Introduction to Cement Manufacturing

4. Air Separators

4.1 Introduction

Separators are utilized in a closed circuit grinding system for the purpose of
separating the fine and coarse particles of the feed. The fine particles are passed
through the separator to become finished product while the coarse particles are
returned to the mill as rejects for further grinding.

4.2 Types

First Generation Separators

These are separators with internal cyclones, e.g. Sturtevant and Raymond.

Second Generation Separators

These are separators with external cyclones, e.g. Wedag-Zub and O&K, (mainly in
Europe). As a general rule their efficiency in terms of bypass, fractional separation,
and grinding is superior to the first generation separators. Some first generation
separators can reach the same performance levels with modifications.

High Efficiency Separators of the Third Generation

These are characterized, other than by external ventilation, by the presence of a

squirrel-cage, which allows an improved fractional separation over other separator
types.

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Static Grit Separators

These permit the separation of large particles from the material being transported
in the mill air sweep.

4.2.1 Static Grit Separator

Principle of operation

During the process of grinding in the ball mill, an external fan drafts fine and coarse
particles from inside the mill through the mill discharge. In process terms, the
material in swept from the mill.

The method of particle separation in static separator is a very basic process. The
dust laden air swept from the ball mill flows upward into the bottom of the separator
cone. As the air (gas) rises, it flows between the inner and outer cone until it
reaches the inlet vanes. There it flows through the vanes, imparting a circular
motion, into the upper section of the inner cone. Due to the much larger areas of
the inner cone, the velocity decays and the coarse particles (grits) fall by gravity to
the bottom of the inner cone out the reject spout back to the grind circuit. In addition
the circular motion of the air (gas) improves the separation of coarse and fines by
centrifuge. The air (gas) with the fine particles continues up through the thimble
out of the separator to elsewhere in the process.

Static Grit separators are commonly employed on semi air swept finish mills and
on air swept coal mills.

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Components

This separator does not compare in design to the conventional separator. Its
design compares to a cyclone with the exception that internal vanes can be
adjusted.

a) Outer Cone
Can be described as the outer shell of the separator. The bottom of the cone (inlet)
receives unclassified material from the ball mill sweep.

b) Inner Cone
Installed inside the outer cone. The bottom is piped outside the separator for
rejecting coarse (grit) particles from the separator.

c) Inlet Vanes
Located below the top of the separator, separates the inner and outer cone. The
vanes are adjustable and can be moved to increase or decrease the circular motion
of air as it enters the inner cone. Typically they are mechanically linked and are
adjusted using a single hand wheel.

d) Thimble
Placed through the separator top (center). Fines and (exit gas) leaves the
separator through this duct. Adjustable to pick fines from the air flow inside the
separator. However, the thimble is set up at installation and not moved as a regular
procedure.

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Static Grit Separator:

Cutaway Schematic Exit Gas and
Fines Product

Adjustable Guide Vanes Thimble

Inner Cone

Modif ication Idea:

Outer Cone
f or high blaine
product mount a
f resh air bleed
v alv e in f ront of
each guide v ane.

Inlet Duct Rejects Pipe

(f rom mill)

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Control

a) Fineness Control
A change in the product fineness can result of either the volume of air swept from
the mill changed or the separator vanes are adjusted. Keep in mind that either
change will have effect on the separator efficiency.

Air Volume
An increase in volume of air swept from the mill results in a higher percentage of
coarse material going through the separator to the collector - lower product Blaine.

Vane Adjustment
Each static separator vane adjustment area is marked for direction of movement.
A coarser adjustment (less spin) will result in the removal of fines to the collector
with a higher percentage of coarse particles - lower product Blaine.

Modification Idea
Installed in Demopolis, fresh air bleed in valves were mounted in front of each guide
vane. By opening these valves fresh air leaks in which reduces dust loading
(favouring the superfines), but maintains the same high internal grit velocities in
order to maximize separation.

Inspection requirements
No moving components or power source. Basic inspection requirement is a visual
inspection of the separator and related intake and exhaust piping for leaks.
Depending on the material abrasiveness the vanes and the inner cone should be
checked for replacement at least every 4 to 6 years.

