User:Minprox/Reflux Classifier

Reflux Classifier
The Reflux Classifier is used in the gravity concentration of fine particles, in both coal preparation and mineral processing. The system consists of a lower fluidized bed zone, and an array of parallel inclined channels above. A full-scale device is typically 2.0 m in diameter, the lower fludized bed about 2.0 m high, while the inclined channels are 1.0 m long, inclined at 70o to the horizontal. The new RC2020 technology consists of closely spaced inclined channels, with a nominal perpendicular spacing of 6 mm.

The lower bed of particles is fluidized by water to form a suspension. The fluidization is achieved by distributing the water via a chamber below the vessel through nozzles typically 2 mm in diameter. The floor of the device has a conical shape, with a central discharge point.

Feed slurry plunges downwards into the system, resulting in particles settling towards the fluidized bed, and other particles conveying upwards into the inclined channels.

The particles entering the inclined channels either segregate and deposit onto the inclined surfaces, or convey upwards and report to the overflow launder. Sediment within the inclined channels slides downwards, refluxing back into the fluidized bed. With closely spaced inclined channels, the high shear rate produces a strong inertial lift force that selectively conveys the lower density particles into the overflow. Higher density particles tend to segregate, and slide downwards. The effects of particle size are suppressed through this mechanism.

The suspension density of the lower fluidized bed gradually increases. The system is PID controlled. Hence, once the set point density is exceeded the lower valve opens, allowing dense particles to discharge from the system, and hence causing the suspension density to decrease. A strong autogenous dense medium effect develops in the fluidized bed, promoting the separation of particles on the basis of density. Larger low density particles tend to dsiplace upwards from the bed, while relatively fine high density particles move downwards. The slurry that discharges is referred to as the underflow stream.

Thus the entering feed separates into a low density overflow stream and a high density underflow stream. The Reflux Classifier operates at a high solids throughput due to the presence of the inclined channels, and hence the so-called Boycott (1920) Effect. This increase in the throughput was first quantified by Ponder (1925) and Nakamura and Kuroda (1937). Laskovski et al (2006) showed that for inclined channels with a large aspect ratio (length to gap ratio) the benefits asymptote to a finite level dependent on the Reynolds number of the particle only.