Numerical Simulation Research Of Interphase Transport Behavior In Froth Flotation Column

Column flotation beneficiation equipment is very promising to deal with the poor, fine-grained mineral in the future. The laboratory CPT flotation column was researched with Eulerian two-fluid model to calculate the gas-liquid two-phase flow, which was coupled with the method for mineral particles transport in flotation process to obtain concentration field distribution of the mineral particles in the gas-liquid two-phase. The gas-liquid-solid three-phase flow simulation and transport parameter in the flotation process was achieved with the methods above. The main conclusions of the work and get done as follows:1)The gas-liquid two-phase flow of the flotation process was researched with Euler model, and compared the simulation results with experimental PIV data for model validation. Considering the basic interactions theory between the particles, combined with bubbles and mineral particles interact characteristics of the flotation process, a numerical model for the transport of mineral particles was modeled. And the particle transport equation was solved by FLUENT, then the numerical simulation of gas-liquid-solid three-phase flow of the flotation process was achieved.2)Designed a laboratory flotation column and conducted flotation experiments. The mineral particle transport model was verified by comparing numerical simulation results with the laboratory flotation column experiments. The research presented the bubble-particle collision frequency, the proportion of fully mineralized bubbles, mineral particle concentration distribution in gas-liquid phase varying with time in the flotation process.3)The multiphase flow model was used to study the continuous flotation process of laboratory CPT flotation column. The research presented the distribution of gas-liquid two-phase flow field, the distribution of mineral particles concentration field, the collision probability, adhesion probability, stability probability and high rate zone of bubble capturing mineral particle.4) The multiphase flow model was used to study the interaction between bubble and mineral particle associated with different sizes of bubble, mineral particle and wetting contact angle. The research presented the variation of collision probability, adhesion probability, stability probability and capture rate with particle size and surface properties. The study shows that the capture rate increases with the wetting contact angle increases linearly for a certain size of bubble diameter. And the bubble size is smaller, the increase is more obvious. In addition, although increasing the wetting contact angle would lead to the rising of the capture rate, bubble size is still decisive to the capture rate. Pictures47, Tables9, References68.