Numerical and experimental study of inlet velocity effects on separation performance of hydrocyclones for purifying low-grade phosphate ore

Abstract

Due to the scarcity of phosphorus as a strategic resource, there is a growing trend to extract and refine low-grade phosphate ore using hydrocyclones. This study focuses on purifying low-grade phosphate ore using a hydrocyclone, with experiments conducted to obtain data on inlet velocity, mass flow rate, and pressure of inlet and outlet. These measurements assess pressure drop, separation efficiency and accuracy, thereby validating the numerical simulation outcomes. The Mixture and RSM models are used to simulate and analyze the hydrocyclone's internal multiphase flow field and performance of separation at varying inlet velocities. Findings show that an inlet velocity ranging from 6 to 7 m/s results in over 90% separation efficiency, around 90% separation accuracy, and low energy expenditure. These research findings provide theoretical guidance for low-grade phosphate ore separation and purification using hydrocyclones.

Keywords

• Hydrocyclone
• Low-grade phosphate ore
• Inlet velocity
• Locus of zero vertical velocity
• Separation performance