Minerals Engineering 20 (2007) 355360 This article is also available online at: www.elsevier.

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Volume split control of a hydrocyclone group

T. Neesse
a

a,*

, H. Tiefel

b,1

, P. Kaniut

Department of Environmental Process Engineering and Recycling, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Paul Gordan Str.3, D-91052 Erlangen, Germany b AKW A+V GmbH, Hirschau, Georg-Schier-Strasse 70, 92242 Hirschau, Germany Received 1 August 2006; accepted 13 December 2006 Available online 5 February 2007

Abstract Experience obtained with a new hydrocyclone control system is reported. As command variable of the control serves an optical sensor detecting the underow shape (rope or spray). These signals are transmitted to the computer and the control loop is completed with the pump power input, pressure in the feed and in the overow. A volume split control of the hydrocyclone is performed by regulation of the overow using a control valve. Groups of hydrocyclones can be controlled by installing only one control valve in a collecting pipe of all overows. This control system stabilizes the separation at the transition point between spray and rope discharge at the cyclone underow which in most cases is the operational optimum. One of the rst applications was the regeneration of bentonite suspensions in tunnel driving. Since excavation of the material is discontinuous the solids content of the hydrocyclone feed varies over a wide range. By controlling the 150 mm hydrocyclone group it was possible to compensate for feed uctuations and to stabilize the separation. 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Hydrocyclones; Process control; Process instrumentation; Process optimization

1. Introduction The hydrocyclone is a favored classifying device for solids separation, where cut-sizes (d50C) are between 10 and 100 l. It nds application not only in mineral processing, but also to a growing extent in environmental technology (Puget et al., 2004) and biotechnology (Ahmed, 2005). In oil industry hydrocyclones operate very eciently as liquidliquid separators (Wengeler et al., 2006). There are also applications of cyclones to multi-phase ternary and quaternary systems involving liquids, solids, vapors and gases (Madge et al., 2004). The advantages of the hydrocyclone include its structural simplicity, ease of operation, high volumetric
Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 9131/85 23 200; fax: +49 9131/85 23 178. E-mail addresses: thomas.neesse@uvt.cbi.uni-erlangen.de (T. Neesse), htiefel@akwauv.com (H. Tiefel). 1 Tel.: +49 9622 18 331; fax: +49 9622 18 376. 0892-6875/$ - see front matter 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2006.12.004
*

throughput and the relatively low capital, operating and maintenance costs. Since it has no moving parts it is truly a static system. However, the major disadvantages of the hydrocyclone are problems associated with varying feed conditions. Uniform feed properties are a precondition for high separation eciency of hydrocyclones. Varying feed conditions may lead to considerable uctuations of cutsize and separation sharpness. Therefore, much eort has been undertaken recently to compensate these diculties by hydrocyclone control. Various methods and equipment have been employed in the intention to control the volume split of the hydrocyclone (Martin, 1978). These devices include collapsible tubing of resilient material, ap valves and counterbalanced piping applied to the apex of the hydrocyclone. Use of such devices at the underow has resulted in increasing maintenance and chocking or plugging. As alternative one may control the separation by manipulating the feed side. Then, the feed solids content is controlled by water addition (Walters

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and Placha, 2002). This leads to an increased hydrocyclone feed rate. Consequently, water addition must be combined with speed control of the feeding pump and/ or the automatic switch on of additional hydrocyclones. This method is often applied for hydrocyclones in closed circuit grinding (Rajamani and Herbst, 1991). However, the varying feed rate is a disadvantage in the processes downstream. A new concept has been developed by Neesse et al. (2003a), where the volume split control is performed by the regulation of the hydrocyclone overow using a control valve. The overow side presents the following advantages: better accessibility compared to the underow and lower wear due to ne particles in the suspension. Furthermore, a hydrocyclone group can be controlled by installing only one control valve in a collecting pipe of all overows. Using this system, the operating state of the hydrocyclone can be stabilized or optimized by the automatic actuation of nal control elements regulating the volume split and the feed pump speed. This contribution presents rst experiences and summarizes results of this hydrocyclone control and optimization. 2. Control concept An important function of a process control system in a hydrocyclone plant is stabilization of the cut-size or slurry density in the overow for a feed with varying solids contents and particle size distributions. Depending on feed conditions various process states may be observed. In dilute ow separation with a typical spray discharge, a widening air core spreading to the underow can be observed. The resultant separation may present a high solids recovery to the underow, which may be regarded as an advantage, but at low solids concentrations this may result in more nes being misdirected to the underow. In dense ow separation (high percentage feed solids content) sediment may hold up dynamically in the conical part of the hydrocyclone. Then, coarse particles may move too much towards the overow thereby reducing solids recovery to the underow. It may also happen that the air core does not extend over the complete hydrocyclone length and oscillates intensively or be otherwise unstable. The underow shape is determined by the suspension rheology. At high dynamic viscosity the free vortex collapses and the underow discharge may assume the shape of a rope. This behavior is inuenced by particle size and shape distribution as well as by surface conditions and swelling properties of the solid phase. For a given solid phase the dynamic viscosity is dependent on the solids content. Rope discharge is characterized by high solids content with less nes. Although it is not often the case, this situation might be considered advantageous. A transition state between spray and rope discharge may show the advantages of high solids recovery as well as high solids content in the underow. This is the objective of the subject control system.

