Real-Time Particle Size Tracking in

Individual Hydrocyclones: New Field

Results
Robert Maron, Dylan Cirulis, Americo Zuzunaga, Alejandro
Jaque CiDRA
Francisco Melo, Leonardo Duarte Minera Centinela

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 CiDRA background
USA company

Developed SONARtrac non-invasive

acoustic flow meter technology
Proven Standard for challenging
slurry flows
>4,000 installations

Acoustic core competancy used to develop CYCLONEtrac

real-time particle size detection and tracking for
hydrocyclones
Current Challenges
Falling head grades mean operations must maximize throughput
while maintaining mineral recovery

A reliance on fewer milling circuits has resulted in an increase

sensitivity to ore type changes and feed rates. Detecting these
changes sooner will minimize performance impact (Jones and Pena,
1999)

Better asset utilization. Get more out of existing assets. Maintaining

or lowering grind size while holding or increasing throughput

Grind size is CRITICAL, strongly impacts throughput, recovery,

efficiency

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 CYCLONEtracSM
Optimization System for Grinding & Classification
OSM 2 versions PST
OverSize Monitoring Particle Size Tracking

For primary grinding For primary grinding

Detects particles > 6mm Real-time size tracking (P80, % +150um)
Non-invasive sensor Wetted sensor
Installations: Installations:
Kennecott (USA) Kennecott (USA)
Centinela (CH) Major Chilean mine in process

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 CYCLONEtrac OSM
Experience in Minera Centinela Field Data
OSM
OverSize Monitoring

For primary grinding

Detects particles > 6mm
Non-invasive sensor
Installations:
Kennecott (USA)
Centinela (CH)

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 CYCLONEtrac OSM
Experience in Minera Centinela
Cu Concentrator
97 tpd, expanding to 105 ktpd
1 SAG, 2 BM,
4 batteries, 12 cyclones each
Krebs Gmax 33-inch

Battery #3 - Trial Commercial Trial, 3 months, 1 battery

Start June 23, 2014
End Sept 23, 2014
Acceptance October 2014

Commercial Install, 3 batteries

Install June 2015
Excellent on-site prep work by CEN
~1.5 days sensor install & hook-up
Remote monitoring from USA
Installation Team: CiDRA-CEN

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 CYCLONEtrac OSM, CEN
Anatomy of a severe roping event before OSM

= 9 min = 37 min

= 28 min

No OSM = no early detection!

37 + 28 = 65 total minutes roping time
Resulted in rougher flotation feed tank overflow
Stopped 1 of 2 rougher lines for 6 hours
1/8th daily production lost = ~US$ 400k

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 CYCLONEtrac OSM, CEN
Anatomy of a severe roping event before OSM
Bat feed
density

Battery feed density

pressure

Battery pressure unsteady

Battery

Event start
Bat feed
flow

25 min

Power = BM load
Power
BM

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 CYCLONEtrac OSM, CEN
Operators acceptance during Trial (Sept 02, 2014)

open
Alarm threshold
closed Valve open/close status

OSM signal

Month 1: operator familiarization, require visual confirmation of roping before closing cyclone.
Operator response time >> 10 min

Month 2: operators gaining trust, roping still confirmed by field man.

Operator response time ~ 6 min

Month 3: operators completely trust system, depend on it even in emergencies.

Operator response time avg 1min 40 sec! 9
 CYCLONEtrac OSM, CEN
Anatomy of a severe roping event with OSM (Sept 12, 2014)

= 3 min = 3 min
= 37 min
= 9 min = 1 min
= 1 min

= 2 min
= 1 min = 1 min

= 1 min

8 minutes
7 different cyclones rope within only 8 minutes, detected and controlled with OSM

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 CYCLONEtrac OSM, CEN
Anatomy of a severe roping event before OSM

= 9 min = 37 min

= 28 min

No OSM = no early roping detection!

37 + 28 = 65 total minutes combined roping time
Resulted in rougher flotation feed tank overflow
Stopped 1 of 2 rougher lines for 6 hours
1/8th daily production lost = ~US$ 400k

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 CYCLONEtrac PST
New Field Data from USA
PST
Particle Size Tracking

For primary grinding

Real-time size tracking (P80, % +150um)
Wetted sensor
Installations:
Kennecott (USA)
Major Chilean mine in process

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PST - How does it work?
Probe inserted through wall of overflow pipe to
contact slurry stream
Particles strike probe, generate high-frequency
acoustic waves
Electronics captures acoustic signals and
produces frequency spectrum

