Simulation of Flow in Single Phase Hydrocyclone using Computational Fluid Dynamic

Document Type : Research - Paper

Authors

1 M.Sc, Dept. of Mining Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Dept. of Mining Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

Abstract

Hydrocyclones are the most efficient used classifiers in the grinding circuits. Hydrocyclones are normally modeled and simulated using empirical models. These models can only be used within the range of the experimental data from which the model parameters have been derived. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a powerful tool in simulating fluid flow in hydrocyclones. This research work deals with 3D simulation and modeling of fluid flow in a single phase hydrocyclone using CFD. The main simulation steps include preparing the geometry, meshing it, defining the properties of the materials involved, and setting the boundary layer and conditions. The experimenal data measured in a laboratory hydrocyclone were used for validation of the model. The simulation results indicated that the tangential velocity increased traversing towards the core, before decreasing at the interface with the air core. The liquid axial velocity inside the hydrocyclone varied from -1.59 m/s to 6.52 m/s. The axial velocity is a result of two swirling flows, the inner upward flowing inside the air core and the outer downward flowing near the cyclone wall. The liquid axial velocity inside the hydrocyclone varied from -5.58 m/s to 5.46 m/s. The LES model showed the least error on predicting the velocity profiles, the air core dimensions (7.8%), the pressure drop (7.52%) and the mass split ratio to overflow (0.18%). The effect of various geometric (spigot diameter, vortex diameter and cone angle) and process (feed flow rate) parameters on tangential velocity of the fluid was investigated.

Keywords

References

[1] Wills, B. A., and Finch, J. (2016). “Mineral Processing Technology: An Introduction to the Practical Aspects of ore Treatment and Mineral Recovery”. 8th Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann.
[2] Kelsall, D. F. (1952). “A study of the motion of solid particles in a hydraulic cyclone”. Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, 30: 87-108.
[3] Dlamini, M. F., Powell, M. S., and Meyer, C. J. (2005). “A CFD simulation of a single phase hydrocyclone flow field”. The Journal of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 105: 711-718.
[4] Mousavian, S. M., and Najafi, A. F. (2009). “Influence of geometry on separation efficiency in a hydrocyclone”. Archive of Applied Mechanics, 79: 1033-1050.
[5] Leeuwner, M. J., and Eksteen, J. J. (2008). “Computational fluid dynamic modelling of two phase flow in a hydrocyclone”. The Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 108: 231-236.
[6] Delgadillo, J. A., and Rajamani, R. K. (2005). “A comparative study of three turbulence-closure models for the hydrocyclone problem”. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 77: 217-230.
[7] Narasimha, M., Sripriya, R., and Banerjee, P. K. (2005). “CFD modelling of hdrocyclone-prediction of cut size”. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 75: 53-68.
[8] Delgadillo, J. A., and Rajamani, R. K. (2007). “Exploration of hydrocyclone designs using computational fluid dynamics”. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 84: 252-261.
[9] Zhang, C., Cui, B., Wei, D., and Lu, S. (2019). “Effects of underflow orifice diameter on the hydrocyclone separation performance with different feed size distributions”. Powder Technology, 355: 481-494.
[10] Hsieh, K. T. (1988). “A phenomenological model of the hydrocyclone”. PhD Thesis, University of Utah, USA.
[11] Ferziger, J. H., and Peric, M. (2002). “Computational Methods for Fluid Dynamics”. 3rd Edition, Springer, New York.
[12] Nowakowski, A. F., Cullivan, J. C., Williams, R. A., and Dyakowski, T. (2004). “Application of CFD to modeling of the flow in hydrocyclones. Is this a realizable option or still a research challenge?”. Minerals Engineering, 17: 661-669.
[13] Narasimha, M., Brennan, M., Holtham, P. N. (2006). “Large eddy simulation of hydrocyclone-prediction of air-core diameter and shape”. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 80: 1-14. 
Journal of Mineral Resources Engineering
Volume 6, Issue 3 - Serial Number 21
October 2021
Pages 139-155

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 19 February 2020
  • Revise Date: 15 September 2020
  • Accept Date: 15 September 2020

Share

How to cite

Statistics