Bubble Load Research Articles

Estimating Bubble Loading in Industrial Flotation Cells

Bubble loading is the ratio of the weight of the solid particles to the bubble’s surface, and it has an effective role in the flotation efficiency. This paper investigates bubble loading an industrial processing circuit through considering the important role of the bubble diameter in calculating bubble loading, and the effect of the aeration rate and frother dosage on the bubble diameter. The ratio of the weight of solid particles to the bubble volume was estimated to be in the range of 8 to 24 g/L. Although increasing the aeration could result in increasing the weight of the particles attached to the bubbles, the bubble loading was reduced by increasing the aeration rate due to its impact on the bubble diameter and the percentage of bubble surface coverage. For example, when the aeration rate was increased from 45 to 146 m3/h, the bubble loading decreased from 23 to 12 g/L. By increasing the frother dosage from 70 to 150 mL/min, the bubble loading increased from 16 to 19 g/L.

The Effect of Particles on Surface Tension and Flotation Froth Stability

It is widely accepted that particles stabilise flotation froths and that stable froths result in improved flotation performance. Predicting the effect of particle addition on froth stability is, however, challenging. Dynamic surface tension measurement using maximum bubble pressure presents an attractive technique to investigate the effect of surfactant and particles at the air-water interface. The range of bubble lifetimes that can be studied (typically 0.1 to 60 s) is analogous to variations in air rate in flotation cells, and the corresponding changes in surface tension give an indication to the diffusion and adsorption rates of particles at the interface. In this paper, we use dynamic surface tension measurements to investigate the effect of particles on bubble surfaces at the microscale and link this to bulk froth stability measurements carried out using a froth column. Using the maximum bubble pressure method, the results show that the addition of particles results in lower surface tension, both at the dynamic (i.e. short) bubble lifetimes and towards equilibrium (i.e. 60 s bubble lifetime). This corresponds with the bulk froth stability measurements, where the three-phase system yielded more stable froths than the surfactant only system. Furthermore, increased particle loading at the air-water interface, whether through higher surfactant concentrations or lower air rates (longer bubble lifetimes), gave lower surface tension and higher froth stability. This demonstrates the link between bubble loading and froth stability. It is proposed that the maximum bubble pressure technique can be used to predict froth stability for two- and three-phase systems, enabling the effect of particle loading to be accounted for and quantified. Moreover, the technique has the potential to allow rapid determination of particle and surfactant diffusion at the air-water interface and prediction of the corresponding effect on bulk froth behaviour.

Gas distribution characteristics for heterogeneous flows in the slender particle-containing scrubbing–cooling chamber of an entrained-flow gasifier

Dual-tip conductivity probes and a high-speed camera were used to study the gas distribution characteristics in a cold model apparatus of the slender particle-containing scrubbing–cooling chamber. The three-dimension column was 200mm in internal diameter and 1353mm in height. The effects of superficial gas velocities, fiber volume fractions and fiber aspect ratios on global gas holdups were determined. The results showed that under the influence of reverse buoyancy and negative pressure gradients, plume gas flow went up along the outside of the downcomer in downcomer spout region. Local radial gas holdup which was closely related with the internals and flow patterns presented obviously proximate core peak distribution in bubble-breaking plate region. The foam region consisted of bubble coalescence and breakup as well as droplets formation and splashing. At higher gas velocities, the increasing rate of global gas holdup gradually reduced. With the increase of fiber volume fraction, global gas holdup slightly increased at low gas velocities due to suppressed bed turbulence and bubble loading, but decreased at high velocities for increased liquid viscosity and vortex-shedding. Due to suppressed small-scale velocity fluctuation, global gas holdup increased with increased fiber aspect ratio. A modified drift-flux model containing crowding factor and fiber number density for global gas holdup correlations was proposed and all of the data could be calculated with a relative deviation less than 10%.

