A Model-Based Parametric Study of Centrifugal Dewatering of Mineral Slurries

Solid bowl centrifuges (SBCs) find wide industrial applications for various solid-liquid separation tasks. Despite its importance, the information on the effects of the operational variables of an SBC on the dewatering performance is limited, even with some conflicting results, especially for the effects of the weir height and differential speed on the solids recovery. In the present work, a systematic simulation study was carried out using a validated SBC model to investigate the effects of various process parameters on the solids recovery. The simulation results matched well with the reported experimental findings in the literature. Additionally, the present work provides insights on why there is a disagreement between the experimental findings of the effects of the differential speed and the weir height.

Automated summary

Solid bowl centrifuges are widely used in industrial applications for solid-liquid separation tasks. However, there is limited knowledge about the effects of operational variables on the dewatering performance. In this study, a simulation investigation was conducted to explore the effects of various process parameters on solids recovery, providing insights into the discrepancies in experimental findings.