Laboratory Investigation of a New Trommel Model

Rotary screens, or trommels, are an important unit operation in material and fuel processing. A computer model has been developed based upon fundamental mechanics. The coefficients and variables employed in the model thus have real physical meaning; adjusting them based upon laboratory data allows the model user to draw conclusions about the behavior of the trommel that can be applied to design and operational changes. The laboratory testing program was specifically designed to test the model described in this paper. The model proved able to track the laboratory data. Important phenomena that were validated or revealed included the significance of particle layering, changes in bed sliding with rotational velocity, and the pre-eminence of residence time.