A novel algorithm for optimizing hydrocyclone operations in the decontamination of potentially toxic elements in soils.

We present the Three-Parameter Penalized Attributive Analysis for Upgrading (3PPAA-U) method as a tool for selecting the Best Upgrading Condition (BUC) in process engineering. Conventional approaches tend to consider only maximizing recovery (ε) and minimizing yield (γc); in contrast, the proposed 3PPAA-U introduces and seeks to maximize a third parameter, the grade (λ). This multi-parameter approach has not yet been explored in existing literature.

A novel heuristic tool for selecting the best upgrading conditions for the removal of potentially toxic elements by soil washing.

Here, we propose two-parameter penalized attributive analysis, PPAA-U, a novel heuristic tool for selecting the best upgrading conditions (BUCs) for soil washing. Given a multi-component feed and a specific set of operating conditions, PPAA-U generates a quality index based on how well recoveries for key components are maximized while minimizing the yield. We demonstrate, through the calculation of families of curves, that this quality index is related linearly to recovery and to the inverse of the yield, meaning that reducing yield values is more important than maximizing recovery.