Iron ore separation device

A high intensitv magnetic separation device for separating a treatment slurry including magnetic particles and nonmagnetic particles suspended in water into a concentrate fraction and a tailings fraction, said device comprising:

• a first generally horizontal rotor rotatable about a first generally vertical axis, said first rotor defining a first circular channel rotatable about the first axis, said first channel defining a flow path through said first rotor and containing a matrix material therein, wherein the first channel is configured to allow passage of a downwardly moving fluid stream therethrough in contact with the matrix material;
• a first rigid support frame operable to support said first rotor;
• a first driver mounted to said first support frame said first driver operable to rotate said first rotor at a generally constant rate;
• a first plurality of permanent magnet members fixedly attached to said first support frame, the first permanent magnet members positioned to straddle said first channel at a plurality of locations spaced apart along the circular path of said first channel, the first magnet members effective to apply magnetic fields across a plurality of portions of said path where said first channel is straddled by the first permanent magnet members, said portions defining a plurality of magnetic zones, said magnetic zones being separated along said circular path by nonmagnetic zones, thereby providing a repeating series of separation zones and nonmagnetic zones along said circular path;
• a first plurality of feed conduits for delivering a treatment slurry into the first channel at a plurality of input locations, each input location being positioned within one of the plurality of magnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• a first plurality of water delivery conduits for delivering water into the first channel at a plurality of locations within the magnetic zones and within the nonmagnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• and
• a first plurality of tailings launders and a first plurality of concentrate launders positioned beneath said first channel;
• said first tailings launders positioned beneath said magnetic zones for receiving a first tailings fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said magnetic zones;
• and said first concentrate launders positioned beneath said nonmagnetic zones for receiving a first concentrate fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said nonmagnetic zones;
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a foraminous channel floor operable to allow passage of the first tailings fraction therethrough as the first tailings fraction exits said first channel, and wherein said matrix material comprises a plurality of discrete magnetically susceptible objects sized to be retained in said first channel by said channel floor;
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a plurality of vertical radial separating walls in said first channel, said separating walls dividing said first channel into a plurality of arc-shaped channel segments;
• and
• wherein said water delivery system further comprises:
• at least one water delivery nozzle mounted to a vertically reciprocating carriage;
• and
• a control system operable to intermittently lower the water delivery nozzle to an elevational position below the tops of the respective side walls of said first channel and below the tops of two adjacent radially-oriented separating walls and intermittently raise the water delivery nozzle to an elevational position above the top of a separating wall passing thereunder.

A high intensity magnetic separation device for separating a treatment slurry including magnetic particles and nonmagnetic particles suspended in water into a concentrate fraction and a tailings fraction, said device comprising:

• a first generally horizontal rotor rotatable about a first generally vertical axis, said first rotor defining a first circular channel rotatable about the first axis, said first channel defining a flow path through said first rotor and containing a matrix material therein, wherein the first channel is configured to allow passage of a downwardly moving fluid stream therethrough in contact with the matrix material;
• a first rigid support frame operable to support said first rotor;
• a first driver mounted to said first support frame said first driver operable to rotate said first rotor at a generally constant rate;
• first plurality of permanent magnet members fixedly attached to said first support frame, the first permanent magnet members positioned to straddle said first channel at a plurality of locations spaced apart along the circular path of said first channel, the first magnet members effective to apply magnetic fields across a plurality of portions of said path where said first channel is straddled by the first permanent magnet members, said portions defining a plurality of magnetic zones, said magnetic zones being separated along said circular path by nonmagnetic zones, thereby providing a repeating series of separation zones and nonmagnetic zones along said circular path;
• a first plurality of feed conduits for delivering a treatment slurry into the first channel at a plurality of input locations, each input location being positioned within one of the plurality of magnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• a first plurality of water delivery conduits for delivering water into the first channel at a plurality of locations within the magnetic zones and within the nonmagnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• and
• a first plurality of tailings launders and a first plurality of concentrate launders positioned beneath said first channel;
• said first tailings launders positioned beneath said magnetic zones for receiving a first tailings fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said magnetic zones;
• and said first concentrate launders positioned beneath said nonmagnetic zones for receiving a first concentrate fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said nonmagnetic zones;
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a foraminous channel floor operable to allow passage of the first tailings fraction therethrough as the first tailings fraction exits said first channel, and wherein said matrix material comprises a plurality of discrete magnetically susceptible objects sized to be retained in said first channel by said channel floor;
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a plurality of vertical radial separating walls in said first channel, said separating walls dividing said first channel into a plurality of arc-shaped channel segments;
• and
• wherein said first rotor comprises a support frame including an inner support frame component, and outer support frame component and a plurality of radial support frame components rigidly connected to said inner support frame component and said outer support frame component;
• and wherein said first driver comprises at least three thrust wheels positioned to engage said outer support frame component.

