On many drilling platforms, especially offshore or compact onshore ones, space is a key limiting factor. Traditional solid control systems usually require multiple independent units, 

such as desanders and desilters, each occupying a separate floor area. This decentralized setup severely limits the available space of the drilling rig and complicates the layout planning.

To address this challenge, the mud cleaner offers an intelligent and space-saving solution. By directly installing the desander and/or desilter hydrocyclone above the fine-hole vibrating screen,
 this integrated system can achieve two-stage solid separation in a compact unit. Compared with installing individual machines, this combination significantly reduces the overall space requirements,
making it an ideal choice for high-density drilling rig environments.

Introduction to Mud Cleaner: Structure, Principle and Main Advantages

The mud cleaner is a compact integrated solid control device that combines a desander and/or desilter cyclone with a fine-hole vibrating screen.
It is specifically designed to bridge the gap between the main vibrating screen and the downstream centrifuge, handling medium-sized particles that neither can effectively deal with.
 In a single two-stage device, the mud cleaning machine adopts centrifugal separation followed by vibrating screening, providing more precise solid-liquid separation and enhancing the mud recovery rate.

The working principle of the mud cleaner for drilling RIGS

Compared with using independent desanders and desilters, mud cleaning machines have the following key advantages:

1. Removing fine solids missed by traditional vibrating screens: The main vibrating screen usually removes solids larger than 74 μm (sometimes over 100 μm), while the independent desander processes particles around 45-74 μm, and the target range of the desander is 15-44 μm. By integrating a hydrocyclone and a fine screen, the optimized mud washer can handle particles ranging from 15 to 74 μm, which is exactly within the range of the main vibrating screen. This enhances the overall solid control efficiency and reduces the accumulation of harmful fine particles in the activated mud system.

2. Recover valuable drilling fluid from the underflow

The underflow discharged by the hydrocyclone not only contains unwanted solids but also a large amount of useful drilling fluid. If not further treated, it will lead to unnecessary mud loss. The key innovation of the mud cleaning machine lies in placing the vibrating screen directly beneath the hydrocyclone. This enables the underflow to be immediately filtered and dehydrated, thereby recovering most of the fluid that would otherwise have been discarded along with the cuttings.

3. Enhance the recovery rate of mud and the dryness of cuttings

The fine screen under the cone effectively separates the reusable fluid from the solid, generating drier discharge and improving the fluid recovery rate. This reduces the demand for mud dilution, lowers processing costs, minimizes environmental impact, and maximizes the economic value of each barrel of drilling fluid.

4. Save space and simplify the layout of the drilling rig

By integrating the functions of sand removal, silt removal and screening into a compact unit, the mud cleaning machine significantly reduces the floor space occupied by the entire equipment. This is particularly valuable on offshore platforms with limited space and compact onshore drilling platforms. Compared with the scattered equipment layout, the mud cleaner can achieve a more compact and efficient installation configuration without affecting performance.