RNATIONALNEWSLETTE

of particle separation. As the dia-

Letter from Brazil meter is increased, both capacity
and cut size are augmented.
By Afianio Franc0 Machado Feed nozzle diameter - this deter-
mines the entrance velocity, and is
one of the factors that govern the

The role of hydrocyclones tangential velocity at various radii. It

is known that higher feed diameters
mean higher capacities and larger
in mineral processing cut sizes. For most cyclones the
entrance velocity ranges from 12 to
20 ft/s. It is believed that a rectan-
Since 1989 Brazil has been suffering from the severest recession it has ever gular feed nozzle shape is better
seen. The economy is depressed and inflation is high, and the prospects for the than a circular or oval shape, giving
future are not as bright as they once were. Costs must be reduced to the superior performance. As far as the
minimum, in order to achieve a reasonable level of competition for products, configuration is concerned, feed
either within the country or abroad. No large-scale investments are planned in nozzles can be classified three ways:
the mining industry, and developments will mainly be made in operational l (i) the outside of the feed nozzle
optimisation, through automation or processing improvements such as is tangential to the inside dia-
adjustments to equipment, reduced losses or increased product quality. For meter of the feed chamber;
all of these reasons hydrocyclones will play a very important role in the mineral l (ii) the centre line of the nozzle
industry. Their operation is responsible for both quality and much of the overall is tangential to the inside dia-
cost of processing; this column will focus its attention on this very important meter of the feed chamber; or
piece of equipment. ...
l (m) both the inside and outside
edges of the nozzle are tangential
to the inside diameter of the feed
ydrocyclones have been used in operate, which is normally supplied
H industry since 1890, starting with
the separation of sand from water.
through a centrifugal slurry pump or
sometimes through a gravity feed
chamber.
Vortex finder diameter - as this is
Since around 1937 they have been circuit. Feed velocity and pressure increased, so are the capacity and
used in the pulp and paper industry head are converted to angular and cut size increased. The vortex finder
for separating contaminating particles linear accelerations within the cyclone length should be below the feed
from cellulose fibre in water suspen- body. nozzle and above the top of the
sions, in the making of high-grade The angular acceleration is respon- cylindrical section, in order to mini-
paper products. At that time the sible for the advent of centrifugal mise bypass occurrence.
method of discharging the coarse forces, which separate the ore particles Apex diameter - this influences the
product was in a relatively high by size and weight. The larger and feed capacity, but it also determines
concentration suspension, intermit- heavier particles remain close to the underflow capacity and percentage
tently into a chamber connected to wall and travel downward in a spiral solids. In normal and stable opera-
the cyclone apex. path, leaving at the cone discharge, tion there is a hollow space begin-
Around 1948 the Dutch State Mines known as the apex. The smaller and ning at the apex, known as the ‘air
Company introduced its hydrocyclone lighter particles depart at the top core’, around which the solids
model in the United States, while at the discharge, through the vortex finder. discharge in an annular shaped
same time Dorr Company engineers It is not necessary to have the vortex region. When the solids rate is
began to use the hydrocyclone as a tinder in the upper position and the higher than normal, the air core
separating device in the US minerals apex in the lower position, since the disappears and the operation be-
industry, in pioneering work. Much acceleration due to gravity is small comes unstable. This overload con-
academic experimental work was done compared to the centrifugal accelera- dition is called the ‘rope discharge’.
between 1940 and 1950, notably by tion. This is especially true for smaller Another irregular condition occurs
D.A. Dahlstrom at Northwestern Uni- cyclones, although today it is common when the apex diameter is oversized
versity. The iron ore producers soon practice to use up to 500 mm-diameter with a spray discharge. The best
discovered the advantages of the cyclones in a horizontal position work- discharge configuration is a conical
hydrocyclone over spiral classifiers in ing as classifiers in grinding circuits, discharge with the air core.
terms of better size control, lower water where it is claimed that they have
consumption, lower investment costs better efficiencies and return less Cylindrical height - larger heights
and less floor space required, among ‘fines’ to the mill. cause reduced cut size and increased
others. The centrifugal forces are propor- efficiency.
Thus hydrocyclones are relatively tional to the particle masses; higher Cone angle - on small cyclones, the
new equipment to the mineral proces- forces drive smaller and/or lighter included angle may be as small as
sing field. And, since their advantages particles from the overflow. Since 6”, while on larger ones the angle
far outweigh their disadvantages, they smaller cyclones produce smaller accel- may be 20” or even higher. Normally
are here to stay. In any case, it is erations, their separation size is smal- in the mineral processing industry
understandable that much must be ler than those in larger cyclones. the angle ranges between 10” and
done to improve their separation Several geometric elements are im- 20”. A small angle tends to reduce
efficiency and their operational varia- portant to the operation of a cyclone. the separation size, although it can
bility with fluctuations in feed quality. Among others, it is important to relate be detrimental to the ‘sharpness’ of
The hydrocyclone has a cylindro- the following: separation. The cone squeezes the
conical shape, and ranges in size from coarse solids towards t,he centre, to
a few millimetres to as large as 1200 l Cyclone diameter - this defines obtain a concentrated underflow
mm in diameter. It needs power to both the capacity and the diameter product. El
FlItration& Separation November/December 1992 479