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4.2.2 Sturtevant Separators

Operation

Material goes down the feed spout to the intake cone and to the lower
distributing plate hub.

By centrifugal action (rotation) the particles are thrown outward through the
ports of the hub and onto the lower distributing plate (protected by the upper
distributing plate).

Particles are dispersed from the plate into the separating zone. A curtain or
umbrella of material is formed outside the lower distributing plate.

Forces acting on the particles are ascending air, gravity, and centrifugal action.

Coarse particles settle by gravity to the tailings or rejects chamber.

Finer particles are acted upon by the upward air flow created by the main
circulating fan and lifted to the selective zone where final selection takes place.

The selector blades impart additional centrifugal force. Heavier particles are
thrown outward underneath the drum cover to the rejects cone. The finer,
lighter particles are drawn through the path of the selector blades to the finished
product area.

More selector blades or fewer main fan blades will result in a finer product.

Control valves (or diaphragm) are located between selector blades and main
fan blades, and move in or out to vary the size of the opening between the two.

Return air vanes (between the fines cone and the inside drum cone) allows fines
to settle, while returning air to the separating zone.

Drying in the separator can also be achieved through balanced hot air inlet(s)
and outlet(s) to a dust collector and fan.

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Material Flow Pattern inside a Sturtevant

Sturtevant Separator Adjustment

The possible operating adjustments that can be made on a separator are, in order
of decreasing priority:

Diaphragm if there is one

Number of fan or selector blades
Main fan diameter

or by means of the feed flow rate in terms of the output and fineness.

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The general rules under all circumstances are:

SEPARATOR ARROW DIAGRAM Direction Change of Variable

By pass or Fines Blaine or

Direction Change of Adjustment
Rejects TPH 325Mesh

MAIN FAN
More Blades (or larger Diameter)

Fewer Blades (or smaller Diameter)

Higher Speed (sheave change)

SELECTOR BLADES
More Blades
*

Fewer Blades *

Higher Speed (for separate drives)

DIAPHRAGM or VALVES *
% Opening

SEPARATOR FEED RATE Varies with Mill

(or mill circulating load) Circuit Ty pe

SEPARATOR FEED
Varies with Mill
PRODUCT FINENESS
Circuit Ty pe

* MAIN FACTOR

In the case of a separator with a diaphragm, as a general rule, it should be adjusted for the different
modes of operation (selector fan, main fan) in such a manner that, during normal operation, the
diaphragm will be near its maximum opening.

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Sturtevant
12

17 18

21
11
24 13
9
19

5
10 15
23
22 7

20
16 14 8
6
4

3
1

1. Fines Chamber 9. Inside Drum Cover 17. Intake Cone

2. Tailings Cone 10. Inside Drum Cover Liner 18. Intake Cone Line
3. Ring Liner 11. Valve & Valve Rod 19. Fan Cone
4. Air Vane 12. Gear Reducer 20. Packing Ring
5. Outside Casing 13. Main Shaft 21. Upper Dist. Plate
6. Outside Casing Liner 14. Distributing Hub 22. Upper Dist. Plate Liner
7. Inside Drum 15. Dist. Hub Liner 23. Selector Blade
8. Inside Drum Liner 16. Lower Dist. Plate 24. Main Fan Blade

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Air separator arrangement for air drying or air cooling

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4.2.3 Raymond Separators

Operation

Material is introduced into the top of the separator and falls on the distribution
plate. The material is slung outward into an air stream, created by the fan, and
lifted to and through the separation blades.

The double whizzers knock down the coarse particles where they are collected
and discharged from the inner cone back to the mill inlet for regrinding.

The finer particles are lifted through the whizzers passing by the selector vanes
and collected and discharged from the outer cone to a transport devise.

The selector vanes determine how much air and material is directed through
the double whizzer blades. If all the material were to be directed through the
whizzer blades there would be too many returns. This means higher production
costs. If too little material is directed through the whizzer blades there is not
proper segregation and the proper amount passing a 325 mesh screen is not
achieved.

The selector vanes can be adjusted and serve the same function as the
adjustment plates in a Sturtevant separator.

