Cyclones in Milling

A Black Box Approach

Jeremy Bosman
Principal Consultant,PESCO
Senior Lecturer, Pretoria University
Black box

“In science and engineering, a black box is a
device, system or object which can be viewed
solely in terms of its input, output and transfer
characteristics without any knowledge of its
internal working”

Source - Wikipedia
Black box

Inputs Black Box Outputs

Black box
Black box

Inputs and outputs
Black box
Inputs Outputs
Feed Ore (mill feed) Product Ore (cyclone
overflow)
Tonnage (tph) Tonnage (tph)
Particle density (t/m3) Particle density (t/m3)
Moisture (% by mass) Moisture (% by mass)
80 % Passing (microns) 80 % Passing (microns)
Water
Mill inlet (m3/h)
Mill discharge (m3/h)
Energy (kW)
Black box
Black box

Transfer characteristics
• Circulating load
Black box

Circulating Load =
tons in the underflow/ tons in the overflow
Black box

Transfer characteristics
• Energy/size distribution/throughput
Black box

Fred Chester Bond (1899-1977)
• Third Law of Comminution (1952)
 1 1 
Ei = 10Wi  − 
 p80 f80 
• Wi : work index (kWh/t)
• p80 : product 80% passing size (microns)
• f80 : feed 80% passing size (microns)
• Ei : specific energy consumption (kWh/t)
Black box
Black box

Work index
• Determined by a standard grindability test
• Simulates a 2.44 m overflow ball mill operating at
a circulating load of 250%
• Apply a number of correction factors
Black box

Third Law of Comminution (1952)
 1 1 
Ei = 10Wi  − 
 p80 f80 
• Applies to rod and ball mills
• Cannot be used for autogenous mills and fine
milling (Isa Mills)
Cyclone sizing

First have to establish a mass balance
Cyclone sizing

Stream 7
Stream 5

Stream 3 Stream 4
Stream 6
Stream 1
Stream 2
Cyclone sizing
Stream Description Units
1 Feed tonnage tph
1 % Moisture % by mass
1 Particle density t/m3
3 Mill discharge density RD,% by mass/volume
6 Cyclone underflow density RD,% by mass/volume
7 Cyclone overflow density RD,% by mass/volume
Circulating load %
Cyclone sizing

Mill discharge density
• Controls viscosity and retention time in mill
Cyclone sizing

Mill discharge density
• Rule of thumb : 50% volumetric solids
Cyclone sizing

Cyclone underflow density
Cyclone sizing

Cyclone underflow density
Cyclone sizing

Cyclone underflow density
  −du  
φL = 62.3 1 − exp  
  60  

ϕL : percent solids by volume at which

underflow begins to rope (%Vs)

du : average size of the underflow (microns)
Cyclone sizing
70

60
s)
V
%
(
yt 50
is
n
e
D40
w
o
lf
re
d 30
n
U
m
u 20
m
ix
a
M
10

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Average Underflow Size (microns)
Cyclone sizing

Rule of thumb : 45 – 50 % volumetric solids
Cyclone sizing

Circulating load
• 50 – 700%
Cyclone sizing

Pb/Zn Operation
• 2 x Clusters of 250 mm cyclones
• Overflow directly to flotation
• Circulation load : 500 – 700%

• Changed to 2 x 600 mm cyclones

• Circulating load : 250 – 300 %
• No loss in recovery
Cyclone sizing

Merensky milling circuit
• Inclined 500 mm cyclone installed
• Circulating load varied from 100 to 300%
• Product size distribution unchanged
Cyclone sizing

Rule of thumb : 250%
Cyclone sizing

Stream 7
Stream 5

Stream 3 Stream 4
Stream 6
Stream 1
Stream 2
 Cyclone sizing
250 % CL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Fresh Mill Inlet Mill Outlet Cyclone Cyclone Cyclone
Feed Water Outlet Water Feed U/Flow O/Flow
Solids (tph) 200 700 700 500 200
Slurry (m3/h) 73 467 904 370 533
Water (m3/h) 6 23 233 437 670 204 467
Pulp Density (t/m3) 2.83 2.00 1.52 1.90 1.25
Volumetric Solids (%) 92 50 26 45 13
Solids by Mass (%) 3 75 51 71 30
Particle Density (t/m3) 3 3 3 3 3
Cyclone sizing

Rf : water recovery to underflow

Proportion of cyclone feed that bypasses
classification
Wuf
Rf ≈
W feed

204
Rf ≈ = 0.30
670
Cyclone sizing

Cyclone efficiency
• Measured using a Tromp curve
Cyclone sizing
1.00
% Recovery to Underflow

0.75

0.50 I=(d75-d25)/(2d50)

0.25

Rf

0.00
d25 d50 d75
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Particle Size (micron)

Corrected Actual
Cyclone sizing

For cyclone sizing the d50 is required

Grind often expressed as a percentage passing
a certain size i.e.
• 80% < 75 micron
Cyclone sizing

Rule of thumb for converting grind to d50 :
Overflow Multiplier
% Passing x micron Multiply with x
98.8 0.54
95.0 0.73
90.0 0.91
80.0 1.25
70.0 1.67
60.0 2.08
50.0 2.78
Cyclone sizing

Example
• 80 % < 75 micron
• x = 75 micron
• Multiplier = 1.25
• d50 = 75 * 1.25 = 93.75 micron
Power requirements

Work index = 15 kWh/t

f80 = 1.2 mm = 1200 microns

p80 = 75 microns

Feed tonnage = 200 tph
• Use fresh feed only, do not include circulating
load
• Circulating load is inside the black box
Power requirements
 1 1 
P = 10Wi  − F
 p80 f80 


