Flow Field Test and Analysis of KYF Flotation Cell by PIV

KYF flotation cell is one of the most widely used flotation cells in ore dressing in China. To optimize its structure parameters further, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) test system is set up to investigate the flow field in KYF flotation cell. The test is carried out under water condition, taking fluorescence sphere (51.7μm in diameter) as tracer particles of flow field, and three regions of flow field in KYF-0.2 flotation cell are determined as following: half of the whole tank, the region between the impeller and tank bottom, and the region in space between stator blades. Velocity vector diagrams of flow field in three regions are plotted. The results show that there are the upper and the lower flow circulations in flotation cell with dead area at the corner of tank bottom, and the smooth and steady flow in space between stator blades. All studies above strongly support the optimum design for large scale KYF flotation cell.