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US 2025/0059622 A1Published application
Zinc Production Powered by Geothermal Energy
AssigneeEnhancedGEO Holdings, LLC
InventorsGreg Lindberg, Kimberly C. Conner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A geothermally powered zinc production subsystem includes a geothermal system with a wellbore extending from a surface into an underground magma reservoir. A hopper receives a sphalerite ore that is crushed and provided to a flotation tank. The flotation tank is heated by a heat transfer fluid heated by the geothermal system, and a product of the flotation tank is used to prepare zinc.
Claims10
A geothermally powered zinc production system, comprising:
- a geothermal system comprising a wellbore extending from a surface into an underground magma reservoir, the wellbore configured to heat a heat transfer fluid via heat transfer with the underground magma reservoir, thereby forming heated heat transfer fluid;
- a hopper comprising a vessel configured to receive a sphalerite ore and direct the received sphalerite ore through a crusher;
- the crusher configured to crush at least a portion of the sphalerite ore directed therethrough, thereby forming crushed sphalerite ore;
- a flotation tank configured to:
- receive at least a portion of the crushed sphalerite ore and flotation reagents;
- suspend the received crushed sphalerite ore and received flotation reagents in a slurry;
- and
- heat the slurry via heat transfer with the heated heat transfer fluid, thereby forming a froth comprising zinc sulfide;
- and
- a roaster configured to:
- receive at least a portion of the froth produced by the flotation tank;
- and
- heat the received froth via heat transfer with the heated heat transfer fluid, thereby causing the zinc sulfide to convert to zinc oxide.
10 more elements
A method, comprising:
- heating, using a geothermal system comprising a wellbore extending from a surface into an underground magma reservoir, a heat transfer fluid via heat transfer with the underground magma reservoir, thereby forming heated heat transfer fluid;
- directing, using a hopper, a sphalerite ore through a crusher;
- crushing, using the crusher, at least a portion of the sphalerite ore directed therethrough, thereby forming crushed sphalerite ore;
- receiving, by a flotation tank, at least a portion of the crushed sphalerite ore and flotation reagents;
- suspending the received crushed sphalerite ore and received flotation reagents in a slurry held in the flotation tank;
- heating the slurry in the flotation tank via heat transfer with the heated heat transfer fluid, thereby forming a froth comprising zinc sulfide;
- receiving, by a roaster, at least a portion of the froth produced by the flotation tank;
- and
- heating, in the roaster, the received froth via heat transfer with the heated heat transfer fluid, thereby causing the zinc sulfide to convert to zinc oxide.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.