BRIEF INFO ABOUT COMPUTER PACKAGE TECHBAL - BALANCE CALCULATIONS FOR TECHNOLOGICAL FLOWSHEETS; Russian / English languages; Windows NT, 2000, XP. (For mineral processing, metallurgy, chemistry, mining and geology).

Computer package TechBal is aimed for component balance calculations of industrial flotation / separation flowsheets, also it may be used for fraction balance calculations of flotation / separation flowsheets in mineral processing industries. The balancing calculations are based on entered configuration of the flowsheet and sampling data. The programs are capable to manage balancing calculations for any arbitrary flowsheet. The flowsheets are classified into: typical (canonic, semicanonic, arbitrarily recycled) and arbitrary (any other). 

Component balance calculations are applicable to any sophisticated flowsheets, including multi-feed flowsheets with multi-outstream unit operations.  Any reasonable number of components may be treated to calculate technological indices (yield, grade and recovery) for all the streams of the flowsheet. 

Fraction balance calculations are applicable for flotation and are based on new ideas of flottability fractions and separation characteristics; this increases accuracy and permits treating incomplete sampling data. New mathematical methods are used in the programs to overcome the difficulties of multi component balance and the errors of the sampling. Mass transfer of the fractions and components is presented.

Input sampling data are grades, partial yields, partial recoveries for the sampled streams and units.  The programs pay special attention to priority sampling points. The programs are capable to manage incomplete sampling. For each J-th unit with NQ(J) outstreams it is compulsory to sample (to measure grades Be) in all the outstreams for the number of components equal or greater than NQ(J)-1 (or input EPSUN without Be for the same number of components). Otherwise number of unknowns exceeds the number of balancing equations. 

The calculated output data contain: balanced technological indices for all strems of the flowsheet (yields, grades, recoveries; water-solid balance).

A brief survey of the TechBal dialog programs is following.

Program BTF (Component balancing calculations of flotation flowsheets) makes component balancing calculations to match sampling data of flotation flowsheets (with multi-component balance).

Program BT (Component balance calculations of multi-outstream- unit flowsheets) makes component balancing calculations to match sampling data of any technological flowsheet. Program BT is valid for flowsheets of arbitrary configuration having multi-outflow units. Program BT is applicable to flotation, gravity separation, magnetic separation and other mineral processing flowsheets.

Program BTMF (Component balance calculations of multi-feed fowsheets with multi-outstream units) makes conventional component balancing calculations to match sampling data of any technological flowsheet. Program BTMF is valid for sophisticated flowsheets of arbitrary configuration having multi-outflow units and several outer feeds. Program BTMF is applicable to flotation, gravity separation, magnetic separation and other mineral processing flowsheets.

Program BTMC (Component balancing calculations of multi-cycle flowsheets) serves for sophisticated multi-cycle flowsheets. The flowsheet may be presented by several cycles for treating by program BTMC, then the cycles are treated by BTF, BT or BTMF.

Program BTC (Brief component balancing calculations of technological cycle) makes brief calculations of a technological cycle, substituting BTMF without details.

Program BF (Fraction balancing calculations of flotation flowsheets) finds all technological indices if given flowsheet configuration with parameters and reduced number of measured indices. Innovative ideas are based one separation characteristics of the flowsheet. Input data include: flowsheet configuration, parameters of unit flotation operations (residence times, etc.), measured yields and grades of several streams (less than for traditional component balancing). Output data cover corrected values of flotation unit residence times, separation characteristics for all streams, mass-balance of flottability fractions for all treams including fraction distributions and fraction grades for all components, mass-balance of solids and components for all streams including flowrates, yields, grades, recoveries, mass-balance of solid-to-water for all streams. Program BF makes balancing calculations of flotation technological indices not only by the ore components, but additionally - with consideration of flotofraction distributions in the streamss. This increases the accuracy of the balancing calculations. In parallel the program BF serves for flotometric analysis of the flotation flowsheet feed. So program BF makes fraction balancing calculations of flotation flowsheets based on flotofraction composition of the ore, which helps to overcome difficulties with multi-component balancing.

The TechBal package includes automated versions of the dialog programs mentioned above. The programs make modified calculations using initial input data from files. The initial input data (sampling / parameters) are modifies on the flowsheet graph. Afterwards modified calculations are immediately performed. The automated programs are following. 

Program BT_Graph (Automated component balalnce calculations of multi-outstream-unit flowsheets) makes mass component balance calculations using modified partial (or complete) sampling. Initial data are entered from file for further modification. Program BT_Graph is automated and fast operating version of programs BT and BTF. Program BT_graph is express version of program BT; it makes modified automated fraction balancing calculations of flotation flowsheets.

Program BF_Graph (Automated fraction balance calculations of flotatio flowsheets) makes mass component and fraction balance calculations using modified partial (or complete) sampling with additional flotometric analysis and corrected fractional balance. Initial data are entered from file for further modification. Program BF_Graph is automated and fast operating version of programs BF and FI. Program BF_graph is express version of program BF; it makes modified automated component balancing calculations of flotation flowsheets.

Additionally program FMtbal (File manager) decodes and displays information saved in data-files.

Central Menu of TechBal  loads one or more selected program . A program has its main window where all actions are taking place: entering input data, calculating output data, displaying the results, etc.

Mathematical ‘motoring’ part of programs: All mathematical calculations are highly automated. As the configuration of a technological flotation / separation flowsheet is entered, the corresponding set of necessary and sufficient equations is automatically formed and further completed and numerically specified. Consequent mathematical calculations cover component balance and fraction balance equations (50 flotation fractions). Most sophisticated calculations cover flotometric analysis including solution of sophisticated equations of special integral-type. For uniformity (for any sophisticated flowsheets) the input sampling data are entered as partial yields and recoveries EPSUN(J, I, C), or - alternatively - as grades Be(J, I, C). The input data may be entered in data tables and in boxes on the flowsheet graphs, additionally standard input boxes may be used. The output data may be displayed in data tables, in boxes on the flowsheet graphs, in special tables, in along-units graphs, in small pictures.

The TechBal package is useful in mineral processing, metallurgy, chemistry, mining and geology. It is adaptable practically to any industrial situation; the package is permanently developing.