Desanderdesilter

Desanderdesilter is a term used in drilling fluids and solids control to describe a combined or coordinated set of hydrocyclone units that remove solids from drilling mud in two stages: a desander stage for larger solids and a desilter stage for finer solids. The arrangement is commonly installed as a dedicated skid or integrated into a mud-cleaning train on a drilling rig or processing facility. The goal is to reduce solids content, protect pumps and downhole equipment, and maintain desirable mud properties.

In operation, drilling mud is pumped into a desander cyclone cluster, where heavier solids are separated and reported to the underflow while the clarified liquid exits via the overflow. The overflow is then routed to the desilter stage, which uses smaller-diameter hydrocyclones to remove finer solids down to the fine silt range. The desander underflow and desilter underflow are typically recycled back to the mud pit or sent to other solids-control equipment, while the cyclone overflows pass forward to subsequent cleaning stages or storage. The two stages can be configured in parallel banks or in a serial arrangement depending on the system design and required cut points.

Cut points vary by cyclone size and manufacturer, but desanders generally target larger solids in the tens to hundreds of microns range, while desilters target finer solids in the tens of microns. Performance depends on feed flow rate, pressure, and the physical condition of the cyclones. Desanderdesilters are widely used in oil and gas drilling, but similar configurations appear in mining, construction, and water treatment to improve mud or slurry clarity and reduce wear on downstream equipment.