Knelson concentrator

Knelson concentrators utilise the principles of a centrifuge in order to create an enhanced gravity effect upon a fluidised bed of particles to concentrated dense minerals. The Knelson concentrator often operates as a batch process however new models operate in a continuous or semi-continuous mode. Feed material is injected into the centre of a cone shaped bowl which is rotated at high speed. The slurry contacts the base plate of the vessel and as result of centripetal acceleration the material is thrust upward and the heavier mineral particles (usually the mineral of economic value) are concentrated at the outermost extremities of the concentric grooves that line the inner perimeter of the vessel. These grooves are subjected to a series of tangential water inlet's known as fluidising water ports. These ports maintain a fluidised bed of particles within the grooves in which heavy mineral particles can be concentrated. The heavy mineral particles are concentrated via a number of mechanisms including differential hindered settling, consolidated trickling and separation based on differential initial acceleration.