ABSTRACT Enhanced gravity concentrators such as Knelson concentrator (KC) are extensively used in the mineral processing industry. The complexities of KC bowl geometry and variation of feed characteristics have forced process engineers to design empirically new units using laboratory and pilot-scale Knelson concentrators. However, numerical modelling methods such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) provide a better insight of flow behaviour of fluid and particulate solid phases inside these processing units. This article reports findings of CFD simulations for single-phase water flow inside the laboratory KC. An available standard 7.5-cm laboratory KC bowl was numerically simulated using realisable k-ε turbulence model to resolve the turbulence dispersion of existing transitional flow regime. The effects of relative centrifugal force (RCF) intensity and bed fluidisation water flow rate on the water velocity and pressure distributions were studied. Simulations confirmed the swirling flow pattern governing inside the bowl. The results revealed that the impact of RCF intensity on the water field values is greater than that of bed fluidisation water flow rate. Both velocity and pressure variations inside the bowl rings followed a linear trend.

中文翻译：

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实验室 Knelson 浓缩器碗内水流的计算模型

摘要 增强型重力选矿机，如 Knelson 选矿机 (KC)，广泛用于矿物加工行业。KC 碗几何形状的复杂性和进料特性的变化迫使工艺工程师使用实验室和中试规模的 Knelson 浓缩器根据经验设计新装置。然而，诸如计算流体动力学 (CFD) 和离散元法 (DEM) 之类的数值建模方法可以更好地了解这些处理单元内的流体和颗粒固相的流动行为。本文报告了 KC 实验室内单相水流的 CFD 模拟结果。使用可实现的 k-ε 湍流模型对可用的标准 7.5 厘米实验室 KC 碗进行数值模拟，以解决现有过渡流态的湍流分散问题。研究了相对离心力 (RCF) 强度和床流化水流速对水速和压力分布的影响。模拟证实了控制碗内的旋流模式。结果表明，RCF强度对水场值的影响大于床流化水流量。碗环内的速度和压力变化都遵循线性趋势。