Separators

Sebastian Rösch

Process Technology of Cement Production, Module 1

Dusseldorf, 12 and 13 March 2019
AGENDA

1 Principle

2 Designs

3 Calculation of the separator efficiency (“Tromp curve”)

4 Separator optimization

2
Limits of grinding

„Finer“

„Finer“

Δt
𝑚
3
Limits of grinding

 Smaller particles have higher strength

 With increasing fineness the probability of stressing coarse particles is

decreasing

 Already fine particles are stressed and do not break or break down to very fine
fractions not required („Over-grinding“)

 Agglomeration!

4
Agglomeration

Secondary particles

Primary particles

5
Agglomeration

 Electrostatic forces / Van-der-Waals forces

 Forces are not very strong…
 … but particles are very small!
 Imagine we scale up two cement particles to the size of a

Football
6
Who can we push the limit of grinding?

Extract fine material

from the mill

Feed coarse material

back to the mill

7
How can we extract the fine particles: Separator

8
Principle

fresh feed

Drag force
separator
(characteristic) Weight force
𝐺 =𝑚∗𝑔

fines reject

Air flow

9
Principle: Cause concurring forces

Small particle

10
Principle: Cause concurring forces

Centrifugal force
Flow force
Depends on the
Depends on the mass of the
surface / radius of particle
Large particle the particle

11
Principle

centrifugal force

friction force of the

air (drag force)

gravitational force

cyclone–wall-effect

fines entanglement

12
AGENDA

1 Principle

2 Designs

3 Calculation of the separator efficiency (“Tromp curve”)

4 Separator optimization

13
Air stream separator

air + fines

1 outer conus
2 guide vanes
3 reject conus
4 tube
5 adjuster for the
guide vanes
6 outlet for reject

reject air + fresh feed

14
Recirculation air separator

feed

1 fan wheel
2 disperse disc
3 counter vane
4 down pipe
5 inner cylinder
6 guide vane
7 cone

reject
fines

15
Cyclone-recirculation air separator

Fresh feed

fines

reject

16
Cyclone-recirculation air separator

17
Cyclone-recirculation air separator

18
Separator / Visual inspection / 2nd Generation

19
High efficiency separator

Fresh
feed

Fresh
feed

separation air

fines

reject

20
High efficiency separator

Sealing
between
cage-rotor
and reject
conus

21
High efficiency separator

top feed

fine fraction + air fine fraction +

air

air + fines

rejects 1

rejects 2

bottom feed reject air + fresh feed

1. gen sep.
22
Modification cyclone-recirculation air separator

Dyn. Separator cyclone-recirculation air separator

Optimization of the efficiency:
1
 Implementation of a central body (2)

 Implementation of a rotors (1)

2

23
V-Separator

feed
fines and air

air

rejects Source: KHD

24
VSK-Separator

fines and air feed

material
feed
fines
and
air
circulated air or
hot gas

middling
middlings

air

coarse
coarse
25
Sepol® PC separator for Polycom finish grinding plant

26 Source: ZKG issue 03/2012

AGENDA

1 Principle

2 Designs

3 Calculation of the separator efficiency (“Tromp curve”)

4 Separator optimization

27
Separator investigation

Separator Feed m0
Problem:

How efficient is the classifier?

-or-

How much fines remain in the rejects?

Balance sheet:
m0 = m1 + m2 Fines m1

Reject m2

28
Tromp-curve

Grade efficiency curve

(Tromp-curve):
QFeed(x)
QFines(x) Qreject(x)
𝑅𝑚𝑐 ∗ ∆𝑄𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑠𝑒 (𝑥)
𝑇(𝑥) =
∆𝑄𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 (𝑥)
xu xo xuf xug xof xog
Mass percentage reject:
x → x →
𝑚𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑠𝑒
𝑅𝑚𝑐 =
𝑚𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑

T(x )

