cone inlet pressure. | Required feed head. |
| Maximum Pressure (MPa) | Manifold rating. | Rating. |
| Operating Temperature (°C) | Design ambient −40 to 50 °C. [4] | Range. |
| Inlet/Outlet Diameter (mm) | Manifold connections. | Sizes. |
| Weight (kg) | e.g. 660–900 kg mud cleaner. [4] | Skid mass. |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) (mm) | e.g. 1,450 × 1,390 × 1,810 mm. [4] | Footprint. |
| Material of Wetted Parts | Cone liner and manifold. | Materials. |
| Hydrocyclone Liner Hardness (Shore D) | Wear resistance. | Hardness. |
| Sealing Class | Manifold sealing. | Class. |
| Motor Power (kW) | Feed pump e.g. 30 or 55 kW. [5] | Pump and shaker motors. |
| Voltage (V AC) | e.g. 380–415 V/50 Hz; 440–480 V/60 Hz options. [4] | Supply. |
06
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Mud: [type; density; viscosity] Flow: [circulation rate] Cones: [desander size; desilter size; count] Options: [underflow shaker; screen mesh] Power: [voltage; frequency; hazardous area] Layout: [tank; skid size; weight]
Brightway lists desanders, desilters and mud cleaners; Dongying Lake Petroleum lists desanders and desilters with PU cones, with or without an underflow shaker; Dongying Huike lists desilters and mud cleaners; Sino Mechanical lists them with drilling rigs and mud pumps; Better Petroleum, HUAYANG and HL Petroleum list them within solids-control ranges.
Lists desilters, desanders, mud cleaners and other solids-control equipment.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists desanders and desilters with drilling rigs and mud pumps.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists drilling-fluid solids-control equipment including desanders and desilters.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists solids-control systems including desanders and desilters.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists solids-control equipment including desanders and desilters.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists desanders and desilters with PU cones, offered with or without an underflow shaker, among solids-control equipment.
Product scope checked 2026-10-13
Lists desilters and mud cleaners among its solid-control equipment.
Product scope checked 2026-10-13
Explore company information and manufacturing capabilities, then discuss the scope of your project with a relevant supplier.
SLB says both are hydrocyclones; it gives desander cones as 12 in diameter (typ.) and desilter cones as 4–6 in, and the smaller desilter cones remove smaller drill solids. [1] [3]
After the shale shakers and degassers and before the desilters or mud cleaners. [2]
Brightway rates 8 × 4 in cones at 120 m³/h and 12 × 4 in cones at 240 m³/h on 1.2 g/cm³ mud. [4]
Sources checked 2026-10-12. SLB's Energy Glossary is a service-company reference; Brightway is a supplier linked to this page.
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