Comparison of performance of TPS and TBS in separation of coarse coal slime

Separation of coarse slime is a key link in coal cleaning process, but it it difficult to have the slime effectively separated with use of conventional equipment. Such being the case, the coal preparation plants usually resort to the use of a two-stage separation process to produce the product with a quality as required. However, the two-stage process is a much more complicated process as compared with the single-stage process. With an aim to simplify the coarse slime separation process, the 3-product interference-bed separator (TPS) and the teetered-bed separator (TBS) in industrial application at Huipodi Mine Coal Preparation Plant are taken to serve as an example to explore the differences of the two separators in structural design, product structure and separation performance. Structurally, TPS has an outer and an inner cylinders for realizing the 2-stage separation process, and the reliability of the separation is ensured through its upward water distribution mechanism and the inner cylinder′s overflow diversion channel. In terms of product structure, TBS can produce only two products, namely, clean coal and refuse, and it is impossible for it to simultaneously produce up-to-standard clean coal and high-ash refuse products. Contrarily, with the use of TPS, three products (clean coal, middling and refuse) can be produced, and it can be turned into a two-product separator through flexible adjustment according to the required quality of products. While ensuring the required ash of clean coal product, TBS can produce a refuse product with an ash as high as 72.21% and a middling product with an ash of 35.72% and a yield of 36.62%. As viewed from the separation performance, the organic efficiency and recovery of combustible matter of TBS are 2.82 and 24.53 percentage points higher than those of TBS, respectively. The comparative study of TPS and TBS made in the paper may serve as a valuable reference for the optimum selection of the use of TPS and TBS.