Tromp-Curve indicates the

amount of fines in the reject
xuf xug xof xog

x →

29
Calculation of the separator efficiency

mFeed = 9 t/h
Qfeed(x)
Rmc = 0,44
Qcoa.(x)
mReject = 4 t/h

𝑅𝑚𝑐 ∗ ∆𝑄𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑠𝑒 (𝑥)

𝑇(𝑥) =
∆𝑄𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 (𝑥)

Q(x )

QFeed(x) QReject(x) ΔQFeed(x) ΔQReject(x) T(x)

ΔQFeed

ΔQReject

QFeed(x) QReject(x)

30
“Tromp-curve” (1)

1,0 1,0

0,8 0,8

0,6 0,6

T(x)
T(x)

0,4 0,4

0,2 0,2

0,0 0,0
1 10 100 1000 1 10 100 1000
particle size particle size

1,0 1,0

0,8 0,8

pass in %
pass in %

0,6 0,6

0,4 0,4

0,2 0,2

0,0 0,0
1 10 100 1000 1 10 100 1000

particle size particle size

31
“Tromp-curve” (2)

100

80
pass in %

60

40 100

20 80

0 60

T(x)
1 10 100 1000
particle size 40

20

0
1 10 100 1000
particle size

32
Separator investigation – Particle Size Distribution (PSD)

Particle Size Distribution

100,00

90,00

80,00

70,00
Passing [%]

60,00

50,00 Feed
Tailings
40,00
Fines
30,00

20,00

10,00

0,00
1,00 10,00 100,00 1000,00 10000,00

Size [um]

33
Separator investigation – Tromp curve

Separator Tromp

100

90

80

70
Percentage [%]

60 Tromp

50 Sep. ref 3908 cm²/g

40

30

20

10

0
1 10 100 1000

Particle size [um]

34
Separator efficiency – 1st Gen.

ZM 21Sichter-Trenngrad
Seperator
ZM Separator
efficiency
Tromp
1. Gen.
100,0 low rec. rate
90,0 früh
high rec. rate
80,0 Ref.3908cm²/g
70,0
60,0
[%]
%
50,0
40,0
30,0
20,0
10,0
0,0
0,9 2,4 3,7 7,4 13,5 27,5 55,0 104,0
µm[µm]
Particle size

35
Air stream separator – 1st Gen.

air + fines

1 outer conus
2 guide vanes
3 reject conus
4 tube
5 adjuster for the
guide vanes
6 outlet for reject

reject air + fresh feed

36
Separator efficiency – 2nd Gen.

ZM 6 Sichter- Trenngrad
Separator Tromp-Curve 2. Gen.

100,0
90,0
Cyclopol 4,0m
80,0
Ref.3908cm²/g
70,0
60,0

[%]
%
50,0
40,0
30,0
20,0
10,0
0,0
0,5 1,8 3,5 7,2 13,5 28,5 56,5 107,5

Particleµm
size [µm]

Separator 2. Generation (Typ Cyclone-recirculation air separator)

37
Cyclone- / Recirculation air separator – 2nd Gen.

38
Separator efficiency – 3rd Gen.

Separator
ZM 4 SichterTromp-Curve 3. Gen
1/2 Sichter-Trenngrad
CEM I/42,5R HS

100,0
90,0 CEM I 42,5R HS
80,0
Ref. 3908 cm²/g
70,0
[%]
% 60,0
50,0
40,0
30,0
20,0
10,0
0,0
0,5 1,8 3,5 7,2 13,5 28,5 56,5 107,5

particleµm
size [µm]

39
High efficiency (cage) separator – 3rd Gen.

40
 Tromp-curve – Influence factors

 Influence factors on the Tromp-

separator Tromp-Curve - 2nd generation classifier
curve:
100
– rotational speed of the cage/
90
blades Cyclopol 4,0m
80
Ref.3908cm²/g
– air flow 70
60
– use of grinding aid

