AU646869B2 - Apparatus for separating particulate material from a liquid - Google Patents

Apparatus for separating particulate material from a liquid Download PDF

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Publication number
AU646869B2
AU646869B2 AU79352/91A AU7935291A AU646869B2 AU 646869 B2 AU646869 B2 AU 646869B2 AU 79352/91 A AU79352/91 A AU 79352/91A AU 7935291 A AU7935291 A AU 7935291A AU 646869 B2 AU646869 B2 AU 646869B2
Authority
AU
Australia
Prior art keywords
screen
liquid
outlet
particulate material
pipe
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
AU79352/91A
Other versions
AU7935291A (en
Inventor
William Baguley
Timothy John Clamp
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of AU7935291A publication Critical patent/AU7935291A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of AU646869B2 publication Critical patent/AU646869B2/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D35/00—Filtering devices having features not specifically covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D33/00, or for applications not specifically covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D33/00; Auxiliary devices for filtration; Filter housing constructions
    • B01D35/26—Filters with built-in pumps filters provided with a pump mounted in or on the casing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D29/00—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor
    • B01D29/11—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor with bag, cage, hose, tube, sleeve or like filtering elements
    • B01D29/114—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor with bag, cage, hose, tube, sleeve or like filtering elements arranged for inward flow filtration
    • B01D29/115—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor with bag, cage, hose, tube, sleeve or like filtering elements arranged for inward flow filtration open-ended, the arrival of the mixture to be filtered and the discharge of the concentrated mixture are situated on both opposite sides of the filtering element
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D29/00—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor
    • B01D29/88—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor having feed or discharge devices
    • B01D29/885—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor having feed or discharge devices with internal recirculation through the filtering element
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D29/00—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor
    • B01D29/88—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor having feed or discharge devices
    • B01D29/90—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor having feed or discharge devices for feeding
    • B01D29/902—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor having feed or discharge devices for feeding containing fixed liquid displacement elements or cores
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D29/00—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor
    • B01D29/88—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor having feed or discharge devices
    • B01D29/90—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor having feed or discharge devices for feeding
    • B01D29/904—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor having feed or discharge devices for feeding directing the mixture to be filtered on the filtering element in a manner to clean the filter continuously
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D29/00—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor
    • B01D29/88—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor having feed or discharge devices
    • B01D29/94—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor having feed or discharge devices for discharging the filter cake, e.g. chutes
    • B01D29/945—Filters with filtering elements stationary during filtration, e.g. pressure or suction filters, not covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D27/00; Filtering elements therefor having feed or discharge devices for discharging the filter cake, e.g. chutes for continuously discharging concentrated liquid
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D2201/00—Details relating to filtering apparatus
    • B01D2201/02—Filtering elements having a conical form

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Separation Of Solids By Using Liquids Or Pneumatic Power (AREA)

