1.Large fluctuations in feeding pressure

In the production process, the feeding pressure will affect the processing capacity and classification size of the hydrocyclone. Usually, the ore feeding pressure of the hydrocyclone should be kept stable as required, and no large fluctuations should occur, otherwise it will damage the performance of the equipment and affect its grading effect. The large fluctuation of ore feeding pressure is usually caused by insufficient ore feeding of the pump caused by the drop of the liquid level in the pump tank or air traction, or the blockage of debris entering the pump. If the hydrocyclone has been running for a long time, the pressure drop in the ore feed is mainly caused by the wear of the pump.

Solution:

1). If the ore feeding pressure fluctuates due to the drop of the liquid level in the pump tank, it can be adjusted by increasing the liquid level, or closing one or two cyclones, or reducing the pump speed;

2).If the feeding pressure fluctuates due to pump blockage or wear, the pump needs to be overhauled.

2.The hydrocyclone is blocked

To judge whether the hydrocyclone is blocked or not, it is mainly judged by observing whether the overflow of the hydrocyclone in operation and the discharge of the underflow are unobstructed. When there are more coarse particles in the overflow, the flow of the overflow and the underflow is reduced or the underflow is cut off, and the sand is discharged in a columnar shape, it indicates that the hydrocyclone has been blocked. In addition, if the hydrocyclone vibrates violently for a long time, it also indicates that the hydrocyclone is blocked.

Solution:

1). If the overflow and underflow flow are both reduced, the feed port of the hydrocyclone may be blocked. At this time, the feed valve blocking the hydrocyclone should be closed, removed, and the blockage should be removed;

2). If the underflow flow decreases or stops, the underflow port is blocked. At this time, the flange can be removed to remove the debris in the underflow port.

3). In order to prevent blockage, facilities (such as a dust removal screen) can be set up in the feed pool of the hydrocyclone group to prevent coarse materials and debris. At the same time, the feed pool should be emptied in time when parking to avoid Blockage caused by precipitation and high concentration.

3.Abnormal underflow concentration and discharge

During the operation, the operator of the hydrocyclone needs to observe the discharge state of the underflow of the hydrocyclone frequently, and regularly check the concentration and fineness of the underflow. Under normal working conditions, the underflow discharge of the hydrocyclone should be in an “umbrella shape”. If the concentration of the underflow is too large, the underflow will be discharged in a “columnar” or intermittent “block” shape.

Solution:

1). The large underflow concentration may be caused by the high concentration of the feed slurry or the underflow opening being too small. You can add an appropriate amount of water at the feed first. If the underflow concentration is still high, you need to replace the larger underflow opening.

2). If the underflow is discharged in an “umbrella shape”, but the concentration of the underflow is lower than the concentration required for production, it may be caused by the low concentration of the feed, and the concentration of the feed should be increased at this time.

3). The “underflow clip” may be caused by the wear of the underflow port, the underflow diameter is too large, the overflow pipe diameter is too small, and the pressure is too high or too low. It is necessary to adjust the pressure first, and then check whether the underflow port is worn or replaced. A smaller size underflow port is gradually debugged to the normal production state.

4.Abnormal overflow concentration and fineness

During operation, the hydrocyclone operator also needs to regularly check the overflow concentration and fineness of the hydrocyclone. Increased overflow concentration or “overflow coarsening” is usually caused by increased feed concentration and underflow orifice blockage.

Solution:

1). If it is found that “overflow runs rough”, you can first check whether the underflow port is blocked, then check the ore feeding concentration, and then adjust it according to the specific situation. If the underflow port is blocked, open the underflow port to clear the blockage.

2). If the overflow concentration is small and the fineness is fine, the pressure can be reduced or the feeding concentration can be adjusted, or the small grit chamber can be replaced to meet the requirements. If the overflow concentration is large and the fineness is coarse, the requirements can be met by increasing the pressure and adjusting the feeding concentration, or by replacing the large grit chamber.

5.The grit chamber is in the form of a spray or a rope

Under normal circumstances, the sand settling of the hydrocyclone is discharged in an umbrella shape, the angle of the sand settling is between 10°-20°, and the concentration reaches about 75%, which is the ideal working state of the hydrocyclone. If the grit chamber is in the form of a spray, the dispersal angle of the grit chamber is too large, indicating that the size of the grit chamber is too large. If the grit chamber is rope-shaped, it may be because the feed concentration is too high, the size of the grit chamber is too small, the grit chamber is partially blocked, or the slurry density is too low.

Solution:

1). When the grit chamber is in the form of a spray, it can be adjusted by replacing the small grit chamber.

2). When the grit chamber is in the shape of a rope, the size of the grit chamber can be appropriately increased, and the cyclone can be stopped to clear the blockage.

The above are the common failure causes and countermeasures of hydrocyclones. For stable and efficient operation of the equipment, in addition to selecting the type of equipment that meets the beneficiation process, daily maintenance and maintenance are also particularly important.