Apparatus and method for the detection and rejection of metal in particulate material
AssigneeSYNCRUDE CANADA LTD. in trust for the owners of the Syncrude Project
InventorsGEORGE HOLMES, ROBERT LeCLAIR, BLAIR JARVIS
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Abstract
A system and method for removing a piece of tramp metal from particulate material transported by a conveyor is provided. A metal detector is used to detect tramp metal in the particulate material traveling along the conveyor. When a piece of tramp metal is detected, a redirection device positioned at the end of the conveyor is used to reject a portion of the particulate material that contains the tramp metal, by temporarily redirecting the flow of particulate material discharging from the conveyor. After the portion of particulate material containing the piece of tramp metal has been redirected by the redirection device, the system resumes normal operation.
Claims24
A system for rejecting a portion of non-metallic particulate material containing a piece of tramp metal, the system comprising:
- a conveyor having a discharge end, the discharge end positioned to discharge particulate material from the conveyor to an intake opening;
- a metal detector positioned adjacent to the conveyor and upstream a travel distance from the discharge end;
- a redirection device provided at the discharge end of the conveyor, the redirection device operative to allow particulate matter discharging from the discharge end of the conveyor to enter the intake opening and, when activated, redirect particulate material discharged from the discharge end of the conveyor away from the intake opening;
- and
- a controller comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor operative to:
- in response to receiving a metal detected signal from the metal detector, the metal detected signal indicating that the metal detector has detected a piece of metal in the particulate material traveling along the conveyor, determine a travel time for the piece of metal to reach the discharge end of the conveyor;
- and
- activate the redirection device to redirect particulate material discharged from the discharge end of the conveyor away from the intake opening at the travel time.
A method for rejecting a portion of non-metallic particulate material containing a piece of tramp metal traveling along a conveyor discharging to an intake opening, the method comprising:
- detecting a piece of metal in particulate material carried by the conveyor;
- determining a travel time indicating when the piece of metal will be discharged from the conveyor;
- and
- directing particulate material being discharged from the conveyor away from an intake opening for a discharge time and then redirecting the particulate matter being discharged from the conveyor to the intake opening after the discharge time,
- wherein the travel time occurs within the discharge time.
An apparatus for controlling a system to automatically remove a piece of tramp metal from particulate matter transported by a conveyor discharging into an intake opening, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one processor operative to:
- in response to receiving a metal detector signal from a metal detector indicating a piece of metal has been detected a portion of particulate material traveling along the conveyor, determine a travel time for the piece of metal to reach a discharge end of the conveyor;
- and
- using the travel time, generate at least one signal and transmitting the at least one signal to a redirection device to cause the redirection device to divert particulate material discharging from the conveyor away from the intake opening for a discharge time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.