Apparatus and method for the detection and rejection of metal in particulate material
AssigneeSyncrude Canada Ltd.
InventorsGeorge Holmes, Robert LeClair, Blair Jarvis
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims13
A system for rejecting a portion of non-metallic particulate material containing a piece of tramp metal, the system comprising:
- a first conveyor having a discharge end, the discharge end positioned to discharge particulate material from the first conveyor to an intake opening;
- a metal detector positioned adjacent to the first conveyor and upstream a travel distance from the discharge end;
- a redirection device provided at the discharge end of the first conveyor, the redirection device comprising a second conveyor positioned so that particulate material discharged from the discharge end of the first conveyor is deposited onto the second conveyor, the second conveyer having a first end positioned over the intake opening and a second end positioned away from the intake opening, the second conveyor further being bidirectional such that the second conveyor operates in a first direction to direct the particulate material into the intake opening and in a second direction to direct the particular material 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 tramp metal in the particulate material traveling along the first conveyor, determine a travel time for the piece of tramp metal to reach the discharge end of the first conveyor;
- and
- activate the redirection device so that the second conveyer operates in the second direction to redirect particulate material discharged from the discharge end of the first 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 first conveyor discharging, the method comprising:
- detecting a piece of tramp metal in particulate material carried by the first conveyor;
- determining a travel time indicating when the piece of tramp metal will be discharged from the first conveyor to a second conveyer having a first end positioned over an intake opening and a second end positioned away from the intake opening, the second conveyor further being bidirectional such that the second conveyor operates in a first direction to direct particulate material into the intake opening and in a second direction to direct particular material away from the intake opening;
- and
- directing particulate material discharged to the second conveyer away from the intake opening for a discharge time by operating the second conveyer in the second direction and then redirecting the particulate matter being discharged from the first conveyor to the second conveyer towards the intake opening after the discharge time by operating the second conveyer in the first direction,
- wherein the travel time occurs within the discharge time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.