Among all these launder arrangements, the most effective launder arrangement, the center launder, was launched. Center launder upgrade comprises three key components: the froth cone, the concentric launder, and the outer crowder. In contrast to the double internal launder, the design of center launder enables the froth crowding towards the launder from both directions. This upgrade enhances flotation cell performance by shortening the froth transport distance (FTD) and similarly reducing the froth surface area (FSA) (Seaman et al. 2021). To further enhance the froth management of larger flotation cells equipped with center launders, the spider crowder upgrade can be installed on top of the cell to improve froth crowding (Bermudez et al. 2024). 2.3 Effectiveness of Center Launder Upgrade All the three key components that the center launder consists of: an outer crowder, a froth crowder, and a circular launder positioned between them, are important when maximizing the recovery of valuable minerals. The narrowing crowders direct the froth toward the launder lip, enhancing lip loading efficiency. By dividing the froth surface area into two sections, the center launder eliminates the stagnant froth zones in the middle of the surface area (Lopez-Pacheco 2021). Dividing the froth surface into two sections also reduces both the froth surface area and the transport distance. A shorter FTD improves recovery by minimizing the loss of valuable minerals that occur over longer distances and due to bubble bursting (Metso 2021). (Corona-Arroyo et al. 2021) Fig. 5 represents the configuration of center launder upgrade, emphasizing its key components. Figure 5 – Center launder configuration. To better optimize the surface parameters of flotation cells, center launders can be installed on top of the cells. The installation can be done on both greenfield, and brownfield projects. In greenfield projects, the implementation can be integrated during the design phase before manufacturing begins. On the other hand, for brownfield projects, center launders can be easily installed during scheduled process downtimes (Corona-Arroyo et al. 2022). When comparing the froth surface areas of the flotation cells with different launder configurations, it can be noticed that froth surface area (FSA) of the flotation cell with center launder is considerably smaller, compared to cells equipped with other launder modifications. The
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0Mzk2