Análise do efeito de variáveis geométricas sobre o desempenho de hidrocidones otimizados

Abstract

Hydrocyclones are equipment for solid-liquid separation broadly used in industry. Among its advantages, there are the compact geometry, simple construction, low maintenance costs and high separation efficiency. Depending on the desired purpose (concentration or classification), it is possible to enhance the performance of the hydrocyclone through the optimization of geometric variables, which are of simple modification, as the underflow orifice diameter and the length of the vortex finder. The study of non-conventional hydrocyclones has always been object of research in FEQUI/UFU. In this context, the aim of this work was to study experimentally and numerically, the effect of changing the underflow orifice diameter and the length of the vortex finder in optimized conventional hydrocyclones HCOT1 and HCOT3. To this end, experimental tests were conducted with aqueous suspension of "quartzite" through factorial design at three levels of the variables studied. According to the main results, the hydrocyclone HCOT1 showed average decreases of 16% in energy consumption for higher levels of Du, which resulted in processing capabilities approximately 9% higher for this equipment, while their overall efficiency was also increased by 9% and its reduced cut size diameter was decreased by 51%. Still, there was a non-linear variation of the analyzed responses with l, as intermediate length of this variable favored the separation. In terms of the optimized hydrocyclone HCOT3, it seems to be indifferent to variations in the length of vortex finder on the studied domain, while the decrease in diameter of the underflow orifice in this equipment also provided efficient separation such as that observed in higher levels of this variable, at the same time it decreased the amount of liquid discharged in the underflow stream by 85%. This makes the hydrocyclone HCOT3 with the smallest diameter of the underflow orifice extremely interesting in the separation of particulate material larger than the particle size used.