This calculator performs drum-face flow normalization and rotating-shell geometry. It does not predict magnetic separation, mineral residence time, capacity, grade or recovery.
Iron Ore Separator Interactive Calculator
Explore entered volumetric flow per drum width, shell traversal time across an angular arc, shell surface speed and comparison with an arbitrary 120 m³/h/m reference.
Equation Used
- Entered volumetric flow is divided uniformly by entered drum face width for a simple width-normalized index.
- Drum shell rotates at constant N rpm with diameter D.
- Entered arc is only a shell rotation angle.
- 120 m³/h/m is an arbitrary disclosed comparison reference, not equipment capacity.
- No solids fraction/density/size/liberation, mineral magnetic susceptibility, field strength/gradient, pole geometry, tank level/flow pattern, particle trajectory, entrainment, recovery/grade, motor load, shell wear, structure or safety model.
Arc traversal time is the time a point on the shell takes to rotate through the entered angle—not slurry or particle residence time in a magnetic field. The 120 m³/h/m value is only a comparison reference and not a rated maximum.
Rotating-shell geometry
Flow divided by face width gives a width-normalized volumetric index. A constant-speed shell takes arc/360 of one revolution period to traverse the entered angular sector. Surface speed is shell circumference times revolutions per second.
The green reference arc changes with the entered angle. The illustration uses a fixed drum size and playback speed, while the results use the entered dimensions and rpm. It does not show slurry or magnetic particles.
Use as unit and shell-speed arithmetic
The results can compare entered drum dimensions, speed and flow normalization. They cannot select a separator, establish throughput, or predict concentrate grade and recovery.
Shell time is not particle residence time
tshell=(arc/360)(60/N) follows only from rigid rotation. A slurry particle has its own hydrodynamic path and may not remain attached to the shell or within a defined field for that duration.
The final tile compares flow per width with an arbitrary 120 m³/h/m reference. For example, 90 m³/h/m is 75% of that reference. It is not capacity utilization.
Worked example
For Q=180 m³/h, W=2 m, D=1.2 m, N=30 rpm and arc=120 degrees, flow index is 90 m³/h/m, shell arc time is 0.667 s, shell surface speed is 1.885 m/s and share of the 120 reference is 75%.
Limits of the calculation
Separator performance depends on the ore, particle sizes, magnetic field and slurry flow. Testing with representative material establishes recovery and product grade. Drum dimensions and shell speed alone cannot predict those outcomes or a machine’s capacity.
Questions
Is shell arc time magnetic residence time?
No. Particle trajectories and field exposure are not modeled.
Is 100% of the reference a maximum capacity?
No. The reference is arbitrary comparison arithmetic.
Can the calculator predict iron recovery?
No. Mineralogy, liberation, magnetic field and slurry behavior are absent.
References & Further Reading
- Wikipedia contributors. Magnetic separation. Wikipedia
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