Froth liquid transport in a two-dimensional flotation cell

A study of froth liquid transport in flotation cells with very low bubble loading was performed in a two-dimensional flotation cell using a two-phase (air–water) system. The prototype represents a radial section of an industrial flotation cell (130 m3) and was operated at steady state.The experimental tests consisted of adding a small amount (0.02 mL) of radioactive liquid tracer I131 (in a NaI solution) on top of the froth (TOF) or near the bottom of the froth (interface). Eight collimated sensors located along the froth and collection zones allowed the evaluation of liquid transport and drainage in the froth after tracer addition at different distances from the discharge lip.Longer distances to the overflow discharge lip promote higher water drainage from the froth to the collection zone. For the liquid content near the top of the froth, the liquid drainage increased gradually from almost nil to approximately 50% when the distance to the lip level was increased from 5 to 98 cm. In contrast, the liquid content in the froth near the interface was almost fully drained for distances larger than 15 cm from the discharge lip. This information was complemented by froth surface velocity measurements using the Visiofroth system and showed a good agreement with the liquid transport velocity measured near the discharge lip wall. The increase in the frothcrowder angle (40–50°) also showed a significant effect on the froth liquid transport velocity and similar drainage characteristics.

Interactional effects of bubble size, particle size, and collector dosage on bubble loading in column flotation

The success of flotation operation depends upon the thriving interactions of chemical and physical variables. In this work, the effects of particle size, bubble size, and collector dosage on the bubble loading in a continuous flotation column were investigated. In other words, this work was mainly concerned with the evaluation of the true flotation response to the changes in the operating variables in column flotation. Two bubble sizes of 0.8 and 1.8 mm, three size fractions of 63-106, 106-150, and 150-300 μm, and three different dosages of dodecylamine, as the collector, were tested. According to the results obtained, the particle size fraction of 106-150 μm had the maximum bubble loading for bubble diameter of 1.8 mm, while the particle size of 63-106 μm had the maximum bubble loading for bubble diameter of 0.8 mm. It was also shown that increasing the bubble diameter from 0.8 to 1.8 mm increased the bubble loading in all the particle size fractions and collector dosages. However, the mass loading of air bubbles was strongly related to the collector dosage (contact angle), especially for coarse particles. The amount of collector dosage had an upper limit due to the clustering event, which significantly affected the bubble loading. The clustering was found to be more important in the presence of small particles due to a higher number of particles attached to the bubble surface. It was shown that such interactions of variables of true flotation could reasonably be monitored by the bubble loading measurement.

2D speckle tracking echocardiography of the right ventricle free wall in SCUBA divers after single open sea dive.

The presence of circulating gas bubbles and their influence on pulmonary and right heart hemodynamics was reported after uncomplicated self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) dive(s). Improvements in cardiac imaging have recently focused great attention on the right ventricle (RV). The aim of our study was to evaluate possible effects of a single air SCUBA dive on RV function using 2D speckle tracking echocardiography in healthy divers after single open sea dive to 18 meters of seawater, followed by bottom stay of 47minutes with a direct ascent to the surface. Twelve experienced male divers (age 39.5±10.5years) participated in the study. Echocardiographic assessment of the right ventricular function (free wall 2 D strain, tricuspid annular planes systolic excursion [TAPSE], lateral tricuspid annular peak systolic velocity [RV s`] and fractional area change [FAC]) was performed directly prior to and 30, 60, 90 and120minutes after surfacing. Two-dimensional strain of all three segments of free right ventricular wall showed a significant increase in longitudinal shortening in post-dive period for maximally 26% (basal), 15.4% (mid) and 16.3% (apical) as well as TAPSE (11.6%), RV FAC (19.2%), RV S` (12.7%) suggesting a rise in systolic function of right heart. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mean PAP) increased post-dive from 13.3mmHg to maximally 23.5mmHg (P=.002), indicating increased RV afterload. Our results demonstrated that single dive with significant bubble load lead to increase in systolic function and longitudinal strain of the right heart in parallel with increase in mean PAP.

