US 9,314,823 B2Granted

High capacity cascade-type mineral sorting machine and method

AssigneeMineSense Technologies Ltd.

InventorsAndrew Sherliker Bamber, Andrew Csinger, David Poole

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Abstract

Methods and systems for achieving higher efficiencies and capacities in sorting feed material are described, such as for separating desirable “good” rock or ore from undesirable “bad” rock or ore in an unsegregated, unseparated stream of feed material. Higher efficiencies are achieved with combinations of multiple sensor/diverter cells in stages in a cascade arrangement. The number and combination of cells in the cascade may be determined through a priori characterization of probabilities involved in sensor/rock and rock/diverter interactions, and mathematical determinations of the optimal number and combination of stages based on this probability. Further, desired sorting capacities are achieved through addition of multiple cascades in parallel until the desired sorting capacity is reached.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A system for sorting ore from a material-stream overflow, comprising:

a first size-classifying stage configured to separate at least a portion of the material stream overflow into at least fine fractions and coarse fractions;
a first sorting cascade comprising at least one sorting cell, wherein the first sorting cascade is configured to:
receive the coarse fractions;
detect content of at least a first desired component from the coarse fractions;
and
sort, based on a first grade threshold, the coarse fractions into a coarse fraction accept stream and a coarse fraction reject stream;
a second sorting cascade comprising at least one sorting cell, wherein the second sorting cascade is configured to:
receive the fine fractions;
detect content of at least a second desired component from the fine fractions;
and
sort, based on a second grade threshold, the fine fractions into a fine fraction accept stream and a fine fraction reject stream;
a product stream comprising the fine fraction accept stream and the coarse fraction accept stream;
a tailings stream comprising the fine fraction reject stream and the coarse fraction reject stream;
and
a central marshalling computer configured to determine a number of sorting cells in the first sorting cascade by:
calculating a probability of correctly determining the content of the first desired component of the coarse fractions using a sensor;
calculating a probability of correctly diverting the coarse fractions using a diverter;
calculating a utility of the first sorting cascade based on the probability of correctly determining the content of the first desired component of the coarse fractions and the probability of correctly diverting the coarse fractions;
and
determining the number of the at least one sorting cell in the first sorting cascade based on the calculated utility.

17 more elements

A system for sorting ore from a material-stream overflow, comprising:

a first separating mechanism configured to separate at least a portion of the material stream overflow into at least fine fractions and coarse fractions;
a first sorting mechanism comprising at least one sorting cell, wherein the first sorting mechanism is configured to:
receive the coarse fractions;
detect content of at least a first desired component from the coarse fractions;
and
sort, based on a first grade threshold, the coarse fractions into a coarse fraction accept stream and a coarse fraction reject stream;
a second sorting mechanism comprising at least one sorting cell, wherein the second sorting mechanism is configured to:
receive the fine fractions;
detect content of at least a second desired component from the fine fractions;
and
sort, based on a second grade threshold, the fine fractions into a fine fraction accept stream and a fine fraction reject stream;
and
a central marshalling computer configured to determine a number of sorting cells in the first sorting mechanism by:
calculating a probability of correctly determining the content of the first desired component of the coarse fractions using a sensor;
calculating a probability of correctly diverting the coarse fractions using a diverter;
calculating a utility of the first sorting mechanism based on the probability of correctly determining the content of the first desired component of the coarse fractions and the probability of correctly diverting the coarse fractions;
and
determining the number of the at least one sorting cell in the first sorting mechanism based on the calculated utility.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/875,105Filed 1 May 2013 · us provisional application
Priority: 1 May 2012
Published: US 2013/0292307 A17 Nov 2013
Granted: 19 Apr 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B07C 5/04
Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or…:…
B07C 5/34
Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or…:…
B07C 5/3425
According to optical properties, e.g. colour: of granular material, e.g. ore particles, grain
B07C 5/36
Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or…:…