MECHANICAL OPERATIONS

(CHE1022)
Dr.A.Babu Ponnusami
Associate Professor
Scheme

Module 4(Lecture-3, 4)
 Particle Dynamics

Study of particle dynamics is important in many mechanical

operations
 Sedimentation

 Classification

 Elutriation

 Filtration

Assumptions
(i) The particle is spherical
(ii) The particle is non porous, incompressible and chemically
inert with fluid.
(iii) Density , viscosity of the fluid are constant
 Particle Dynamics Contd…

(iv)Particles is falling freely (under gravity)

(v) There is no wall effect, particle is far away from wall
(vi)Particle is larger in size than the mean free path of fluid
molecules, so slip between particle and fluid molecules can be
neglected.
Forces acting of the particle:
1. External force- force of gravity acting downward
2. As the particle moves down it displaces equal volume of
liquid. The displaced liquid move up, exerting up ward force
on particle- Buoyancy force
3. Frictional resistance, drag force oppose the motion of solid
 Free and Hindered settling
 Free Settling:
 When the particle is at sufficient distance from the boundaries
of the container and from other particles, so that its fall is not
affected by them , the process is called free settling.
 Hindered Settling:
 If the motion of the particle is impeded by other particles,
which will happen when the particles are near each other even
though they may not actually be colliding, the process is called
as hindered settling.
 The drag coefficient in hindered settling is greater than in free
settling.
 Gravity Settling Processes:

Particles heavier than the suspending fluid may be

removed from a gas or liquid in a large settling tank.
 A settler that removes all the particles from a
liquid – clarifier

 A settler that separates the solids into two fractions

– classifier
 Classifiers
 Gravity Classifiers - Devices that separate particles of
same density
Ex: Elutriator

 Sorting Classifiers - Devices that separate particles

of differing density.

It uses one or the other of two principal separation

methods like sink and float and differential settling.
 1.Sink and float method
• It uses a liquid sorting medium , the density of
which is intermediate between that of the light
material and that of the heavy.
• Then the heavy particles settle through the medium
and the lighter ones float. Also called heavy fluid
separation.
• The separation depends only on density difference
of the particle and is independent of the particle
size.
• Ex: Cleaning of Coal and Concentrating ores.
• Calcium chloride solutions are used for cleaning
coal
 2.Differential settling method
 Utilizes the difference in
terminal settling velocities
between different density
materials.
 Disadvantage: mixture of
materials to be separated
covers a range of particle
sizes, the larger, lighter
particles settle at the same rate
as the smaller, heavy ones and
a mixed fraction is obtained.
 Differential settling method Contd..

Let the component A is galena(Sp.gr. 7.5) and component B is

quartz (sp.gr. 2.65). The terminal velocities of both particles is
given by for stokes law range

For Equal settling particles utA=utB then

Stoke’s
 Differential settling method Contd..

 For Newton’s law range(Turbulant conditions)

and

Newton’s
 Classification
 Settling ratio: The ratio of sizes of A and B when they are
equally falling is called the settling ratio.
 Size Ratio: The ratio of the average size of the largest particle
in the mixture to that of the smallest particle is termed as the
size ratio.
 If the settling ratio is equal to the size ratio, complete
separation is possible
 Surface Velocity classifiers
Gravity settling classifier

• The design is similar to that of the

straight gravity settling tank,
except that the bottom half is
divided into several equal
partitions.
• The coarse particles get trapped
in the first chamber, the
intermediates get trapped in the
middle partitions, and the fine
particles, the dust, gets captured
in the last section.
• Then, you can drain the sections
from the bottom and have a
segregated sediment
 Spitzkasten type gravity classifiers

• A series of conical vessels of

increasing size is set up in the
direction of flow.
• As the slurry enters the first
vessel, the coarse particles get
trapped, and the overflow
continues on to the next,
where more separation takes
place.
• This particular settling
chamber is unique because
you can adjust the flow rates
in between each vessel in
order to provide the necessary
Elutriators
Double Cone Classifier