Since the system is not of the air through type there is no need for a large dust
collector. The only air generated is from the transportation system (air gravity
conveyor) and thermal displacements.

Water cooling jackets are fixed on the exterior of the outer cone in case the
finished product is excessively hot.

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Raymond Double Whizzer Separator

Material Flow and Air Sweep Through The Air Separator

Fan blade

Control
damper
Detector

Selection Air sweep

zone Whizzer blades

Separation
zone Sweep

Guide vanes

Inner cone

Outer cone

Rejects returning to mill

Finish cement

4.2.4 High Efficiency Separators

Principle of Operation

High efficiency separators (HES) are sometimes called CAGE ROTOR separators.
One of the most obvious differences between and HES and the older Sturtevant
and Raymond separators is that the older machines had internal fans while the
HES has no fan and relies on an external fan to supply air for separation and
transport of material. With in Lafarge in North America there two types of HES

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presently in service. O-SEPA's are built and sold by Fuller under license from
Onoda Cement in Japan. SEPOL's are built and sold by Polysius. Note also that
the major difference between the O-Sepa and the Sepol is that air is down-drafted
in the Sepol where as it is up-drafted in the O-Sepa. Operational installations are
as follows:

O-SEPA: Bath FMA, FMB

Richmond FM1, FM2
Whitehall FM2

SEPOL: Alpena FM19, FM20, FM21

Classification Process

The only moving part within the separator is the cage rotor. The rotor is driven by
a variable speed motor controlled from the control room. Clean air enters the volute
housing and is forced to travel in a circular path by the shape of the housing. The
air encounters the inlet vanes which are arranges in a circle completely around the
cage rotor. The air next enters the classification zone which is the space between
the inlet vanes and the cage rotor vanes. The air now enters the cage rotor through
its vanes. The air then exits through the bottom of the cage rotor in Sepol's; or
through the top of the cage rotor in O-Sepa's; and then out of the separator through
the exit elbow. Unclassified material enters the separator at the top and falls by
gravity to the top of the cage rotor and lands on the distribution table. Since the
table is rotating, centrifugal force propels the material outwards and off the rim of
the distribution table where it impacts a wear ring and begins to fall into the
classification zone.

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O-Sepa Details
Classif ication Zone

Feed

Cage Rotation

Inlet
Plenum Unif orm
Flow Dist'n

Guide Vane Direction

At this time, the material encounters the air entering through the inlet vanes and
begins to fall through the classification zone in a circular path induced by the air
currents. The larger, heavier particles tend to fall through the circular air currents
while the smaller lighter particles tend to flow with the air currents into the cage
rotor and out of the classifier as finished product. Particles which are marginal in
size may enter the cage rotor vanes but may also be rejected if their velocity is not
great enough to pass between adjacent vanes without being struck by a vane. One
way to visualize this operation is to consider that there is specific amount of time
between the passing of one vane and the next vane. If a particle can travel through
the rotor vanes in less time than this passing time, it can penetrate the cage and
flow out of the separator. If the particle is traveling too slowly, it will be struck by a
vane and be rejected.

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Fineness control

Understanding of the previous described classification process leads to an

understanding of the manner in which the fineness is controlled. Two methods are
available for controlling the fineness:

A) By varying the volume of air flowing through the separator, the velocity of
the air entering the cage is also varied. As the volume and velocity is
increased, the PRODUCT becomes coarser. As the volume and velocity
is decreased, the PRODUCT becomes finer.

B) By varying the speed of the cage rotor, the blade passing time is varied.
As the rotor speed is increased, the PRODUCT becomes finer. As the
rotor speed is decreased, the PRODUCT becomes coarser.

Table speed refers also to cage rotor speed. The circulating load for 3300 to 3800
cm2/g is in the order of 100 to 200%.

It is readily seen that product fineness control is much easier with the HES than
with the older types of separators. In addition, there are no selector blades to
change. All fineness control can be done from the control room.

The finer material that leaves the HES in the air stream is considered finished
product. This product is carried in the air stream and on to the dust collection
system. It is here that the dust laden air entering the collector is cleaned and the
finish product is collected and transported via air slides and air lock feeders to the
cement pump which pumps it to the storage silos.