3. Hydrocyclone monitoring Hydrocyclone monitoring includes methods and devices which enable save operation and/or process control. Special means have been developed for the identication of wear and clogging in the underow (Hartmann, 2000). To serve as a command variable of process control, a monitored parameter of the hydrocyclone performance has to fulll the following parameters: 1. 2. 3. 4. sensitivity; non-invasive sensing; on-line sensing with a sampling time <1 s; robust sensor that is insensitive to blinding and mechanical stress; 5. cost eective instrumentation. The detection of the overow quality is often applied. The state of the art oers the following measurements: Density or solids content in the hydrocyclone overow (Casali et al., 1998). Viscosity in the hydrocyclone overow (Kawatra et al., 1996). Particle size in the hydrocyclone overow (Coghill et al., 2002). These signals can serve as basis for the process control if empirical models are elaborated which deliver dependencies with the result of the separation (Rajamani and Herbst, 1991; Karr and Weck, 1996). An alternative is the measurement of the process state of the hydrocyclone. These signals deliver the following measurements: Shape of the underow discharge (Redikultsev et al., 1991; Petersen et al., 1996; Hubert, 1991). Geometry and movement of the air core (Williams et al., 1995; Podd et al., 2000). Vibration of the apparatus (Hou et al., 1998). Dierent monitoring methods have been tested and evaluated by Neesse et al. (2004a): Capacitance sensor for direct spray discharge detection. Gravitational method applying a weighing procedure of the hydrocyclone lling. Vibration measurement. Optical detection of the shape of the underow using an IR-beam. Up to now, the best results in our hydrocyclone control were obtained using optical detection of the shape of the underow. This optical monitoring has the advantage of providing an indirect, non-invasive method.

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3.1. Control schema The schema for the process control is shown in Fig. 1. The controlled hydrocyclone group consists of a number of single hydrocyclones being connected in parallel in a round battery or cyclopac of special design as shown in in Fig. 2. The sensor detecting the underow shape (rope or spray) is active at only one of the hydrocyclones. Further sensors are installed at one/two hydrocyclones which are automatically activated if disturbances at the active hydrocyclone are detected. These signals are transmitted to the computer and the control loop is completed with the pump power input, pressure in the feed and in the overow. Pressure monitoring is necessary for preventing a maximal value at the overow being exceeded.

The overows of all hydrocyclones are collected in a special pressure chamber where a collecting discharge pipe with a control valve is installed (see Fig. 3). For high solids content (rope discharge) the system is controlled by adjusting the throttle valve and the feed pump speed. The control mechanism actuated by stepwise throttling intensies the pressure inside the hydrocyclone. Consequently, the underow discharge increases until the point of breakthrough of the air core is reached. Then, the sensor detects spray and opens the control valve resulting in again more sediment being discharged (rope

Fig. 1. Hydrocyclone control using overow throttling.

Fig. 2. Round battery of 150 mm hydrocyclones with special overow design.

Fig. 3. Pressure chamber for the overows and collecting discharge pipe.

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Rope Lateral deflection of the rope

Transitional state Quick change rope / spray Spray with small discharge angle

Spray

Fig. 4. Discharge types of the hydrocyclone underow.

4. Application 4.1. Hydrocyclone separation in tunnel driving The control concept was initially applied in bentonite regeneration for tunnel driving (Neesse et al., 2003b). Suspensions containing swelling bentonite are used in hydro-shield tunneling to support the face and remove the cuttings. The follow-up separation plant has the task of separating the excavated material so that the bentonite can be regenerated for further use. A new separation technology was developed and successfully introduced for driving the Westershelde Tunnel in the Netherlands. The plants ow sheet is shown in Fig. 6. The suspension containing the excavated nes is transported to the head of the separation plant by hydraulic means and distributed on to two parallel operating sections. A special bar sizer

Feed Bar Sizer > 100 mm > 4 mm Rigid screen deck Flip-flop screen deck
Fig. 5. Optical sensor of the hydrocyclone.

