Electrostatic separation control system
AssigneeSeparation Technologies, Inc.
InventorsBruce E. MacKay, Bulent Sert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process control system, more particularly, a process control system for controlling electrostatic separation for the separation of particulate materials is provided.
Claims73
A method for controlling processing of particulate materials using an electrostatic separation system, the method comprising:
- processing particulate material in an electrostatic separation system to recover a first stream that is diluted in at least one component of an incoming feed, and a second stream that is concentrated in at least one component of the incoming feed;
- determining at least one input variable of the electrostatic separation process and at least one output variable indicative of at least one property of the first stream to be controlled in the electrostatic separation system;
- measuring at time spaced intervals the at least one output variable from the electrostatic separation system;
- selecting a target range for the at least one output variable;
- comparing the measured output variable with the target range to generate an output signal;
- and
- adjusting the at least one input variable in response to a process based at least in part on the output signal.
An apparatus for separating particulate mixtures comprising:
- a feed point configured to receive particulate material;
- an electrostatic separation system;
- a sensor in fluid communication with the particulate material and configured to measure an output variable of the particulate material;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to receive an output signal from the sensor based at least in part on the measured output variable and control at least one input variable of the electrostatic separation system based at least in part on the output signal.
A computer readable medium including computer readable signals stored thereon defining instructions that, as a result of being executed by a controller, instruct the controller to perform a method of controlling processing of particulate materials using an electrostatic separation system comprising:
- measuring at least one output variable;
- comparing the at least one output variable to a target range;
- generating an output signal based on the at least one output variable and the target range;
- and
- adjusting at least one input variable based at least in part on the output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.