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Rejects from the HES are returned back into the system. If the ball mill circuit is
equipped with a roller press, the rejects are proportionality divided between the
two. Otherwise, all rejects go back to the ball mill to assist in its grinding capability.
These rejects are considered the circulating load of the circuit.

ALPENA HES DESIGN DATA

FM 19 FM 20,21

Separator horsepower 200 500

Cage rotor diameter (m) 2.0 3.1

Fan HP 300 700

Draft rating (ACFM) 59,000 143,000

Rotor speed range (RPM) 47-280 31-190

Design feed rate (TPH) 165 514

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High Efficiency Separator: Fuller O-SEPA

Breakaway View Fuller/O-SEPA Fine Product

(to Dust
Driv e Shaf t Collector)
CW Rotation
(looking down)

Feed Inlet
(1 of 2)

Dispersion Plate
(Buf f er Plates
not shown)

Primary Air

Secondary Air

Rotor Cage Assembly

with Swirl Vanes and
Partition Plates
Guide Vanes

Coarse Discharge (Reject)

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High Efficiency Separator: O-SEPA Cross Section

Motor
Reducer
Reducer Support
Coupling
Driv e Support

Shaf t Assembly

Exit Duct (To Dust

Collector & Fan)
Feed

Air Seal

Buf f er Plate
Dispersion Plate

Guide Vanes

Partition Plate
Swirl Blade

Secondary
Air Intake
Primary
Air Intake
Tertiary Air
Intake &
Damper

Hopper

Flap Gate

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High Efficiency Separator: Polysius SEPOL

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High Efficiency Separator: SEPOL Cross Section

Motor Gear unit

Coupling

Motor
support Gear distance
piece

Feed hopper
Distributing
plate Baffle ring

Air guide
plate

Rotor Guide
vane ring

Upper section
of housing

Lower section of
housing Tailings cone

Flap valve

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4.3 Separator Efficiency

Some suppliers and engineers have used concepts of separator efficiency as

related to % of #325 in the feed which is selected. This single figure is an
oversimplification.

4.3.1 Tromp Curve

In Lafarge, we use a Tromp curve (also called partition or Selectivity or Fractional

Recovery Curve) to evaluate the performance of a separator. This is simply a plot
of the probability of rejection of a particle versus its size.

A) Perfect Separator

For example for a perfect #325 (45 m) screen the Tromp or Selectivity or Partition
Curve would look as follows;
100%

80% Perfect Screen

Probability of Rejection
(report back to mill)

60%

40%

20%

1 um 10 um 45 um 100 um

Particle Size (um)

Unfortunately this separator exists only in a process engineer's dreams.

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B) Bypass

Now let's assume the screener is lazy and installs a splitter that automatically
"bypasses" 20% of the feed. Instead of screening it he simply throws it in the reject
chute. Now the partition curve will look like this;
100%

80%
Probability of Rejection

Perfect Screen with

(report back to mill)

Bypass
60%

40%

20%

"Bypass"

1 um 10 um 45 um 100 um

Particle Size (um)

The bypass corresponds to the minimum probability of rejection. In a real separator

it means that a certain percentage of the feed which is of correct size to be selected
is rejected without a good chance to be selected. Generally it is felt that these
smaller particles get caught in the boundary layer or wake of larger ones and
carried directly to the rejects.

Reducing bypass by design (high-efficiency separators) involves increased

retention times, distributing the feed around a large classification zone and low
material to air concentrations in the classification zone to break up the particle cloud
and allow selection of the small sizes.

Reducing bypass in the Sturtevants involves more air through the classification
zone or spreading out the "cloud" so air can get at these small particles and select
them.

C) Imperfection

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On top of this, we discover that the screen is worn in some areas and has build-up
on others. So some coarser particles can get through and sometimes particles
finer than 45 m are rejected. Now the partition looks like this;

100%

80% Imperfect Screen with

Probability of Rejection

Bypass
(report back to mill)

60%

40% "Imperfection"
d75-d25/2*d50
20%

1 um 10 um 45 um 100 um

Particle Size (um)

In a real separator the imperfection is likely a result of somewhat uneven flow

velocities in the classification zone and also non-uniform feed distribution in that
airstream. This means that at some locations due to different velocities a particle
may be rejected at one part of the separator and selected at another.

