Modelling and optimization of high density medium drum separators

Dense Medium Drum (DMD) separators are playing an important role in the separation process of modern recycling plants. As the mass flow to be separated in these machines is huge, a high efficiency is mandatory to increase the total efficiency of the recycling plant. Up till now, DMDs have been developed based on empirical first order models and experience for several years and a decent efficiency has been reached. However, further improvements are only possible by leveraging a shift in the methodology to more detailed scientific investigations based on state-of-the-art simulations and experiments. In this PhD project, DMDs will be analyzed in two steps. At first, in cooperation with a company, a real drum will be modeled and optimised. Hence, possible improvements can be validated directly on a real size industrial application. A set of existing physical models involving fluid mechanics will be combined to simulate the complex phenomena in the drum. In the second part of the project, the previously validated models, which have proven to be capable to simulate the physical processes in the drum up to a certain degree, will be used to derive new more sophisticated physical models, which will be validated on a lab scale experimental setup.status: publishe