HCYCLONE

HCYCLONE is useful to both manufacturers and users (or mineral processing plants) of hydrocyclones for:

• Analysis of laboratory data on small hydrocyclones
• Scale-up of above for industrial operating requirements
• Design of large hydrocyclones
• Prediction of performance of industrial hydrocyclones

Mathematical relations are employed to predict the following for a given design:

• The tonnage of pulp handled
• Direct bypass fraction (or water split ratio), R_f
• Volume split, R_v
• Cut-particle diameter, d₅₀
• Sharpness index of cut, SI

The software is to be used in conjunction with SIZEANAL which is used to estimate R_f, d₅₀ and SI from measured data of size distributions of streams around the hydrocyclone.  These are then used to estimate four material-dependent parameters.   HCYCLONE can then predict the following for the large hydrocyclone:

• Throughput achievable
• R_f, d₅₀, SI, R_v and the complete Tromp curve

By changing any dimensions like vortex finder, spigot etc. or operating parameters like pulp density (by altering the water addition at the pump), feed pressure etc., one can optimise the equipment performance.  For instance, in one case, it was predicted that if the vortex finder diameter is increased by 25% and pump is accordingly increased to maintain the same feed pressure, the throughput increases by 16%, d₅₀ increases by 11%, Rf and Rv decrease by 23% and 19% respectively.