Validation of the numerical model of particle trajectories in a multifunctional electrostatic separator

Electrostatic separation provides a reliable and efficient solution to the recycling of waste originating from end-of-life equipment in different industrial sectors. The newly-designed multifunctional metal-belt-conveyor separator has numerous advantages especially in terms of diversity of granular mixtures that can be treated (conductors and/or insulators). At the same time, the setting of its electrical and geometrical parameters is somewhat more complicated due to the multifactorial aspect, and the interaction between the various controllable factors. For a better understanding of the influence of these factors, the study of the dynamic behavior of charged or polarized particles in this separator is essential. The purpose of this work is to elaborate a numerical model able to predict the outcome of the separation, by taking into consideration the dominant electrical and mechanical forces exerted on the particles. The results obtained from the numerical simulation of the trajectories of the conductive and non-conductive particles are compared with the experimental observations made with the help of a powerful image acquisition instrument.