Transport and hoisting of slurry
AssigneeHydro Power Equipment (Pty) Ltd.
InventorPeter Duncan Fraser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A feeder arrangement for a slurry transport system, which is preferably a hydro hoist, includes a chamber with a high pressure water inlet, a low pressure water outlet, and a low pressure solids inlet at a top end. The low pressure solids inlet has a transfer chute that opens into a lower section of the chamber to maintain a clear-water environment adjacent the top end. A high pressure solids and water outlet is provided at a bottom end. The inlets and outlets are controlled by suitable valves. Three such chambers are preferably operated together in sequence between incoming and outgoing columns in a mine.
Claims20
A feeder arrangement for a slurry transport system comprising at least one chamber with a top end and a bottom end, the chamber including:
- a. a high pressure water inlet adjacent the top end controlled by a first valve;
- b. a low pressure solids inlet controlled by a second valve;
- c. a low pressure water outlet adjacent the top end controlled by a third valve for displaced water when the solids inlet is opened;
- and
- d. the bottom end of the chamber having a high pressure solids and water outlet controlled by a fourth valve and connected to a slurry delivery conduit;
- wherein the low pressure solids inlet has a transfer chute that opens at a position suitably spaced apart from the top end of the chamber to maintain a substantially clear-water environment at or adjacent the top end of the chamber.
A method of feeding solids into a slurry transport system comprising:
- introducing solids into a water-filled chamber at a position suitably spaced apart from a top of the chamber;
- maintaining a clear-water region adjacent the top of the chamber;
- while allowing water displaced by the solids to move out of the chamber through a low pressure outlet adjacent the top of the chamber;
- and
- opening a high pressure inlet adjacent the top of the chamber and a high pressure outlet from a bottom of the chamber to evacuate the solids from the chamber;
- directing the solids into a slurry delivery conduit;
- and
- closing the high pressure outlet at a stage when there is clear-water exiting the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.