Classifier Performance

Analysis
With Circuit balancing and Hydrocyclone Models

Anand Anupam
Assistant Professor
Department of Fuel and Mineral Engineering
Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad – 826004
E-mail: anand@iitism.ac.in; Mob: +91 9162 343434
 Topics to be covered

• Circulating load determination

• Mass balancing and water balancing
• Classifier performance analysis
• Mathematical models

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 Circulating Load

• Circulating Load Ratio is defined as

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 Circulating Load: Problem

The flowsheet shown below illustrates a conventional closed

circuit grinding operation.
The cyclone overflow line is instrumented with a magnetic
flowmeter and nuclear density gauge, and the mass of dry ore fed
to flotation is 25 t/h. The feed from the fine ore bins is sampled,
and is found to contain 5% moisture. The cyclone feed contains
33% solids, the cyclone underflow 65% solids, and the overflow
15 % solids. Calculate the circulating load on the circuit and the
amount of water required to dilute the ball mill discharge.

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 Balancing: Problem

• A hydrocyclone is being fed with quartz (density 2.70 Tm-3) in

the form of a slurry of pulp density 1.67 Tm-3. The cyclone
underflow density is 1.89 Tm-3, and the overflow 1.46 Tm-3.
Determine the proportion of feed going in the products.

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 Balancing: Solution

• Calculate the solids concentration in all streams

• In feed it is 63.72%
• Calculate the dilution ratios
• 0.57, 0.34 and 1.00
• The underflow is thus 65.2% of the total feed weight and the
overflow is 34.8% of the feed.

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 Classifier performance analysis
How 65.2% is
Size distribution data
divided
assuming underflow mass
in size ranges
is 100 col(2)-col(4) col(4)+col(5)
65.2% of col(2)

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Classifier performance analysis

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 Mathematical Models:
Hydrocyclones
• Bradley’s cut-size model (based on equilibrium orbit hypothesis)

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 Mathematical Models:
Hydrocyclones
• Plitt’s model

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 Mathematical Models:
Hydrocyclones
• Plitt’s model

• A useful general approximation for the flow rate in a

hydrocyclone is

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 Mathematical Models:
Hydrocyclones
• Plitt’s model

• A useful general approximation for the flow rate in a

hydrocyclone is

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Queries ???

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