SUPPRESSION OF FINES IN THE CALCULATION OF CRITICAL DEPOSITION VELOCITY IN IRON ORE SLURRY PUMPING
Sedimentation. Granulometry. Hydraulic Calculation. AFT Fathom.
In the hydraulic dimensioning of a pipe, the settling velocity is a fundamental parameter in guaranteeing the performance of the process. The improvement of the estimative calculation of the sedimentation velocity in iron ore slurry pumping with a high percentage of fines is the object of this thesis. The present work aimed to compare the results of simulations in the AFT Fathom software, where the input parameters were based firstly on an estimate of the sedimentation velocity without suppression of fines and later with suppression of fines, based on the premise that the particles in slurry suspensions that are smaller than 50 micrometers in size do not undergo deposition, as they are particles that essentially do not settle during normal pumping operations. Critical velocities were calculated using the Durand method. In the results of this work, it is expected that the simulations in the software indicate a considerably lower head loss when the fines suppression method is applied and, consequently, a lower pump power.