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D) Secondary Bypass

Finally this crazy guy throws some of the finest of the selected fines back into the
rejects .

The combination of the three "inefficiencies";

bypass of a portion of the feed stream straight to rejects,

imperfection of the cut, and

return of a portion of the fines back into the rejects,

creates the classic separator efficiency curve shown below.

100%

"Real" Separator
80%
Probability of Rejection

Bypass, Imperfection
(report back to mill)

and Bypass in Outer Cone

60%

40% "Fish hook"

20%

Partition Curv e in the outer cone

1 um 10 um 45 um 100 um

Particle Size (um)

In a real separator the outer fines collection cone, or external cyclones in a second
generation machine, are simply separators where the 'fines' or smallest particles
are 'selected'. This selected product is be re-introduced into the inner cone where
much is trapped by the curtain of rejects and carried back to the mill.

Therefore the Tromp curve of the outer cone works in reverse where the rejects
are actually going to finish product and the fines are rejected back to the mill.

The three inefficiencies create the classic fishhook curve so often seen.

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E) Example Tromp Curves

For Sturtevant separators typically have high bypasses (30 to 60 %). Higher
feedrates or circulating loads tend to raise the bypass.

Example Tromp Curve (Sturtevant)

100 7

99.38 6

93.32 5
Probability, P(x)

69.15 4
50.00
30.85 3 By pass = 56%

6.68 2
Acuity Limit = 25 um
0.62 1
1 10 100 1000

On the other hand High

Particle Size, um, (x)

Efficiency separators will significantly lower bypass and the imperfection or cut is
slightly better.

Example Tromp Curve (OSEPA)

100 7

99.38 6

93.32 5
Probability, P(x)

69.15 4
50.00
30.85 3

6.68 2
By pass = 8%
Acuity Limit = 11 um
0.62 1
1 10 100 1000

Particle Size, um, (x)

Depending on the Qf /
Qa ratio used, bypass on H.E.S.'s vary between 6 and 15 %.

Typical Imperfection values are as follows (guidelines only):

High Efficiency 0.40
Raymond 0.45 - 0.60

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Sturtevant 0.60 - 0.70

4.3.2 Rosin- Rammler Number

Within Lafarge, one will encounter the Rosin Rammler number. This term relates
to the use of the Rosin-Rammler-Bennett curve. The Rosin-Rammler curve is
simply a mathematical formula which can be made to approximate most powder
size distributions.

Where as the Tromp curve requires a lot of laborious calculations in order for one
to to evaluate the grinding and separation efficiencies, the R.R. calculation
produces one value which reflects the efficiency of the whole circuit. In this case
one inputs the values for the particle size distribution into the equation. The steeper
the size distribution; the higher the R.R. number; the more efficient the grinding
circuit is.

For finish cement here are some typical ranges:

0.75 - 0.85 open circuit grinding or very bad separator performance 0.85 -
1.00 bad to mediocre performance for first generation
separators (Raymond, Sturtevant) 1.00 - 1.20 good performance for first or
second generation separators (Humbolt-Wedag) 1.10 - 1.40
high efficiency separators

The figures given above are for cement, raw mix R.R. Nos. are usually lower.

4.4 Mill Circulating Loads

4.4.1 Definition

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A mill's circulating load is the amount material rejected by the separator (material
that is too coarse) and is returned back to the mill for regrinding. This flow
represents the tonnage rate of material that is "circulating" around inside the circuit.
Mathematically, it is the amount of separator rejects expressed as a percentage of
the mill's finished production rate.

For example, if the production rate is 90 tph and the rejects rate is 170 tph, then
the circulating load is 188.9%. Note that the mill throughput is the sum of fresh
feed rate and the rejects flowrate. In our example, it would be 260 tph.