Description

AUSTRALIA
PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT
ORIGINAL
Regulation 3.2 646869 0
S
0 0* 6 0* S
S
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09 9 *9t 09 0 0* S Name of Applicants: WILLIAM BAGULEY and TIMOTHY JOHN CLAMP Actual Inventors: WILLIAM BAGULEY and TIMOTHY JOHN CLAMP Address for Service: R K MADDERN ASSOCIATES, 345 King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Invention title: "APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING PARTICULATE MATERIAL FROM A LIQUID" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for separating particulate material from a liquid, such as carbon particles in a slurry.
Carbon-in-pulp and resin-in-pulp processes are commonly used to recover metal values (particularly gold) from a slurry of mined ore. The surry is circulated through tanks containung carbon or resin particles, and the metal values are adsorbed onto the carbon granules. A screening process of one kind or another is used to separate the metal-laden carbon or resin particles from the slurry, which is usually passed through several tanks in order to extract as much metal as possible.
The efficiency with which carbon or resin particles can be separated from the slurry is crucial to the efficiency of the metal recovery process. It is also desirable to reduce attrition of the carbon or resin particles, which can occur particularly in apparatus which forces the slurry through a screen under pressure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention apparatus for separating particulate material from a liquid comprises: a vessel for liquid containing particulate material; a cot duit in the vessel with an inlet located to be below the surfa de of liquid in the vessel and an outlet located to be above the surface; impeller means for pumping liquid and particulate material in the vessel through the conduit and out of the outlet; C an inclined screen above the vessel and extending outwardly and downwardly from the outlet; a deflector plate disposed above the outlet and extending adjacent to the screen to force liquid and particulate iiaterial leaving the outlet downwardly over the screen; and a launder underneath the screen, so that when liquid and particulate material are pumped through the conduit and out of the outlet, the liquid passes through the screen into the launder, while the particulate material is retained by the screen.
preferably, the screen surrounds the outlet.
The screen may be frusto-conical and may be concentric with the outlet of the conduit.
The screen may have a lowermost edge which is located directly above the vessel to allow the particulate material retained by the screen to gravitate back into the vessel.
Alternatively, a second launder may be provided for collection of the retained particulate material.
Preferably, a deflector plate is disposed above the outlet of the conduit to force liquid and particulate material leaving the outlet downwardly over the screen.
The impeller means may comprise an axial flow impeller in the conduit.
Alternatively, the impeller means may comprise an airlift below the inlet of the conduit.
4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic sectional side view of a first embodiment of apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional side view of a second embodiment of the apparatus; and Figure 3 is a schematic sectional side view of a third embodiment of the apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS In Figure 1, a first embodiment of the apparatus of the invention is seen to comprise a large tank 10 in which is located an upright conduit in the form of an open ended central pipe 12. The lower end 14 of the pipe serves as an inlet, and is spaced above the bottom 16 of the tank 10. The upper end 18 of the pipe is arranged to extend above the level of liquid 20 in the tank. The liquid 20 is typically a slurry of mined ore.
Within the pipe 12 is an axial flow impeller 22 which is connected to an electric motor 24 via a shaft 26. The pipe 12 is fitted with guide vanes 28 above the impeller 22, which control swirling of liquid in the pipe above the impeller. The vanes can be angled to substantially prevent swirling of liquid moving up the pipe, or can be angled to allow a desired degree of swirl. The vanes also prevent undesired waves in the liquid leaving the pipe, and prevent vortexing and cavitation.
The top end 18 of the pipe serves as an outlet, around which is disposed a frusto-conical screen 30. The screen 30 surrounds the mouth of the pipe, and slopes downwardly away from the mouth of the pipe at an angle of approximately 45°. The screen 30 is typically constructed from stainless steel
C..
*C C C C
C
CC..
C
C
CC
C C.
CCC..
C C go II it wire mesh or wedge wire, but can also be constructed from other screen materials such as woven polyester cloth. The screen has apertures which are sized to prevent particles of carbon or resin (or other particulate materials) from passing through the screen, but to allow liquid (or slurry, as in the present example) to pass through. In the case of carbon granules used in a carbon-in-pulp process, the granules are typically 1 to 3 mm in size, so that a screen with an aperture size of 600 tuo 50 microns is suitable. In the case of resin beads having a size of about 600 to 800 microns, an aperture size of 500 microns is suitable. Below the screen 30 is arranged a helical launder 32, which terminates in a liquid outlet pipe 34. The outer edge of the screen overhangs the launder 32.
