Two-phase numerical simulation on the pipe flow unit of cyclonicstatic micro bubble flotation column.

Two-phase, three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulation was performed to predict the mineralization efficiency of the pipe flow unit of a micro-bubble floatation column. Based on the numerical model, the length parameter of pipe flow unit was optimized, and get a coherent result with industrial test. The results show that eulerian multiphase model can be used to calculate the gas-fluid flow in pipe unit accurately. For pipe unit, the mineralization effect of different pipe lengths can be qualitatively evaluated by the value of k (turbulent kinetic energy). The volume integral value of k grows logarithmically with the increase of L(pipe length). Namely, the increment speed of k is fast at the beginning, and then not obvious when L is increasing. Pipe length has no effect on the maximal value of k. 2. 5 m is a proper length for the research object. Bauxite recovery increases 2.79% when L is extended from 0. 3 m to 2.5 m in industrial test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]