4.4.2 Circulating Load and Production Rates

Production is maximized at a certain circulating load which is a function of:

product fineness
components in product
mill dimensions
ball charge
linings types
internal designs
separator type and size
separator tuning (airsweeps)
mill ventilation
auxiliary constraints (elevators, dust collection

This best circulating load is unique to each circuit and can only be found by
experimentation.

A) Circulating Load Below Optimum

In this condition the mass flow rate to the mill is too low. Therefore the mean
residence time is too long and the material is ground too fine in the mill. The

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overgrinding means a lot of super fines are giving a high separator feed blaine so
the separator is opened up, allowing coarser particles to product and the overall
particle size distribution is not as sharp as it should be. Therefore the average
particle size is smaller than desired, if #325 is maintained. Therefore production is
reduced as the average work being done is higher.

In this condition underfilling of the first, and even the second compartment, is likely
so ball wear will be exaggerated. If really low circulating loads are run then the
material filling ratio may fall below 0.6 and material breakage rates will decrease.

However, back-spilling is not much of a risk and many mills run in this condition.

B) Circulating Load Above Optimum

Here all situations are reversed. In this condition the mass flow rate to the mill is
high. Therefore the mean residence time is short and the material is not
overground. Therefore, the ball charge is more efficient since the particle sizes are
well sized related to the balls.

The separator feed is coarse so the separator is tightened up. However, the feed
rate to the separator is now high. Therefore, the bypass increases and a
percentage of the finished product is bypassed back to the mill.

In this condition overfilling of the second, and even the first compartment, is likely
so breakage rates will be reduced. Eventually either the mill power drops, reducing
production dramatically, or the internal transport mechanisms are overwhelmed
and the mill back- spills.

However, if you are on manual control and your miller believes that elevator amps
equals production the mill probably runs too high a circulating load.

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C) High Optimum C.L.

The following will require/allow a higher optimum circ. load;

short L/D
coarser ball charge
2nd compartment lining with moderate lifting action
higher separator sweep

D) Low Optimum C.L.

The following will require/allow a lower optimum circ. load;

long L/D mill
finer ball charge
classifying liners
high efficiency separator
high mill ventilation

4.4.3 L/D Ratio and Circulating Load

The L/D Ratio, or length divided by the diameter, is a fundamental characteristic of

the mill. It is used to describe the relative length or shortness of the mill or the
individual compartment. The appropriate L/D is selected by the supplier to achieve
a certain type of grinding. For example, open circuit mills, (or mills grinding a harder
than average clinker), will tend to be very long to ensure size reduction in one pass.
Where as closed circuit raw mills will tend to be short, since we generally do not
need to produce ultra fines. However it is important to realize that the L/D will
influence to a certain extent the optimization range. For example, a high L/D ratio
mill will prefer to grind with a low circulating load and attempts to grind with too
much circulating load will result in a loss of production. Fig. 1 is a plot of various
mills' nominal L/D vs circulating load. As a rule of thumb we can see that raw mills
generally have a low L/D, (1.4 - 2.9) and operate with higher circulating loads than
do finish mills which have a higher L/D, (2.8 - 3.8).

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Fig.1: Nominal L/D vs Circulating Loads

600
Combined
Raw
500
(From Feb/90 Databank Inf o)
Circulating Load, %

400

300

200

100

0
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
L/D Ratio

Recognize that there are many other factors that influence circulating loads such
as grindability, ball charge design, blaine/mesh targets, separator designs and
whether or not the circuit has been optimized. Due to the variability of these factors,
from mill to mill, will results in a wide scatter of data shown above. CAUTION: the
plot line represents the average for data gathered and does not represent optimum.

4.4.4 Circulating Load Calculations

Earlier we defined circulating load as the flow of rejects divided by the flow of finish
product (or mill fresh feed). However there are a number of ways to calculate
circulating load.

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Circulating load can be determined by:

Mass flow (best method if you have an accurate rejects flow meter)
Direct weight measurement.

Sieve Analysis (will give a very rough answer)

325 (45 m) mesh. [Using blaines are reported to give better
approximations. However some care must be taken regarding correction
factors used].

