Ludowici Reflux Classifier

www.ludowici.com.au

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Reflux Classifier
Ludowici offers the latest technology in Fine Particle Beneficiation known
as the Reflux Classifier (or RC). Ludowici undertook the development of
Reflux Classifier in collaboration with the University Newcastle. Ludowici
is TUNRAs worldwide licensee for this patented technology.
The operation of the RC relies on settling of particles in an upward
flowing stream of water. The upward water flow is created at a distributor
plate in the bottom of the RC. The upward water flow can be further
supplemented with additional water in the feed section. The RC has a
set of lamella plates above the feed entry section. These lamella plates
increase the rate of settling of the particles and then cause a zone of
increased slurry density immediately below the lamella plates.
This higher density zone enables the RC to sort particles on a density
basis rather than particle size.
The lighter particles float to the top, along with the majority of water
and slimes. The denser particles sink through the zones of higher slurry
density, and accumulate on the distributor plate, which is an inverted
pyramid shape that allows the denser particles to migrate toward a
central discharge port. The rate of dense particle discharge is controlled
by two automated pinch valves.
The Reflux Classifier has been proven in the RC600 over a wide range
of feed types and conditions, and at feed rates between 11 and 32
tph of feed solids. Currently we have several full scale RC1800s in full
operation to demonstrate that the RC technology is more efficient and
compact than the competing fine coal cleaning equipment. This unit is
conservatively rated at 150 tph of -2.0 +0.25 mm fine coal feed solids.
The RC is notable for its high throughput, which is potentially around 4 to
5 times the throughput per surface area of the TBS - although we have
only doubled the TBS rating at the capacity of 165 tph, thus giving a
conservative approach. This conservative capacity has been adopted due
to the increases in efficiency that results from a lower feed rate. The RC
also runs more consistently when operating at relatively low RD cutpoints
and has demonstrated less shift in RD cutpoint versus particle size than a
TBS, which means overall yields at any given target ash will be improved.

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The materials of construction used in the RC1800 are wear resistant

3CR12 stainless steel for all wetted surfaces, and painted mild steel for
the support brackets and flanges. The automated reject control valves
are a dart valve and seat, and a knife gate dump valve. The reject valves
are sequentially controlled via a DP Cell, which automates the amount
of reject being discharged. In high yield processing only the dart valve
is used for proportional control, and in low yield processing the second
valve is fully opened and the fine tuning of the yield is determined by
the first proportional valve. This reject control is automatic and has a
seamless changeover between one and two reject valves operating.
This allows a selected pulp density (and hence RD50 cutpoint) to be
maintained in the reject chamber of the RC over a wide range of feed
conditions.
The feed and products for the RC will typically require desliming to gain
the full potential of the unit. The feed should be deslimed in a Classifying
cyclone or Sieve Bend, although the RC1800 is more tolerant of slimes
than conventional concentration equipment. The product from the
RC1800 will contain any slimes in the feed, hence will require desliming
via a Sieve Bend or cyclone prior to dewatering in a Fine Coal Centrifuge
or High Frequency Screen.

1.00

-2.0+1.4 mm
-1.4+1.0 mm
-1.0+0.70 mm
-0.70+0.50 mm
-0.50+0.25 mm

Partition Number

0.75

0.50

0.25

0.00
1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.6

1.7

1.8

1.9

2.0

2.1

2.2

Relative Density

Figure 5
Partition curves obtained for Run G1 for the narrow size fractions, -2.0+1.4, -1.4+1.0, -1.0+0.70, -

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