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US 2011/0031166 A1Published application
Systems and methods for recovering materials from soil
OwnerBarry D. Grahaminventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for recovering materials from soil are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system for recovering materials from soil comprises a size separation system, a first magnetic separator, a second magnetic separator, an air classifier/scrubber system, and a non-ferrous metal separator. The system for recovering materials from soil can be configured to separate soil from other recoverable materials, including, for example, rock and gravel aggregates, and/or metals.
Claims20
A system for recovering materials from soil, comprising:
- a first separator comprising a first separation element, the first separator configured to separate recoverable material bearing soil into a first portion comprising large recoverable materials that did not pass through the first separation element and a second portion of recoverable material bearing soil that did pass through the first separation element, the second portion comprising soil and recoverable materials smaller than the large recoverable materials;
- a first conveyance positioned to receive the second portion from the first separator, wherein first conveyance is configured to move the second portion of recoverable material bearing soil to another separator;
- a second separator having a second separation element having apertures, the second separator configured to receive the second portion of recoverable material bearing soil from the first conveyance and, using the screen structure, separate the second portion of recoverable material bearing soil into a third portion comprising mid-size recoverable materials and a fourth portion that passes through the screen structure comprising soil and recoverable materials;
- a second conveyance configured to receive and move the fourth portion;
- a third conveyance configured to receive and move the third portion;
- a third separator comprising a magnetic device, the third separator configured to receive the fourth portion and separate the fourth portion into a first group and a second group using a magnetic field created by the magnetic device, wherein the first group contains ferrous material that was influenced by the magnetic field;
- a fourth separator comprising a magnetic separation system, the fourth separator configured to receive and process the third portion using the magnetic separation system to separate the third portion into at least two groups, a mid-size non-ferrous group and a mid-size ferrous metal group, the mid-size ferrous group containing more ferrous recoverable materials than the mid-size non-ferrous group;
- a fifth separator comprising an air classifier/scrubber system having air flow components and at least one material scrubber component, the fifth separator configured to receive the mid-size non-ferrous group and expose the mid-size non-ferrous group to an air flow and the scrubber the at least one scrubber component and separate the mid-size non-ferrous group into a lighter weight mid-size first group and a heavier mid-size second group;
- and
- a sixth separator configured to receive the mid-size second group and separate non-ferrous metal material from the mid-size second group.
7 more elements
The system of claim 8, wherein the sixth separator is further configured to separate ferrous metal recoverable materials from the group of recoverable materials not susceptible to air flow classification.
A soil mixture separation system, comprising:
- a first means for separating a soil mixture into a first portion of large recoverable materials of a first predetermined size and a second portion of materials that are smaller than the first predetermined size;
- a second means for separating configured to receive the second portion of materials and separate the second portion into a third portion having of materials having a second predetermined size that is smaller than the first predetermined size, and a fourth portion of materials that are smaller than the second predetermined size;
- a third means for separating comprising a magnetic device, the third separating means configured to receive the fourth portion and separate the fourth portion into a first group and a second group using a magnetic field created by the magnetic device, wherein the first group contains ferrous material that was influenced by the magnetic field during separation;
- a fourth means for separating comprising a magnetic separation system, the fourth separating means configured to receive the third portion of materials and separate the third portion into at least two groups of materials, a non-ferrous group and a ferrous metal group, the ferrous group containing more recoverable materials containing iron than the non-ferrous group;
- a fifth means for separating having an air classifier/scrubber system comprising means for generating an air flow and means for mechanically agitating material as it is subject to the air flow, the fifth separator configured to receive the non-ferrous group of materials from the fourth separation means and separate the non-ferrous group into a lighter weight first group of materials and a heavier second group of materials using the air flow generation means and the agitating means;
- and
- a sixth means for separating having means for generating eddy currents in metal materials, the sixth separating means configured to receive the second group of materials from the fifth separating means and separate non-ferrous metal material from the second group of materials using the eddy current generation means.
4 more elements
A method of recovering materials from soil, comprising the steps of:
- separating a soil mixture into a first portion of large recoverable materials of a first predetermined size and a second portion of materials that are smaller than the first predetermined size;
- separating the second portion into a third portion having of materials having a second predetermined size that is smaller than the first predetermined size, and a fourth portion of materials that are smaller than the second predetermined size;
- separating the fourth portion into a first group and a second group using a magnetic field created by the magnetic device, wherein the first group contains ferrous material that was influenced by the magnetic field during separation;
- separating the third portion into at least two groups of materials, a non-ferrous group of materials and a ferrous metal group of materials, the ferrous group of materials containing more recoverable materials containing iron than the non-ferrous group of materials;
- separating non-ferrous group of materials into a lighter weight first group of materials and a heavier second group of materials by exposing the non-ferrous group of materials to a separation air flow while mechanically agitating the non-ferrous group of materials;
- and
- separating non-ferrous metal materials from the heavier second group of materials by passing the heavier second group of materials near a system that induces eddy currents in non-ferrous metal materials that are in the heavier second group of materials, the eddy currents being strong enough to physically move the non-ferrous metal materials away from a conveyance that they rest upon and into a non-ferrous metal material area.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.