Subventions et des contributions :

Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier (2017-2018 à 2018-2019).

Mixing of highly concentrated slurries is a critical operation in mining industry. The hindered settling velocityx000D
must be considered when a solid-liquid mixer is designed for these suspensions. However, due to the inherentx000D
complexity of these systems, there is no specific data that provides the actual settling rate of these solidx000D
particles in a hindered settling environment.x000D
Currently, Hayward Gordon designs mixing systems for mining slurries by using the settling velocity of ax000D
single particle instead of the hindered settling velocity. This inaccurate approach can lead to oversizedx000D
dimensioning of the vessel, inappropriate selection of impeller type, size and rotational speed, low energyx000D
efficiency and operation difficulties. Therefore, Hayward Gordon is interested in obtaining better insights intox000D
the particle settling process in a hindered environment to refine and optimize their mixing design andx000D
manufacturing. Thus, the main objective of the proposed research project is to obtain the hindered settlingx000D
velocity in highly concentrated mining slurries as a function of the solid concentration, solid density andx000D
particle size through the coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM).x000D
The selection of the correct models is crucial in CFD-DEM coupling.x000D
This work is of great importance to the mining industry of Canada. The research results will lead to the designx000D
of efficient mixing systems for the suspension of highly concentrated slurries. The Canadian mining industryx000D
and mining equipment manufacturers can implement the CFD-DEM approach to assess many scenarios on ax000D
computer without the additional costs of constructing and testing prototype models. This leads to an improvedx000D
equipment design, a more reliable process monitoring, a more efficient use of power, a decreased maintenancex000D
and operational cost and finally an increased capital cost saving. Thus, the proposed research will contribute tox000D
the increased economic activity of the Canadian mining industry, and will impact our society, quality of lifex000D
and environment.x000D