Experimental and numerical investigation on bubble dynamics near a free surface and a circular opening of plate

Dynamics behavior for a submerged oscillating bubble is closely related to the physical properties of boundaries adjacent to the bubble. For an incomplete boundary, such as a ship structure broken by the shock wave from underwater explosion attack, the bubble load formed after the shock wave may cause secondary damage to it, and the jet characteristics generated during the bubble collapse are worth exploring. Based on the incompressible potential flow method, a boundary integral method with axisymmetric code is employed to investigate the jet features of the bubble under the combined action of a free surface above and a fixed plate with a centric circular opening below. For the numerical divergence caused by the expanding bubble infinitely approaching the rim of the circular opening, the bubble walls above and below the opening are, respectively, fused with the rigid wall, and the initial infinite flow field surrounding the bubble is then divided into two independent basins that are both required to be solved. Several experiments of a spark-generated bubble oscillating near a free surface and a rigid plate with a circular opening are conducted and the numerical results are validated. Following that, two typical cases with a dominant jet, respectively, directing upward and downward are analysed in detail, and some new phenomena are discovered. Additionally, another particular case that the upward and downward jet collides in the vicinity of the opening centroid is also presented. Finally, the initial bubble-free surface distance effects upon the bubble movement and the jet developments are analysed and discussed.

Skin Lesions in Swine with Decompression Sickness: Clinical Appearance and Pathogenesis.

Skin lesions are visual clinical manifestations of decompression sickness (DCS). Comprehensive knowledge of skin lesions would give simple but strong clinical evidence to help diagnose DCS. The aim of this study was to systematically depict skin lesions and explore their pathophysiological basis in a swine DCS model. Thirteen Bama swine underwent simulated diving in a hyperbaric animal chamber with the profile of 40 msw-35 min exposure, followed by decompression in 11 min. After decompression, chronological changes in the appearance of skin lesions, skin ultrasound, temperature, tissue nitric oxide (NO) levels, and histopathology were studied. Meanwhile bubbles and central nervous system (CNS) function were monitored. All animals developed skin lesions and two died abruptly possibly due to cardiopulmonary failure. A staging approach was developed to divide the appearance into six consecutive stages, which could help diagnosing the progress of skin lesions. Bubbles were only seen in right but not left heart chambers. There were strong correlations between bubble load, lesion area, latency to lesion appearance and existence of cutaneous lesions (P = 0.007, P = 0.002, P = 0.004, respectively). Even though local skin temperature did not change significantly, skin thickness increased, NO elevated and histological changes were observed. Increased vessel echo-reflectors in lesion areas were detected ultrasonically. No CNS dysfunction was detected by treadmill walking and evoked potential. The present results suggest skin lesions mainly result from local bubbles and not CNS injuries or arterial bubbles.

Measuring Interlayer Shear Stress in Bilayer Graphene.

Monolayer two-dimensional (2D) crystals exhibit a host of intriguing properties, but the most exciting applications may come from stacking them into multilayer structures. Interlayer and interfacial shear interactions could play a crucial role in the performance and reliability of these applications, but little is known about the key parameters controlling shear deformation across the layers and interfaces between 2D materials. Herein, we report the first measurement of the interlayer shear stress of bilayer graphene based on pressurized microscale bubble loading devices. We demonstrate continuous growth of an interlayer shear zone outside the bubble edge and extract an interlayer shear stress of 40kPa based on a membrane analysis for bilayer graphene bubbles. Meanwhile, a much higher interfacial shear stress of 1.64MPa was determined for monolayer graphene on a silicon oxide substrate. Our results not only provide insights into the interfacial shear responses of the thinnest structures possible, but also establish an experimental method for characterizing the fundamental interlayer shear properties of the emerging 2D materials for potential applications in multilayer systems.

Observed decompression sickness and venous bubbles following 18-msw dive profiles using RN Table 11.