Particle size information can be determined

from frequency spectrum
Spectrum changes calibrated to changes in key
particle size characteristic, e.g.
P80 (requires 2 mesh-size wet-sieving)
% + TBD mesh size (1 or 2 mesh sizes, 100um
min)
CYCLONEtrac PST Commissioning

Initially installed on one cluster

Individual cyclone overflow
sampling for validation
CiDRA-optimized wet sieve /calibration campaign
procedure...
5 min/sample

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 CYCLONEtrac PST
Ex: Effect of single poorly performing cyclone
SABC circuit

(2 bat x 14 cy/bat)

(2)
(1)
(1)

Assumptions:
Steady-state (constant circulating load): SAG throughput = Flotation Feed

All normal-state cyclones have equal overflows

Equal sump split to both BM 15

 CYCLONEtrac PST - Effect of single poorly performing cyclone
Effect on particle size
PST particle size (% + 150um)

Cyclone #10 particle

size increases...

...while average
particle size
decreases because...
OF
UF
circ load
feed density
BM power (kW)

Cyclone classification
(could trick Virtual
Particle Size Sensor!)
BM unloads (P increases)
More process instability!
Effect on BM

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 CYCLONEtrac PST - Effect of single poorly performing cyclone
Effect on particle size
PST particle size (% + 150um)

CY#10 OF mass flow

Produces...

Cyclone feed mass flow

Cyclone feed mass flow (t/h)

Equivalent mass loss during

event due to
CY #10 OF mass flow
increase..

~+1,000 t/h
Effect on cyclone feed mass flow Above steady state rate!
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CYCLONEtrac PST- New Field Data from USA
Overall Optimization Benefits

PST
Particle Size Tracking

For primary grinding

Real-time size tracking (P80, % +150um)

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 Controlling Grind Size is Critical

As throughput increases,
particle size increases

As particle size increases,

recovery decreases
(liberation, coarse particle Average Size by Size Recovery
flotation) 100
90
80
70
Recovery (%)

60
50

Therefore particle size is a 40

30
Mo
Cu
20
key parameter for both 10
0
throughput and recovery 0 50 100 150 200 250
Particle Size (microns)

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Sustainable Grind Circuit Control
Requires Particle Size Measurement
Real time
Provide 100% availability
Full stream analysis
Low Maintenance
Reliable and repeatable

Enables Throughput vs Particle Size Trade Offs

Improved efficiency & stability

with control enabled

Maximize recovery (by

lowering particle size) for a
given throughput range

Maximize throughput for a

given particle size range

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Grind Circuit Control Strategies
Particle size based on a
sampled flotation stream
Estimated grind sized based on processed through the lab
the incoming ore, historical - turnaround time not
performance, and plant adequate for real time
conditions control
OR
Consolidated cyclone
overflow sampled and
processed through a PSA
or PSM with poor
Control Strategies that rely on availability
indirect measurement, i.e.:
OR
Hydrocyclone model
Quick wet sieve grab
Virtual sensors samples not suitable for
Cyclone
real-time control

Stock Pile Ball Mill

SAG Mill

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 Control Development with PST
identify parameters highly correlated with particle size

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Grind control using CYCLONEtrac PST - implementation
Agua

Control del
Control del Control de
Molino % +150um
% Slidos la Presin
SAG
PST
Control del
Molino
Bolas P

Cicln
%Slidos

Pila de Acopio Molino Bolas

Molino SAG

P+I P+I
% +150um + Control + Control
Set Point del Agua
del % de
- %+150 - Slidos

PST
 Plant wide control adoption
4 months to full-plant >80% availbility
Utilization

Time
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 Testing multiple constraint control
can drive process to particle size set point range
PST

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Results
Final plant control strategy is NOT to hold a constant particle size
product from the cyclones but to keep within an acceptable
range (20 to 35 percent above 150 micron).

Therefore analysing the control impact is more complex than

identifying a specific particle size distribution or variance.

By looking at the relationship between throughput and particle

size, the performance by control mode of each milling circuit can
be examined.

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Results BM1: Particle Size vs Throughput

R2 = 0.39

R2 = 0.44

10% throughput increase at same particle size

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Results BM4: Particle Size vs Throughput
4.5% +150um size reduction at same throughput

R2 = 0.45
R2 = 0.15

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Results
BM1: Particle Size vs Specific Energy

R2 = 0.15

R2 = 0.45

0.95 kwh/t specific energy reduction

at same particle size

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PST Conclusions
implemented a new control strategy in the ball mill circuit using
new PST particle size measurement technology.

Plant data has shown the following performance improvements.

Up to a
10% higher throughput at the same particle size

4.5% lower %+150 micron particle size at same throughput

0.95 kwh/t reduction in specific energy consumption at the

same particle size

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Thank You

Chile Representative

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