Drum centrifuges

Offering several advantages over the more traditional beam centrifuges, Broadbent G-Max drum centrifuges are developed from the innovative design patented by Emeritus Professor Andrew Schofield FREng, FRS, of Cambridge University Schofield Centre.

In addition, Broadbent G-Max has developed the modular centrifuge – the world’s first single-platform, multi-test environment incorporating an interchangeable beam and drum centrifuge. We designed this revolutionary centrifuge specifically to provide a complete test environment for civil engineering researchers. Visit our Special Projects section for more details.

2.2M Drum centrifuge

  • lower civil engineering costs
  • conduct multiple tests on a single sample
  • change tools, sensors etc whilst sample is ‘in flight’
  • model high 1G sample lengths, up to 2,500m
  • lower power consumption
  • virtual beam mode gives wider application options
  • ‘in flight’ advanced manipulation of tool position
  • more compact than beam centrifuges
  • safety shield feature
  • large sample footprint
  • current designs – up to 400 times gravity
  • free-standing
  • rotating parts housed within robust casing
  • aerodynamically efficient
  • engineering support services available worldwide

Typical channel dimensions of Broadbent G-Max beam centrifuges

Drum diameter Lip depth (mm) Width (mm) Max RPM Mean g-force
2200 300 800 600 400
1200 200 300 850 430
800 150 300 1000 390

Typical equivalent sample size

Drum diameter Length (m) Width (m) Depth (m) Volume m3
2200 2530 325 120 100 x 106
1200 1445 130 85 16 x 106
800 860 120 60 6 x 106

Recent drum centrifuge installations include:

  • 1.2m drum centrifuge, University of West Australia, Australia
  • 1.2m drum centrifuge, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
  • 1.2m drum centrifuge, Kiso-jiban Consultants Co., Japan
  • 1.4m drum centrifuge, University of Texas at Austin, USA
  • 1.4m drum centrifuge, Dalian University of Technology, PR China
  • 2.2m drum centrifuge, Toyo Construction Co., Japan
  • 2.2m drum centrifuge, Institute for Geotechnical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

2.2M Drum section