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Froth pumping stays one of the complicated engineering challenges in mineral processing. Here, Weir Minerals offers advice for dealing with the key challenges in this operation, tips on how to maximise pump availability and minimise upkeep in operators’ flotation circuits.
To counteract declining ore grades, more and more mine operators are investing in techniques to increase the minerals reclaimed from froth pumping. However, when these methods are deployed without making allowances for the design of the mine’s froth pumping gear, it may find yourself in the lack of priceless minerals and income.
Froth pumping remains some of the complex engineering challenges in mineral processing. This is largely due to the truth that air administration issues within the hopper, sump and pump itself can generally lead to inefficient pumping, elevated upkeep and even misplaced product.
“We’ve began to note a sample amongst our customers who’re having hassle with their froth pumps,” stated Les Harvey, regional product manager for Slurry Pumps at Weir Minerals. “By utilizing extra flocculants and other chemical substances designed to improve mineral restoration, they’re exacerbating existing problems in circuit design and lowering the returns they’re in search of.”
Close examination of the froth’s makeup and physical qualities is often needed to resolve issues. Ensuring เกจ์แรงดัน dealing with gear adheres to greatest design practices is a vital first step in resolving problems.
Maintaining strain The key problem in froth pumping is coping with air within the pump itself, because it tends to naturally centrifuge into the impeller’s eye, where it builds up into an “air lock” which impedes the movement of slurry by way of the pump.
In addition to decreasing the pump’s effectivity, the air build-up in the pump will cut back its flow and improve the slurry level within the suction hopper. The elevated slurry stage may push the pocket of air via the pump, causing surging and extreme vibration which can injury the pump bearings, impeller and shaft. “The greatest way to handle air in a froth pump is to put money into a froth pump with a steady air removing system (CARS), which we now have in our Warman AHF, MF and LF pumps,” says Harvey.
เกจวัดแรงดันลม10bar permits air to maneuver from the pump’s impeller eye to an air collection chamber in the back via a vent hole in the impeller. From the chamber, a circulate inducer removes the air from the pump through a vent pipe. “It’s additionally important to place the pump’s discharge pipe on the prime of the pump, or at a 45° angle as this can give air trapped at the high of the casing a way to escape the pump.”
Solving issues “A persistent problem we see is when hoppers designed to satisfy the demands of slurry pumping are utilized in a froth pumping software. Slurry hoppers require turbulence to stop the mineral content material from settling, while turbulence in a froth pump prevents the air from escaping and results in blockages,” stated Harvey.
Tanks designed for froth pumping promote steady round motion, where solids and liquids are despatched to the outside of the sump for additional transport whereas air centrifuges into the centre the place it might be eliminated. This ‘whirlpool’ movement can be inspired by introducing the slurry from the highest of the tank at a tangential angle. Conical designs, quite than these with a flat or rounded flooring, additional improve the move of minerals and froth into the pump.
Smooth crusing To stop blockages, the intake pipe which links the tank to the pump ought to have a big diameter and slope downwards in path of the pump. This design permits escaped air to separate and travel again up the pipe where it could escape from the sump, quite than increase into blockages.
“The shorter your intake pipe, the more durable it’s for blockages to build up. However, along with a maintenance spool and isolation valve, it’s a good suggestion to depart sufficient area for a water injection port, which is beneficial for flushing out any solids construct up,” stated Harvey.
“To make maintenance easier, a dump valve could be included on the suction side of the pump, between the pump and the isolation valve. This will allow customers to drain slurry from the pump and the discharge pipe system when stopping the pump for maintenance.”
Tenacious froths Froths are often classified as both brittle, with massive air bubbles that break easily, or tenacious, the place air varieties tight bubbles round minerals and is troublesome to separate. Froth being extra tenacious than was accounted for is a frequent explanation for blockages as air cannot effectively be removed.
“Two issues are occurring in the market at present. On one hand, mine operators are grinding the product much finer than before to liberate more from the waste rock. They’re also utilizing flocculants that produce a lot smaller bubbles which lock up the air much more than brittle froths,” mentioned Harvey. “We’re working together with customers to search out methods to manage these extra tenacious froths, by looking at their circuit design and dealing with areas where the air may accumulate and block the system, paying particular attention to their pumps, pipes and sumps.
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