Hydraulic hoisting system and method
AssigneeCementation Canada Inc.
InventorsAlun Price Jones, Stephen Korski, Roy Stephen Slack
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a hydraulic hoisting system for moving material from an underground position to a surface level. In most cases, the system will be used to move fragmented rock or ore generated during the normal operation of a mine to a position on or near the surface of the Earth so that the rock or ore can be further processed. The system is a conduit loop for continuous flow of circulating fluid from near or at the surface to underground; a slurry preparation unit for mixing the material with a portion of the fluid to form a slurry; and an injection unit for injecting the slurry into the conduit.
Claims20
A hydraulic hoisting system for hoisting material from underground, the system comprising:
- a conduit loop for continuous flow of circulating fluid from near or at the surface to underground comprising a downcomer conduit and a riser conduit;
- a slurry preparation unit for mixing the material with a portion of the fluid to form a slurry;
- and
- an injection unit for injecting the slurry into the conduit loop.
A method for hoisting material from underground comprising the steps of:
- providing a looped continuous flow of circulating fluid from near or at the surface to underground;
- preparing a slurry comprising material and fluid at an underground location;
- injecting the slurry into the looped continuous flow of circulating fluid for transport to at or near the surface;
- and
- separating the slurry into a material component and a fluid component at or near the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.