MODELING THE MOTION OF CONDUCTING PARTICLES IN THE ACTIVE ZONE OF A LINEAR INDUCTOR OF EDDY-CURRENT SEPARATOR
The improvement of technologies for the collection and primary processing of secondary non-ferrous metals is a prerequisite for the development of secondary non-ferrous metallurgy and the becoming, of solid waste processing enterprises. One such technology is eddy-current (electrodynamic) separation in a traveling magnetic field. Such separators easily fit into technological lines and are used in the extraction of non-ferrous metals from various types of metal-containing solid waste (automobile scrap, mixed production and municipal waste, cable and electronic scrap, etc.), as well as in the processing of complex non-ferrous scrap in preparation it to metallurgical processes. The article discusses eddy-current separators based on linear inductors. The Installation consists of a conveyor that moves the materials to be separated and an inductor located under the conveyor belt. Modeling the interaction between a magnetic field and conductive particles is complicated by the existence of various electromagnetic and mechanical (gravitational and friction) forces. Purpose: Development of a mathematical model taking into account the action of various forces on particles and an assessment of ways to increase the efficiency of eddy-current separation. Results: A mathematical model for studying an eddy-current separator based on a linear induction machine is presented. Separation is the result of combined actions of different forces on conductive particles. Consequently, an important part of the separator model is the equations for the combined electromagnetic and mechanical action. The model takes into account the movement of conductive particles in two directions: the transfer of particles along the conveyor belt and lateral movement under the influence of electromagnetic forces. The results of the study of a prototype of an eddy-current separator based on linear inductors, constructed in the laboratory of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Electrotechnological Systems of the Ural Federal University, are described. The possibility of improving the performance of the separator due to the use of linear induction machines with opposite direction travelling magnetic fields is shown. Calculation results are consistent with industrial test data.