Effect of vibrating feeder pan geometry on radiometric separator performance

Abstract

The article offers justifies the optimized shape for the vibrating feeder pan of a radiometric separator, which ensures the maximum travelling speed and uniform flow of ore material in the zone of radiation and recording. Three shapes of pans are discussed: rectangular, parabolic and triangular. It is found that motion of ore material along an inclined rectangular-shape pan is straight-linear. Distribution of ore particles along the width of the channel, which governs the scatter of the motion trajectories relative to the central axis of the channel, depends on the runoff point of particles from the outlet feeder. Proposed for the description of the motion trajectory of ore particles along an inclined channel of parabolic shape, the mathematical model demonstrates the curved and pendulum-wise motion of an ore particle with the attenuating amplitude. The motion of an ore particle in an inclined pan with the triangular-shape channel features the minimized scatter of motion trajectories relative to the central axis of the channel. The analysis of ore motion along vibrating feeder pans with different shape channels is carried out in Rocky DEM environment with regard to interaction of ore particles with the pan surface and with each other. The simulation modeling has proved the conclusions on the efficiency of the triangularshape profile of the vibrating feeder pan as it ensures uniform single-row flow of ore particles along the straight-line trajectory. The triangular shape of the pan contributes to the increased travelling speed of ore particles and, accordingly, to the enhanced capacity of the separator. The radiometric separator efficiency can be increased 1.5 times by changing from the parabolicshape channels to the triangular-shape profiles of vibrating feeder pans at the other operating conditions of radiometric separators being equal.