Circulation rate modelling of tumbling mill charge using positron emission particle tracking (PEPT)

• Main Author: Von Kallon, Daramy Vandi
• Other Authors: Govender, Indresan
• Format: Doctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2014
• Subjects: Chemical Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/5384

Includes abstract. === Includes bibliographical references. === This research is focused on developing theoretical understandings of charge circulation trends as observed in tumbling mills at different operating conditions. Of particular interest is the underlying assumptions being made by many mill models that a particle imparts energy for potential breakage only once per revolution of the mill to the charge body – that is, that the circulation rate of mill charge can be assumed to be constant irrespective of the speed at which the mill is run. The trajectory data used in this thesis is derived from positron emission particle tracking (PEPT) experiments conducted at the University of Birmingham positron imaging centre and further experiments were conducted at the iThemba LABS in Cape Town. The experimental approach is highly suited to allow the effective examination of the assumption that the grinding charge in these mills circulates at a constant rate of unity.