A high intensity magnetic separation device for separating a treatment slurry including magnetic particles and nonmagnetic particles suspended in water into a concentrate fraction and a tailings fraction, said device comprising;

• a first generally horizontal rotor rotatable about a first generally vertical axis, said first rotor defining a first circular channel rotatable about the first axis, said first channel defining a flow path through said first rotor and containing a matrix material therein, wherein the first channel is configured to allow passage of a downwardly moving fluid stream therethrough in contact with the matrix material;
• a first rigid support frame operable to support said first rotor;
• a first driver mounted to said first support frame, said first driver operable to rotate said first rotor at a generally constant rate;
• a first plurality of permanent magnet members fixedly attached to said first support frame, the first permanent magnet members positioned to straddle said first channel at a plurality of locations spaced apart along the circular path of said first channel, the first magnet members effective to apply magnetic fields across a plurality of portions of said path where said first channel is straddled by the first permanent magnet members, said portions defining plurality of magnetic zones, said magnetic zones being separated along said circular path by nonmagnetic zones, thereby providing a repeating series of separation zones and nonmagnetic zones along said circular path;
• a first plurality of feed conduits for delivering a treatment slurry into the first channel at a plurality of input locations, each input location being positioned within one of the plurality of magnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• a first plurality of water delivery conduits for delivering water into the first channel at a plurality of locations within the magnetic zones and within the nonmagnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• and
• a first plurality of tailings launders and a first plurality of concentrate launders positioned beneath said first channel;
• said first tailings launders positioned beneath said magnetic zones for receiving a first tailings fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said magnetic zones;
• and said first concentrate launders positioned beneath said nonmagnetic zones for receiving a first concentrate fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said nonmagnetic zones;
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a foraminous channel floor operable to allow passage of the first tailings fraction therethrough as the first tailings fraction exits said first channel, and wherein said matrix material comprises a plurality of discrete magnetically susceptible objects sized to be retained in said first channel by said channel floor;
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a plurality of vertical radial separating walls in said first channel, said separating walls dividing said first channel into a plurality of arc-shaped channel segments;
• and
• wherein each of said first plurality of tailings launders is separated from a corresponding one of said first plurality of concentrate launders by a dividing wall;
• and wherein said dividing wall is configured to be horizontally adjustable.

A high intensity magnetic separation device for separating a treatment slurry including magnetic particles and nonmagnetic particles suspended in water into a concentrate fraction and a tailings fraction, said device comprising:

• a first generally horizontal rotor rotatable about a first generally vertical axis, said first rotor defining a first circular channel rotatable about the first axis, said first channel defining a flow path through said first rotor and containing a matrix material therein, wherein the first channel is configured to allow passage of a downwardly moving fluid stream therethrough in contact with the matrix material;
• a first rigid support frame operable to support said first rotor;
• a first driver mounted to said first support frame, said first driver operable to rotate said first rotor at a generally constant rate;
• a first plurality of permanent magnet members fixedly attached to said first support frame, the first permanent magnet members positioned to straddle said first channel at a plurality of locations spaced apart along the circular path of said first channel, the first magnet members effective to apply magnetic fields across a plurality of portions of said path where said first channel is straddled by the first permanent magnet members, said portions defining a plurality of magnetic zones, said magnetic zones being separated along said circular path by nonmagnetic zones, thereby providing a repeating series of separation zones and nonmagnetic zones along said circular path;
• a first plurality of feed conduits for delivering a treatment slurry into the first channel at a plurality of input locations, each input location being positioned within one of the plurality of magnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• a first plurality of water delivery conduits for delivering water into the first channel at a plurality of locations within the magnetic zones and within the nonmagnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• a first plurality of tailings launders and a first plurality of concentrate launders positioned beneath said first channel;
• said first tailings launders positioned beneath said magnetic zones for receiving a first tailings fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said magnetic zones;
• and said first concentrate launders positioned beneath said nonmagnetic zone for receiving a first concentrate fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said nonmagnetic zones;
• and
• a control system operable to periodically activate pulses of higher pressure, higher flow rate or a combination thereof, through one or more of said water delivery conduits;
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a foraminous channel floor operable to allow passage of the first tailings fraction therethrough as the first tailings fraction exits said first channel, and wherein said matrix material comprises a plurality of discrete magnetically susceptible objects sized to be retained in said first channel by said channel floor;
• and
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a plurality of vertical radial separating walls in said first channel, said separating walls dividing said first channel into a plurality of arc-shaped channel segments.

