Separation performance of a cyclone column separator with complicated positive and negative cones

Based on the water-only cyclone, a new cyclone named cyclone column separator (CCS) was developed by combining a positive cone with the common negative cone to form a non-continuous three-stage complicated cone (CC). The performance of the CCS was compared with that of water-only cyclones with single angle of 70°, 90°, 110° and 120° by coal slime separation tests. Compared with the water-only cyclones with single cone structure, the separation performance of the CCS with CC structure was significantly improved and much less losses of + 0.25 mm low density coarse coal were resulted. It produced a probable error of 0.058 for + 1 mm fractions, and 0.083 for 0.5–1 mm fractions. It also gave an imperfection of 0.202 for a rather broader size range of + 0.25 mm. All results show that the CCS was a coarse coal separation equipment of high efficiency.