P = 10 × 15 
1
−
1 
 × 200
 75 1200 

P = 2598kW
Power requirements

Relevance to cyclone sizing?
 1 1 
P = 10Wi  − F
 p80 f80 
• Energy input into the black box is fixed
• To get a finer grind (f80) throughput must be
reduced or feed size made finer
• Cannot be achieved by selecting a cyclone with a
finer cutpoint!
Cyclone sizing

Typical information required for cyclone
sizing:
• Volumetric feed rate
• Feed density
• Volumetric recovery to underflow
Slurryuf
Rv ≈ *100
Slurry feed
• d50
 Cyclone sizing
250 % CL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Fresh Mill Inlet Mill Outlet Cyclone Cyclone Cyclone
Feed Water Outlet Water Feed U/Flow O/Flow
Solids (tph) 200 700 700 500 200
Slurry (m3/h) 73 467 904 370 533
Water (m3/h) 6 23 233 437 670 204 467
Pulp Density (t/m3) 2.83 2.00 1.52 1.90 1.25
Volumetric Solids (%) 92 50 26 45 13
Solids by Mass (%) 3 75 51 71 30
Particle Density (t/m3) 3 3 3 3 3
Cyclone sizing

Parameter Value Units

Volumetric feed rate 904 m3/h
Feed density 26 %Vs
Volumetric recovery to underflow 40.92 %
d50 93.75 micron
Cyclone sizing

Cyclone geometry
Cyclone sizing

h
Do
Dc
Di α
Du
Cyclone sizing

Cyclone models
• Plitt
• Nageswararao
• Arterburn
Cyclone sizing

Plitt
50.5Dc0.46 Di0.6 Do1.21e0.08Vs
d50c = 0.71 0.38 0.45 0.5
Du h Q ( ρs − ρl )
1.88Q1.8e0.0055Vs
P=
2 0.87
D 0.37
c Di
0.94 0.28
h (D 2
u +D o)
3.31
 Du  2 0.36
18.62 ρ 0.24
p D  h 0.54
(D + D
2
u o) e0.0054Vs
S=  o
Dc1.11P 0.24
 Cyclone sizing

Nageswararao
0.68 0.45 0.2
Q  Do   Di   Lc  −0.1
= KQo {D
−0.1
c } D  D  D  θ
D 2 P  c  c  c
c
ρp

0.52 −0.50 0.20 0.20

d50 −0.65  Do   Du   Di   Lc 
= K Do { Dc }   D  D  D  θ 0.15 H −0.22λ 0.93
Dc  Dc   c  c  c
 Cyclone sizing

Nageswararao
−0.94 1.83 0.25 0.22
 Do   Du   Di   Lc 
Rv = KVo { D 0.00
c } D  D  D  D  θ −0.24 H −0.31
 c  c  c  c
−1.19 2.40 0.50 0.22
 Do   Du   Di   Lc 
R f = KWo { D 0.00
c } D  D  D  D  θ −0.24 H −0.53λ 0.27
 c  c  c  c

Vs
λ= 3
(1 − V )s
Cyclone sizing

Arterburn
• Based upon standard parameters
• Apply correction factors for application
Cyclone sizing
d50 application = d50baseC1C2C3

d50base = 2.84 Dc0.66

−1.43

C1 = 
53 − Vs 

 Vs 
C2 = 3.27 P −0.28
0.5
 1.65 
C3 =  
ρ
 s − ρ l 
Cyclone sizing
Cyclone sizing

No matter which cyclone model you use
• The models must first be calibrated to provide
realistic answers
• Different models will give different answers for
the same input parameters
• Cyclone selection remains a combination of both
art and science i.e. Models coupled with
experience
Cyclone sizing

Cyclone selection
• Required d50 = 94 microns
Number Cyclone D50 Pressure
of diameter (microns) (kPa)
cyclones (mm)
1 900 90 80
2 750 85 65
3 500 75 70
4 420 70 75
5 350 65 90
Cyclone sizing

As the number of cyclones increases
• Cyclone diameter decreases
• Cut point decreases
Cyclone sizing

Largest cyclone diameter
• Will reduce capital and operating costs

Multiple cyclones
• Increase capital and operating costs
• Are more flexible (turn down ratio)
• Linked to advanced process control

Final selection is a trade off
Cyclone sizing

Cyclone assemblies
Cyclone sizing
Cyclone installation

Vertical
• Headroom : high
• Spigot wear : high
• Underflow density : variable
• Operating pressure : low
Cyclone installation

Inclined
• Headroom : low
• Spigot wear : lower
• Underflow density : consistent
• Operating pressure : minimum
Cyclone configurations

Two stage on overflow
• Retreat primary cyclone overflow in a second
stage
• Recovers misplaced coarse particles in primary
overflow
Cyclone configurations

Primary

Secondary
Cyclone configurations

Dewatering cyclones
• Objective is to run the classification cyclones
under dilute conditions to minimize the Rf and
maximize efficiency
• Use clusters of small cyclones (typically 100 mm)
to act like a thickener and dewater the cyclone
overflow prior to flotation etc
Cyclone configurations

Primary

Dewatering

Secondary
Conclusion

Using a black box approach, it is possible to
successfully determine cyclone sizing
parameters

Although mathematical models are available
they cannot predict cyclone performance with
100% certainty and need to be validated

Cyclones can be installed and configured in
different ways and there is no best overall
solution
Thank you

I would like to thank the organisers for the
opportunity to present this paper