A high intensity magnetic separation device for separating a treatment slurry including magnetic particles and nonmagnetic particles suspended in water into a concentrate fraction and a tailings fraction, said device comprising:

• a first generally horizontal rotor rotatable about a first generally vertical axis, said first rotor defining a first circular channel rotatable about the first axis, said first channel defining a flow path through said first rotor and containing a matrix material therein, wherein the first channel is configured to allow passage of a downwardly moving fluid stream therethrough in contact with the matrix material;
• a first rigid support frame operable to support said first rotor;
• a first driver mounted to said first support frame, said first driver operable to rotate said first rotor at a generally constant rate;
• a first plurality of permanent magnet members fixedly attached to said first support frame, the first permanent magnet members positioned to straddle said first channel at a plurality of locations spaced apart along the circular path of said first channel, the first magnet members effective to apply magnetic fields across a plurality of portions of said path where said first channel is straddled by the first permanent magnet members, said portions defining a plurality of magnetic zones, said magnetic zones being separated along said circular path by nonmagnetic zones, thereby providing a repeating series of separation zones and nonmagnetic zones along said circular path;
• a first plurality of feed conduits for delivering a treatment slurry into the first channel at a plurality of input locations, each input location being positioned within one of the plurality of magnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• a first plurality of water delivery conduits for delivering water into the first channel at a plurality of locations within the magnetic zones and within the nonmagnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• a first plurality of tailings launders and a first plurality of concentrate launders positioned beneath said first channel;
• said first tailings launders positioned beneath said magnetic zones for receiving a first tailings fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said magnetic zones;
• and said first concentrate launders positioned beneath said nonmagnetic zones for receiving a first concentrate fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said nonmagnetic zones;
• and
• a control system comprising:
• an agitation indication module structured to interpret an agitation indicator;
• an agitation planning module structured to provide an agitation control command in response to the agitation indicator;
• and
• an agitating module structured to agitate contents of at east one channel segment in response to the agitation control command;
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a foraminous channel floor operable to allow passage of the first tailings fraction therethrough as the first tailings fraction exits said first channel, and wherein said matrix material comprises a plurality of discrete magnetically susceptible objects sized to be retained in said first channel by said channel floor;
• and
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a plurality of vertical radial separating walls in said first channel, said separating walls dividing said first channel into a plurality of arc-shaped channel segments.

A high intensity magnetic separation device for separating a treatment slurry including magnetic particles and nonmagnetic particles suspended in water into a concentrate fraction and a tailings fraction, said device comprising:

