DESIGN AND MODELING OF HYDROCYCLONES AND HYDROCYCLONE NETWORKS FOR FINE PARTICLE PROCESSING

An overview of the development of an integrated experimental and theoretical approach to the modelling of individual and multiple-hydrocyclone-networks is described. This methodology seeks to overcome some of the inherent limitations of previous experimental investigations by employing novel on-line and in-situ measurement technology coupled with a robust computation of the population and mass balances. In this way models for the performance of hydrocyclone units can be derived and used in the design of more complex networks required for mineral processing. A theoretical treatment to account for the effects of turbulence in small diameter hydrocyclones is also proposed and validated against experimental measurements for conventional and novel geometry hydrocyclones. The potential for integrating such modelling with non-instrusive in-situ instrumentation to enable the air-core and solids concentration profiles within a hydrocyclone to be visualised is also discussed.