Computational Fluid Dynamic study on the effect of near gravity material on dense medium cyclone treating coal using Discrete Phase Model and Algebraic Slip mixture multiphase model

In this paper, the effect of near gravity material at desired separation density during the coal washing is studied. It is believed that the Dense Medium Separation of coal particles in the presence of high percentage of near gravity material, results in a significant misplacement of coal particles to wrong products. However the performance of dense medium cyclone does not merely depend on the total amount of near gravity materials but also on their distribution as well as on their quality. This paper deals with numerical simulation of magnetite medium segregation and coal partitioning handled in a 350 mm dense medium cyclone. Volume of Fluid coupled with Reynolds Stress Model is used to resolve the two-phase air-core and turbulence. Algebraic Slip mixture multiphase model with the granular options are considered to predict magnetite medium segregation. Medium segregation results are validated against Gamma Ray Tomography measurements. Further, Discrete Phase Model is used to track the coal particles. Residence Time Distribution of different size and density coal particles are also estimated using Discrete Phase Model. Additionally, Algebraic Slip mixture model is also utilised to simulate magnetite and coal particle segregation at different near gravity material proportions. Discrepancies in the coal particle behaviour at different near gravity material content are explained using locus of zero vertical velocities, mixture density, coal volume fractions.