The venous bubble load in the body after diving may be used to infer risk of decompression sickness (DCS). Retrospective analysis of post-dive bubbling and DCS was made on seven studies. Each of these investigated interventions, using an 18 meters of sea water (msw) air dive profile from Royal Navy Table 11 (Mod Air Table), equivalent to the Norwegian Air tables. A recent neurological DCS case suggested this table was not safe as thought. Two-hundred and twenty (220) man-dives were completed on this profile. Bubble measurements were made following 219 man-dives, using Doppler or 2D ultrasound measurements made on the Kisman-Masurel and Eftedal-Brubakk scales, respectively. The overall median grade was KM/EB 0.5 and the overall median maximum grade was KM/EB 2. Two cases of transient shoulder discomfort ("niggles") were observed (0.9% (95% CL 0.1% - 3.3%)) and were treated with surface oxygen. One dive, for which no bubble measurements were made, resulted in a neurological DCS treated with hyperbaric oxygen. The DCS risk of this profile is below that predicted by models, and comparison of the cumulative incidence of DCS of these data to the large dataset compiled by DCIEM [1, 2] show that the incidence is lower than might be expected.

Time Course of Endothelial Dysfunction Induced by Decompression Bubbles in Rats.

Decompression stress can cause endothelial injury, leading to systematic inflammation and prothrombotic phenomena. Our previous work found that endothelial injury following decompression correlated positively with bubble formation. This study aimed to investigate the time course of endothelial injury and the relationship with bubble amounts. Rats were subjected to a simulated air dive to 7 ATA for 90 min with rapid decompression. Bubbles were detected ultrasonically at the root of pulmonary arteries following decompression. Surviving rats were randomly divided into six groups according to sampling time following decompression (2, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h). Three parameters, serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were identified from our previous study and measured. The level of MDA reached a peak level at 12 h post decompression, and then decreased gradually to control level before 72 h. For both ET-1 and ICAM-1, the greatest expression appeared at 24 h following surfacing, and the increases lasted for more than 72 h. These changes correlated positively with bubble counts at most detection time points. This study reveals the progress of endothelial dysfunction following decompression which provides guidance for timing the determination at least for the current model. The results further verify that bubbles are the causative agents of decompression induced endothelial damage and bubble amounts are an objective and suitable parameter to predict endothelial dysfunction. Most importantly, levels of endothelial biomarkers post dive may serve as sensitive parameters for assessing bubble load and decompression stress.

Effect of particles on bubble size distribution and gas hold-up in column flotation

In flotation systems, it is generally assumed that the bubble size presents an inverse correlation with the gas hold-up. However, this hypothesis is not systematically true. The focus of this work is to study the effect of solid particles on the bubble size distribution and gas hold-up, as well as the correlation between the bubble size distribution and gas hold-up in column flotation. Experiments were conducted in two and three-phase systems using a laboratory flotation column (5.6cm internal diameter, total height of 650cm), and mixtures of quartz (hydrophilic gangue) and talc (naturally hydrophobic mineral), classified in four different size fractions. For the studied flotation system, experimental results are compared with literature correlations and models to reveal that hydrophobic particles affect the gas hold-up through three different mechanisms modifying the Sauter mean diameter and rise velocity, namely (1) surface interactions, and the joint antagonistic effect of (2) bubble loading and (3) coalescence.

The Fluid-Solid Interaction Dynamics between Underwater Explosion Bubble and Corrugated Sandwich Plate

Lightweight sandwich structures with highly porous 2D cores or 3D (three-dimensional) periodic cores can effectively withstand underwater explosion load. In most of the previous studies of sandwich structure antiblast dynamics, the underwater explosion (UNDEX) bubble phase was neglected. As the UNDEX bubble load is one of the severest damage sources that may lead to structure large plastic deformation and crevasses failure, the failure mechanisms of sandwich structures might not be accurate if only shock wave is considered. In this paper, detailed 3D finite element (FE) numerical models of UNDEX bubble-LCSP (lightweight corrugated sandwich plates) interaction are developed by using MSC.Dytran. Upon the validated FE model, the bubble shape, impact pressure, and fluid field velocities for different stand-off distances are studied. Based on numerical results, the failure modes of LCSP and the whole damage process are obtained. It is demonstrated that the UNDEX bubble collapse jet local load plays a more significant role than the UNDEX shock wave load especially in near-field underwater explosion.

