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Aleksandra A. Volchikhina
Aleksandra A. Volchikhina
Postgraduate Student
Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University
Postgraduate Student
Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University
Saint Petersburg
Russia

Co-authors

Articles

Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
  • Date submitted
    2023-12-15
  • Date accepted
    2024-06-13
  • Online publication date
    2024-11-18
  • Date published
    2024-11-18

Development of equipment and improvement of technology for inertial thickening of backfill hydraulic mixtures at the final stages of transportation

Article preview

The results of the study of the functioning of the developed thickening equipment as part of the stowing complex for the formation of a flow of high-concentration hydromixture are presented. To explain the operation of the hydrotransport system of the stowing complex, equipped with a thickener of the developed design, its basic diagram is presented. A mathematical model has been created that describes the mechanism of inertial sedimentation of a solid component of a hydraulic mixture in a working chamber equipped with hydrodynamic profiles. Interaction with the profile leads to flow stratification due to a change in the trajectory of movement and a decrease in speed. The interval of rational velocity of primary pulp entering the input of the working chamber of the inertial thickener is substantiated. The synthesis of solutions of the thickening process model is performed in the COMSOL Multiphysics and Ansys Fluent programs. This made it possible to eliminate physical contradictions in the operation of the equipment and justify the overall dimensions of its main elements, ensuring the implementation of the mechanism of inertial sedimentation of the slurry. It was found that the concentration of the thickened flow at the outlet branch pipe of the thickener working chamber is determined by the level of the primary hydraulic fluid velocity, the characteristic length of the section of interaction with the deflecting profile, and the ratio of the flow and attack angles. A nomogram of the dynamics of the change in the hydraulic fluid concentration in the section of the outlet branch pipe depending on the ratios of the overall dimensions of the deflecting profile of the working chamber was compiled. The results of the study allowed formulating recommendations for selecting the dimensions of the thickener's deflecting hydrodynamic profile to form a flow of hydraulic mixture with a concentration of about 50 % by weight. The developed equipment can be used in a stowage complex and will increase the range of supply of the stowage mixture. This is due to the fact that a flow of primary slurry with a low concentration, due to lower pressure losses, can be moved in a pipeline system over a greater distance than a flow with a high filler content. The use of a thickener at the final stage of transportation is intended to increase the concentration of the hydraulic mixture immediately before production.

How to cite: Volchikhina A.A., Vasilyeva M.A. Development of equipment and improvement of technology for inertial thickening of backfill hydraulic mixtures at the final stages of transportation // Journal of Mining Institute. 2024. p. EDN MDHQZT