• a first generally horizontal rotor rotatable about a first generally vertical axis, said first rotor defining a first circular channel rotatable about the first axis, said first channel defining a flow path through said first rotor and containing a matrix material therein, wherein the first channel is configured to allow passage of a downwardly moving fluid stream therethrough in contact with the matrix material;
• a first rigid support frame operable to support said first rotor;
• a first driver mounted to said first support frame, said first driver operable to rotate said first rotor at a generally constant rate;
• a first plurality of permanent magnet members fixedly attached to said first support frame, the first permanent magnet members positioned to straddle said first channel at a plurality of locations spaced apart along the circular path of said first channel, the first magnet members effective to apply magnetic fields across a plurality of portions of said path where said first channel is straddled by the first permanent magnet members, said portions defining a plurality of magnetic zones, said magnetic zones being separated along said circular path by nonmagnetic zones, thereby providing a repeating series of separation zones and nonmagnetic zones alone said circular path;
• a first plurality of feed conduits for delivering a treatment slurry into the first channel at a plurality of input locations, each input location being positioned within one of the plurality of magnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• a first plurality of water delivery conduits for delivering water into the first channel at a plurality of locations within the magnetic zones and within the nonmagnetic zones defined by said first plurality of permanent magnet members;
• a first plurality of tailings launders and a first plurality of concentrate launders positioned beneath said first channel;
• said first tailings launders positioned beneath said magnetic zones for receiving a first tailings fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said magnetic zones;
• and said first concentrate launders positioned beneath said nonmagnetic zones for receiving a first concentrate fraction of the treatment slurry that passes through the first channel in said nonmagnetic zones;
• a second generally horizontal rotor rotatable about the first axis or a second generally vertical axis, said second rotor defining a second circular channel rotatable about the first or second axis, said channel defining a flow path through said second rotor and containing a matrix material therein, wherein the second channel is configured to allow passage of a downwardly moving fluid stream in contact with the matrix material;
• a second rigid support frame operable to support said second rotor;
• a second driver mounted to said second support frame, said second driver operable to rotate said second rotor at a generally constant rate;
• a second plurality of permanent magnet members fixedly attached to said second support frame, the second permanent magnet members positioned to straddle said second channel at a plurality of locations spaced apart along the circular path of said second channel, the second magnet members effective to apply magnetic fields across a plurality of portions of said path where said second channel is straddled by the second permanent magnet members, said portions defining a plurality of separations zones, said separation zones being separated along said circular path by nonmagnetic zones, thereby providing a repeating series of separation zones and nonmagnetic zones along said circular path;
• a second plurality of feed conduits for delivering one or both of the first concentrate fraction and the first tailings fraction into the second channel at a plurality of input locations, each input location being positioned within one of the plurality of separation zones of the second channel defined by said second plurality of permanent magnet members;
• a second plurality of water delivery conduits for delivering water into the second channel at a plurality of locations within the separation zones and within the nonmagnetic zones defined by said second plurality of permanent magnet members;
• and
• a second plurality of tailings launders and a second plurality of concentrate launders positioned beneath said second channel;
• said second tailings launders positioned beneath said separation zones for receiving a second tailings fraction that passes through the second channel in said separation zones;
• and said second concentrate launders positioned beneath said nonmagnetic zones for receiving a second concentrate fraction that passes through the second channel in said nonmagnetic zones;
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a foraminous channel floor operable to allow passage of the first tailings fraction therethrough as the first tailings fraction exits said first channel, and wherein said matrix material comprises a plurality of discrete magnetically susceptible objects sized to be retained in said first channel by said channel floor;
• wherein said first rotor further comprises a plurality of vertical radial separating walls in said first channel, said separating walls dividing said first channel into a plurality of arc-shaped channel segments;
• wherein said floor of at least one of said channel segments comprises a drop-in screen sized and shaped to fit within one of said channel segments;
• and
• wherein at least one of said first and second rotors defines a plurality of connected and spaced apart circular channels rotatable about the first or second axis, each of said first or second plurality of channels defining a flow path through the first or second rotor and containing a matrix material therein, wherein each of said first or second plurality of channels is configured to allow passage of a downwardly moving fluid stream in contact with the matrix material contained therein.

A system, comprising:

• a horizontally oriented rotor having a circular channel positioned thereon, the circular channel having a slurry-permeable floor and a discrete object matrix positioned therein, wherein the discrete object matrix comprises a plurality of shaped objects, each of the shaped object having a magnetic characteristic that is one of magnetic and magnetically susceptible;
• a drive mechanism operationally coupled to the rotor;
• a permanent magnet rotationally independent from the rotor, wherein the permanent magnet is positioned to apply a magnetic field across the circular channel over a range of angular positions of the rotor;
• a feed conduit structured to deliver a treatment slurry into the first channel;
• a first water delivery conduit structured to deliver water into the first channel from above said first channel;
• a second water delivery conduit structured to deliver water into the first channel from below said first channel;
• a tailings launder positioned beneath the circular channel within the range of angular positions of the rotor;
• and
• a concentrate launder positioned beneath the circular channel outside the range of angular positions of the rotor.

A system, comprising:

• a horizontally oriented rotor having a circular channel positioned thereon, the circular channel having a slurry-permeable floor and a discrete object matrix positioned therein, wherein the discrete object matrix comprises a plurality of shaped objects, each of the shaped object having a magnetic characteristic that is one of magnetic and magnetically susceptible;
• a drive mechanism operationally coupled to the rotor;
• a permanent magnet rotationally independent from the rotor, wherein the permanent magnet is positioned to apply a magnetic field across the circular channel over a range of angular positions of the rotor;
• a feed conduit structured to deliver a treatment slurry into the first channel;
• a water delivery conduit structured to deliver water into the first channel;
• a tailings launder positioned beneath the circular channel within the range of angular positions of the rotor;
• and
• a concentrate launder positioned beneath the circular channel outside the range of angular positions of the rotor;
• wherein tailings launder is separated from said concentrate launder by a dividing wall;
• and
• wherein said dividing wall is configured to be horizontally adjustable.