%
50

– fineness of feed 40
30
– feed load (t/h)
20
10
 Additional key figures: 0
– sharpness of 0,5 1,8 3,5 7,2 13,5 28,5 56,5 107,5

separation µm

– cut point XT = X50%

41
AGENDA

1 Principle

2 Designs

3 Calculation of the separator efficiency (“Tromp curve”)

4 Separator optimization

42
Separator / Visual inspection / 1st Generation

Air + Fines

1 Outer cone
2 Guide vanes
3 grit cone
4 Dip tube
5 Turning device for
Guide vanes
6 Coarse material
(rejects)

Rejects Air + Feed material

43
Modification of a static separator

Air + Fines

fine fraction
+ air

rejects 1

rejects 2

Rejects Air + Feed material

bottom feed

44
Separator / Visual inspection / 2nd Generation

3 1

4
2

45
Separator / Visual inspection / 2nd Generation

4
3

46
Separator / Visual inspection / 2nd Generation

47
Separator / Visual inspection / 2nd Generation

48
Separator / Visual inspection / 2nd Generation

49
Modification cyclone-recirculation air separator

Dyn. Separator cyclone-recirculation air separator

Optimization of the efficiency:
1

 Implementation of a central body (1)

 Implementation of a rotors (2)

2

50
Separator / Visual inspection / 3rd Generation

2
6
3
5
4

51
Fans / Visual inspection

2
1

3
52
Assessment of separators: air measurements

Static pressure, temperature

SVI
Airflow, static pressure & temperature

CO
SVI
SFO
SFI SO Airflow measurement at the volute
inlet

SVI

53
Parameter – Speed of rotation

9000
specific surface of the product in cm²/g

limestone
8000

7000

6000

5000

4000
10 15 20 25 30 35
rotor speed in m/s

55
Parameter – Air volume flow

40

rotor speed 10 m/s

rotor speed 21 m/s
unclassified fraction in %

30
rotor speed 32 m/s

20

10

0
500 1000 1500 2000 2500
air volume flow in m³/h

56
Parameter – Grinding- and separation aids

40

35 limestone with grinding aid

limestone
unclassified fraction in %

30

25

20

15

10

0
10 15 20 25 30 35
rotor speed in m/s

57
Parameter – PSD

specific surface of the product in cm²/g

1500 cm²/g
8000
2400 cm²/g
3400 cm²/g

6000

4000

2000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
rotor speed in m/s

58
Separator impact on PSD

Results from semi-technical

Slag grinding plant
Clinker
Slope n of separator fines

Fines with spec. surface of

3600 cm²/g

Source: Dissertation Müller-Pfeiffer,

Fineness after mill in cm²/g Schriftenreihe der Zementindustrie
Heft 61/2000
 Thank you for your attention

60
Calculation of the separator efficiency – 2nd option

A R F
Particle size Feed size Rejects Fines Tromp Ma.% sep. fines / sep. product
[µm] [%] [%] [%] [%]
1,8 3,8 1,6 8,0 31,5 (𝐴𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 − 𝑅𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 )
3,0 6,5 2,6 13,7 28,5 𝑣𝐹 = *100 = 30,8
6,2 11,3 4,0 25,4 21,7
(𝐹𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 −𝑅𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 )
10,0 16,2 5,2 39,9 16,6
18,0 24,2 7,5 62,8 18,8
30,0 28,8 9,1 74,0 24,9 Ma.% sep. coarse / sep. rejects
50,0 31,4 10,2 79,0 31,8
86,0 35,1 11,9 86,5 35,0 𝑣𝑅 = 1 − 𝑣𝐹 = 69,2
146,0 44,8 21,0 97,5 65,7
206,0 54,4 38,0 100,0 93,9
500,0 85,0 79,2 100,0 100,0 Recirculation-factor
2000,0 98,0 98,0 100,0 100,0
10000,0 100,0 100,0 100,0 100,0 100
Totals 539,5 388,4 886,9 = 3,25
𝑣𝐹

𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ − 𝑅𝑙𝑜𝑤 ∗ 𝑣𝑅
𝑇𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑝 = *100
𝐹ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ − 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤 ∗ 𝑣𝐹 + 𝑅ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ − 𝑅𝑙𝑜𝑤 ∗ 𝑣𝑅

61