Centrifuge and method for operating same

The invention relates to a centrifuge (1) for separating or clarifying flowable products or flowable suspensions into at least two phases in a centrifugal field during continuous operation, comprising a rotatably mounted cartridge (2) which can be driven by means of a drive motor and which has a cartridge housing made of metal and a vertical axis of rotation (3), the cartridge (2) has an inlet pipe (4) and at least one gripper chamber (5) with grippers (8) for discharging clarified or separated liquid, and preferably a solid discharge opening, characterized in that the cartridge (2) has at least two axially superposed locking chambers (7, 12) above the gripper chamber (5), each of the locking chambers (7, 12) has a locking disk (9, 14) projecting into the respective locking chamber (7, 12) and is provided with at least one introduction line channel (11, 11 ') for introducing a locking medium (32) into one of the locking chambers (7, 12) or at least one respective introduction line channel (11, 11') for introd