Particles Size Distribution (long to get results, more accurate than just a
sieve)
Several sieve sizes
Sedigraphs/Lasers
Discrete samples
Feed rates

(See also section in Circuit Evaluation for how to sample)

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Mass flow determination:

A

Where: A = Separator Feed

R = Separator Rejects
Separator
F = Separator Fines

R
Circulating Load (C.L.) = x 100
F R
F

Sieve analysis determination:

The following equations can be written about the separator:

A = R+F
Aa(x) = Rr(x) + Ff(x) where: a(x) = mass % of dimension x in feed
r(x) = mass % of dimension x in rejects
f(x) = mass % of dimension x in fines

Substituting (R + F) for A gives:

(R + F) a(x) = Rr(x) + Ff(x)

R [a(x) - r(x)] = F [f(x) - a(X)]

and circulating load is defined as follows:

R * 100
C.L. = F

combining these two equations gives:

f(x) - a(x) fines - feed

Circulating load = * 100 = feed - rejects * 100
a(x) - r(x) or

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Factors affecting circulating load:

Mill dimensions

Ball charge gradation

Size of the feed material

Amount of feed material (fresh and tailings)

Mill ventilation

Type of partition(s)

Linings

Grinding aid

Water spray

Separator efficiency

Mill bypass

Product fineness

Auxiliary constraints

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4.5 Qf / Qa Principle

The fact that the separator runs in a circuit means that the parameters of the feed
may change. Primarily these are; feedrate and feed fineness, of a secondary
nature is the particle size distribution shape and the mix in a multi-component
product.

Also there are other parameters which affect the separator performance. Sizing,
speed, main fan blade number and position, air ventilation, the number of selectors
and the diaphragm position all affect efficiency, as well as typical maintenance
issues like; the gap between the selectors and the drum cover and how far the
blades extend under the drum.

In reviewing separator performance one over-riding relationship, feed

concentration, affects efficiency.

Qf/Qa

This ratio neatly ties up the combined effect of; circulating load, system output,
separator and fan speed as well as blade position and number and also separator
sweep on a high efficiency separator. The Qf/Qa ratio is simply;

Qf/Qa = kg feed to separator

m3 of air sweep through the classification zone

All air separators are predominantly affected by this ratio.

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4.5.1 Bypass and Qf/Qa

The bypass is usually related to Qf/Qa in an exponential way. This is shown below
for both an O-Sepa and a Sturtevant.

Qf/Qa vs Bypass - O-Sepa & Sturtevan t

80

70 Sturtev ant Bath

Sturtev ant
60

50
Bypass (%)

40

30
O-Sepa
20

10

0
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
Qf/Qa (kg feed/m3 separator sweep)

What the above graph shows is that as separator feed is increased bypass also
increases provided the amount of separator internal airsweep remains the same.
Increasing sweep through the separator with more fan, more speed, more blades
or a larger diameter fan should all reduce the bypass. Therefore reducing sweep
through closing the diaphragm will reduce efficiency or increase bypass.

In general high efficiency separator operators have the luxury of being able to
adjust separator draft as separator feed changes and adjust cage rotor speeds to
control blaines and 325 mesh. Sturtevant separator operators do not have this on
line ability except for the diaphragm, (valves). They must instead make
adjustments to fan and selector blades, during shutdown intervals.

For Sturtevant separators, the general rule of thumb for best separator
performance is to find the combination of selector and fan blades that maximizes
the number of each type. One or the other will be the limiting factor depending on
the cement type being ground. For example, on most Type 1 cements one should
be using the full complement of fan blades and adjust the number of selector blades
accordingly. However on very high blaine products (7700 cm 2/g) it could be the

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exact opposite. More importantly, if the separator is operated with the valves or
diaphragm nearly always closed, one should be adding more selector blades to
control fineness. This will increase internal airflow and reduce bypass.

For high efficiency separator operators the idea is similar. One should maximize
the fan flow and adjust the cage rotor speed accordingly to maintain fineness.

In both cases the general rule is to strive for the largest amount of internal airflow
or the lowest Qf/Qa ratio that still meets product quality constraints. At these
settings the separator will likely operate at its best efficiency.

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