Abstract: In order to find out the movement law and influencing factors of magnetite particles in the three-product magnetic separation column,the magnetic separation process was simulated by FEM,CFD and DEM coupling method,and verified by the actual separation test. Based on the particle size distribution,mineral composition,magnetization characteristics and mechanical properties of magnetite,the overlapping sphere particle model of magnetite was established. ANSYS software was used to simulate the magnetic field distribution of three-product magnetic separation column. Fluent software was used to simulate the flow field distribution of the three-product magnetic separation column. EDEM-API was used to realize the coupling of ore particles,pulsating magnetic field and flow field in the discrete element software EDEM. The effects of magnetic induction intensity, excitation period and rising water flow rate of the three-product magnetic separation column on the separation process were simulated. When the TFe grade of the ore is 61. 42%,the TFe grades of the concentrate,the middle ore and the tailings obtained by the simulation test are 63. 60%,58. 44% and 29. 63%,respectively. The separation test was carried out by using ϕ159 three-product magnetic separation column under the same simulation conditions. The results show that the TFe grade of concentrate,middle ore and tailings is 65. 55%,42. 58% and 24. 23% respectively,and the relative error between the simulation test and the actual test is less than 3%.

Key words: three-product magnetic separation column,magnetite particle model,dynamic magnetic field,flow field,oneway coupling