combi screen

< 30 m

< 4 mm Process controlled 150 mm-hydrocyclone < 30 m 45 mm-hydrocyclone

discharge). In the following, a new control interval starts. Thus, the process steadily changes between spray and rope discharge. Actually, this transitional state is an unstable operating point. However, using fuzzy logic enables the stabilization of the separation in the transitional range. As can be seen from Fig. 4, even several transitional states can be dierentiated closer to rope or closer to spray. As can be seen from Fig. 5 the sensor for detecting the transitional state can be installed at a certain distance from the splashing cyclone discharge. Blinding of the optics is prevented by installing a ventilated protecting tube.

Dewatering screen > 30 m > 10 m

< 10 m Regenerated bentonite suspension

Fig. 6. Flow sheet for the Westershelde separation plant.

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was devised combining feed distribution and the oversize elimination for material of size >100 mm. The sieves, which separate at about 4 mm, must have a high undersize capacity to cope with temporary overloading. In addition, high self-cleaning forces should act to prevent blockages caused by clay chips. These demands are best fullled by a combination-sieve consisting of a rst linearly vibrating deck and subsequently, a exible deck with high self-cleaning capacity. The screen underow is pumped to the hydrocyclone plant. Because of the discontinuous excavation of the material, the solids content of the hydrocyclone feed varies in a wide range between 50 and 500 g/l. These uctuations have been compensated by using two-stage hydrocyclone plants (e.g. 500-mm hydrocyclones in the rst stage and 150-mm hydrocyclones in the second one). The single-stage operation of a controlled 150-mm hydrocyclone plant is the available alternative. It was possible to attain the same separation eect with the controlled single-stage hydrocyclone plant as with the two-stage plant. High solids contents >1000 g/l in the hydrocyclone underow were measured. Consequently, the succeeding dewatering screen functioned properly to produce a material capable of being conveyed on belt. The benecial eect of the volume split control using the overow throttling is presented in Table 1. The solids recovery Rm,G in the underow increases continuously with the overow pressure. Further, the forced rope discharge still shows relatively high solids contents

Cs,u. The product of both quantities, taken as an optimal criterion (Neesse et al., 2004b) presents a marked maximum at the transition point shown in Fig. 7. The subsequent classication of the 150 mm hydrocyclones overow (see Fig. 6) is switched on only for the treatment of clay-rich sections of the tunneling. 5. Conclusions The volume split control of hydrocyclones by overow throttling is characterised by some remarkable improvements. Every control should not aect the operation and maintenance of the apparatus. Therefore, any manipulation at the cyclone itself was avoided. As command variable serves the angle of the spray discharge in the underow which is detected by an infrared beam. The sensor is installed at about one meter distance from a splashing cyclone discharge. The sensor delivers a yes/no signal of a selected spray angle. Changing this angle by an appropriate adjustment of the beam enables the variation of the cut-size within certain limits. A control device at the overow implements advantages compared with measures at the underow or the feed side regarding accessibility, wear of the control valve and a combined throttling of a cyclone group. Hence, even small diameter cyclones assemblies can be controlled eectively. The control valve is installed in the collecting pipe behind the cyclone or the cyclone group. Danger of blocking at the underow even at high solids contents is avoided because throttling of the overow leads to increased pressure at the apex and accelerates the underow. Thus, this control is connected with an increase of the discharge capacity at the apex enabling the combination of two hydrocyclone stages. A special progress presents the control concept by operating the cyclone at the optimal operational point. Usually this is the transitional point between spray and rope discharge. Optimization criterion is the product of solids recovery and solids concentration in the underow. In fact, this is an instable point. However, a fuzzy treatment of the optical signals of the sensor enables a correct adherence of the transitional point. Operating hydrocyclones at the transitional point spray/rope is particularly recommended in closed circuit grinding.

Table 1 Control of a 150 mm hydrocyclone (Di = 50 mm, DO = 72 mm, DU = 29 mm) with a feed solids concentration of 550 g/l (<2 mm) Feed pump speed min1 1080 1140 1200 1260 1310 Counterpressure in the overow, p1 (bar), throttling 0 0.10 0.25 0.30 0.45 Split, VO/V (%) 79 78 74 73 68 Solids recovery in the underow (t/h) 54 54 65 70 79

Du =29mm
0.25

Du =35mm

References
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Optimisation criterion R m,G C s,u [-]

0.2

0.15
p in =1,1 bar c s,in =250g/l

0.1 1 2 3 4 5

Discharge type
Fig. 7. Optimal criterion of the 150 mm hydrocyclone.

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