Bubble loading measurement in a continuous flotation column

Bubble loading is a macroscopic measure which includes the micro sub-processes of true flotation. In this paper, new instrument for measuring the bubble loading in flotation column with the ability to generate the uniform size bubbles is introduced. This ability (generation of uniform size bubbles with mean diameter of 2mm and standard deviation of 0.3mm) make it possible to study the effect of bubble size on bubble loading. Laden bubbles sampling system consists of riser with diameter of 20mm and height of 720mm made of glass and collection chamber with diameter of 54mm and height of 150mm made of transparent Perspex installed directly on top of the riser. Applying the flotation column with low mixing (vessel dispersion number of 0.32 and axial mixing coefficient of 0.003m2/s) and direct entry of bubbles from the riser to collection chamber caused the experiments to be reproducible by nearly 15g (5% of total feed) of solid samples loaded by bubbles. Measured bubble loading was validated by comparing the recovery obtained based on bubble loading data and the recovery calculated from macroscopic mass flow rates of concentrate and feed. Results showed discrepancies less than 3%, confirming the reliability of bubble loading measurements by the developed instrument.

Behaviour and Stability of the Two-Fluid Model for Fine-Scale Simulations of Bubbly Flow in Nuclear Reactors

Abstract In the present work, we formulate a simplistic two-fluid model for bubbly steam-water flow existing between fuel pins in nuclear fuel assemblies. Numerical simulations are performed in periodic 2D domains of varying sizes. The appearance of a non-uniform volume fraction field in the form of meso-scales is investigated and shown to be varying with the bubble loading and the domain size, as well as with the numerical algorithm employed. These findings highlight the difficulties involved in interpreting the occurrence of instabilities in two-fluid simulations of gas-liquid flows, where physical and unphysical instabilities are prone to be confounded. The results obtained in this work therefore contribute to a rigorous foundation in on-going efforts to derive a consistent meso-scale formulation of the traditional two-fluid model for multiphase flows in nuclear reactors.

Effect of entrainment in bubble load measurement on froth recovery estimation at industrial scale

Froth recovery was calculated in a 130m3 mechanical cell of a rougher flotation circuit. This was done by bubble load determinations along with mass balance surveys. Valuable grade in the bubble load decreased in the −38μm due to fine particles entrained to the chamber of the device. The effect of fine particle entrainment on froth recovery was evaluated. A comparison between results from the raw bubble load data (assuming all particles were transported by true flotation) with those from corrected bubble load information (subtracting fine particle entrainment) was carried out. Entrainment occurred due to hydraulic transport in the bubble rear, which corresponds to the worst case scenario for froth recovery estimation. Results showed that the relative error was less than 0.3%, which allowed validation of the bubble load measurement as an effective methodology for froth recovery estimation at industrial scale.

Protective effect of polymer coating on the circular steel plate response to near-field underwater explosions

To understand the intrinsic strong interaction between the soft coating and near-field underwater explosion, a series of comparative live fire tests are implemented. Nine steel circular plates with three configurations (i.e. rubber coated plate, foam coated plate and bare plate) are tested using 1.5 g PETN detonator. The stand-off between the plate center and explosive charge is ranged from 3.41 to 1.14 times of the maximum bubble radius. The transient strain history of the plate and acceleration history of the metal base fixture are monitored. The whole explosion process including local cavitation and bubble motion is recorded by an APX-RS high speed camera. Test results show that the compressibility of coating layer is the dominative factor that controls its protective performance in the shock wave loading phase. The more compressible foam coating distinctly reduce the shock wave intensity by local cavitation before enters the densification phase, while the explosion bubble shape and even the direction of water jet can also be changed. But the attenuation performance in the bubble loading phase is not as optimistic as that in the shock wave phase because more deformation space is required while the core has often entered the densification phase.

