Apparatus and method for removing an underflow stream
AssigneeNewcastle Innovation Limited
InventorKevin Patrick Galvin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for removing an underflow stream is provided suitable for removing an underflow stream from a separator, such as a mineral particle separator. In one aspect, the separator can include a discharge outlet for discharging the underflow stream, and the apparatus can include a source of pressurised fluid, a first conduit for fluidly connecting the pressurised fluid source to the discharge outlet such that the pressurized fluid is directed to impede the flow of the underflow stream in the first conduit, thereby creating a fluidisation zone, and a second conduit fluidly connected to the first conduit so that material from the fluidisation zone flows into the second conduit for removal from the apparatus.
Claims22
An apparatus for removing an underflow stream from a separator, said separator having a discharge outlet for discharging said underflow stream, said apparatus comprising:
- a source of pressurised fluid;
- a first conduit for fluidly connecting said pressurised fluid source to said discharge outlet such that said pressurised fluid is directed to impede the flow of said underflow stream in said first conduit, thereby creating a fluidisation zone, and
- a second conduit fluidly connected to said first conduit so that material from said fluidisation zone flows into said second conduit for removal from said apparatus,
- wherein the first conduit has a control valve for controlling the flow of said underflow stream, the control valve being located at the discharge outlet and operatively connected to a PID controller such that the control valve may be opened at any percentage in response to the PID controller.
A method for removing an underflow stream from a separator, said separator having a discharge outlet for discharging said underflow stream, said method comprising the steps of:
- fluidly connecting a source of pressurised fluid to said discharge outlet;
- controlling the flow of said underflow stream at the discharge outlet with a control valve is operatively connected to a PID controller such that the control valve may be opened at any percentage in response to the PID controller;
- directing said pressurised fluid to impede the flow of said underflow stream in a first conduit, thereby creating a fluidisation zone, and
- fluidly connecting a second conduit to said first conduit so that material from said fluidisation zone flows into said second conduit for removal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.