Abstract
Classifiers have found wide applications in the mineral processing industry. In this study, a novel enhanced gravity closed spiral classifier is presented. This device uses induced centrifugal force to classify particles. A functional prototype of the separator was 3D printed to experimentally validate the concept. The performance characteristics of the classifier were established by conducting experiments under different process and design conditions. Silica slurries with particle loading of 5–15 wt% were used in this work as a model system. The particle size distribution analysis was performed using laser scattering particle size distribution analyser (LSPSDA). The effects of particle loading, velocity of feed stream, and number of turns of spiral were explored. The equipment could be used in many applications ranging from size (mass) classification to disposing of unwanted gangue.
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Acknowledgements
The authors deeply acknowledge the support of Mr. K. Ananth Krishnan, CTO, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), in pursuing this research. The authors are grateful to Dr. Pradip, Dr. Beena Rai, and Dr. Venkataramana Runkana for their guidance and encouragement. We express our thanks to our laboratory assistants Mr. Yasin Shaikh, Mr. Sudam Konelu, and Mr. Rupesh Shinde.
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Appendix
Appendix
The corrected separation efficiencies have been calculated using Eq. (7). The bypass parameter Bp is calculated as the minimum separation efficiency obtained in the experimentally observed efficiency curve. In most of the curves, the minimum efficiency due to the fish-hook behavior is observed to be near the particle size of ~ 20 μm. The D25c, D50c, and D75c are then calculated from the corrected separation efficiency curves. From Fig. 9, it is observed that corrected separation efficiency is stable for variation in particle loading of 5 to 15 wt%. From Figs. 10 and 11, it can be seen that the corrected separation efficiency curves are improving with increase in the feed velocity and the number of turns.
Effect of particle loading on corrected separation efficiency of silica
Effect of feed velocity on corrected separation efficiency of silica
Effect of number of turns on corrected separation efficiency of silica
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Vysyaraju, R., Pukkella, A.K. & Subramanian, S. Experimental Investigation of Novel Enhanced Gravity Closed Spiral Classifier. Trans Indian Inst Met 72, 2239–2248 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12666-019-01589-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12666-019-01589-0