Exercise before Scuba Diving Ameliorates Decompression-Induced Neutrophil Activation

The goals of this study were to investigate the difference in responses between a scuba dive preceded by aerobic exercise (EX) and a nonexercise control dive (CON) and to further evaluate the potential relation between venous gas emboli (VGE) and microparticles (MP). We hypothesized that exercise would alter the quantity and subtype of annexin V-positive MP and VGE. Nineteen divers performed two dives to 18 m seawater for 41 min separated by at least 3 d, one of which was preceded by 60 min of treadmill interval exercise. Blood was obtained before exercise, before diving, and 15 min, 2 h, 4 h, and 24 h after surfacing. Intravascular bubbles were quantified by transthoracic echocardiography at 15, 40, 80, and 120 min. The median VGE remained unchanged between the two dives; however, there was a significant increase in VGE in the exercise dive at 40 and 80 min at rest. MP were significantly elevated by approximately 2 times at all time points after CON compared with those after EX. Markers of neutrophil and platelet activation were elevated by both dives, and these elevations were attenuated in the EX dive. We conclude that some of the differences observed between the EX and CON related to MP and platelet and neutrophil activation provide additional insight into the potential protective benefits of exercise; however, further study is needed to understand the mechanism and true potential of these benefits.

Estimation of the bubble size and bubble loading in a flotation froth using electrical resistance tomography

Flotation process is widely used in mineral industry for the separation of valuable minerals from low-grade ore slurry. There are several parameters such as the bubble size and bubble loading that predict the efficiency of the flotation process. These parameters can be used for the control of the flotation process. There are already some techniques that can be used for online monitoring of these parameters, for example, the high-speed video imaging and a probe sensor based on electrical resistance tomography (ERT). These methods, however, suffer for some limitations. The high speed video imaging gives information only on the surface of the froth and in the previously proposed ERT based techniques the conductivity of the froth is typically modeled to be smoothly varying. However, in reality the froth is composed of different size of bubbles having highly conductive surface and very low conductive interior which configuration cannot be modeled with smoothly varying conductivity distribution. In this paper, we propose a computational approach in which the structure of the froth is modeled and both the bubble size and the conductivity of the boundary of the bubbles are estimated. The proposed approach utilizes data measured with the standard ERT probe. The estimated bubble size and conductivity of the boundary of the bubbles are compared to online measured camera based estimates of the bubble size and bubble loading. The proposed approach is evaluated with simulated measurements and real data from Pyhäsalmi Mine. The results show that there is a high correlation between the camera based and the ERT based estimates of the bubble size. Furthermore, some of the parameters obtained from the ERT based method correlate well with the camera based estimate of the bubble loading.

On the collection of valuable minerals along rougher flotation banks

The collection of valuable minerals along rougher flotation banks was evaluated using top-of-froth measurements, which consist of sampling the froth surface. Considering non-selective froths observed in rougher flotation circuits, it was found the top-of-froth grades were similar to the bubble load grades, which allowed for a direct estimation of the collected mineral characteristics (size distribution, mineralogy, and grade). Thus, the flotation process evolution can be characterized by analyzing the collection of valuable minerals by true flotation instead of the classical mass balances approach, which strongly depends on the reliability of the tailings grade data. In addition, comparison among different valuable minerals was observed without significant sampling disturbances caused by solid entrainment.It is expected the top-of-froth measurement will be a useful tool for evaluating the effect of operating variables such as pulp conditioning, air flowrate and solids percentage on the true collection process along a flotation bank.