The described apparatus is usually one of several making up a metal recovery installation. The tank 10 is filled with a mixture of slurry and carbon granules or particles. For example, an inlet pipe 36 from an adjacent tank may be the source of slurry. When the motor 24 is operated, the impeller 22 rotates, drawing a mixture of slurry and carbon or resin particles up the tube 12. The mixture exits the outlet 18 of the tube and spills outwardly over the screen A circular top plate 38 and a frusto-conical deflector plate 40 above the screen 30 control the flow of the slurry and carbon or resin particles over the screen. The deflector plate 40 is tapered so that the gap between the deflector plate and the screen narrows towards their respective outer edges, compensating for the increase in volume between the screen and the deflector plate radially outwardly thereof. The deflector plate stops short of the edge of the screen, allowing an operator to monitor the operation of the apparatus.
The cover 38 and the deflector plate 40 prevent splashing and turbulence in the liquid passing over the screen, improving the flow rate of liquid through the screen.
It will be understood that although the described screen 30 is frusto-conical and surrounds the outlet of the pipe 12, other screen configurations are possible. For example, a multi-section screen or a flat screer, could be used, with the pipe 12 being arranged to discharge over the screen.
Due to the slope of the screen 30, carbon or resin particles in the liquid gravitate down the screen and fall off its edge back into the tank 10, while the slurry passes through the screen, as shown by the arrows beneath the screen, and is collected in the launder 32. The outlet pipe 34 feeds the slurry to the next tank in the series, or elsewhere as required. Due to the effectiveness of the axial flow impeller in the pipe 12, it is relatively easy to generate a head of, say, 1,5 m above the level of the slurry in the tank 10, which leaves a relatively large degree of freedom in designing the screen 30 and the launder 32. This also allows a number of tanks to be located side by side on the same level in a metal recovery installation, making auxiliary pumps unnecessary for pumping the slurry from tank to tank.
In a prototype installation, a four blade impeller was used, the impeller blades having a tip angle of between 20' and 350 and a root angle of approximately 450. Instead of an impeller, it is possible to use an airlift, as indicated in dotted outline in Figure 1. At the bottom of the tank, a pipe 42 for compressed air is arranged with a downwardly facing outlet 44 directly below the inlet 14 of the pipe 12. By pumping compressed air into the pipe 42 under sufficient pressure, slurry is entrained with air rushing up the pipe, achieving a similar effect to the impeller 22. However, the use of an airlift may be preferable in certain cases, for example, when using relatively friable resin particles for metal adsorption.
The angle of slope of the screen 30 can be varied, but is preferably in the region of 450 from the vertical. Increasing the steepness of the slope improves the rate of removal of carbon particles from the screen, but reduces the effective aperture area of the screen for the slurry passing through the screen.
Conversely, a more shallow screen sloped at 250 or 300) has a larger effective aperture area, but the carbon particles gravitate more slowly down the screen and back into the tank. Of course, the shallower the slope of the screen, the smaller the head which the impeller is required to generate.
S S A variation of the apparatus is shown in Figure 2, in which a second launder 46 is disposed below the periphery of the screen 30, around the launder 16.
Carbon or resin particles are thus collected in the launder 46 instead of returning to the tank 10, for transfer in the opposite direction to the slurry in a countercurrent operation, for example. An auxiliary outlet pipe 48 empties the launder 46. In the embodiment of Figure 2, the apparatus may be arranged so that a proportion of the slurry leaving the outlet of the pipe 12 passes over the screen 30 and into the launder 46, to wash the carbon particles away. This avoids dilution of the slurry in a countercurrent operation. Alternatively, water or other liquid from a supply valve 50 can be used to wash the collected particles along the launder 46, and out of the outlet pipe 48, from where they can be collected for elutrification.
In the embodiment of Figure 3, the pipe 12 has an enlarged upper portion 52, so that the outlet of the pipe 12 has approximately twice the area of its inlet.
The effect of this zrrangement is that the velocity of the slurry in the pipe decreases as it leaves the pipe, reducing splashing and allowing a more efficient escape of fluid from the top of the pipe. Increasing the diameter of the outlet also increases its circumference, which enables the height of the opening 54 between the top plate 38 and the outlet of the pipe to be reduced, for a given outlet area. This allows the length of the shaft 26 of the impeller to be reduced, improving the stability of the unit.
The described embodiments of the invention have various advantages, compared with prior art systems. Firstly, the fact that the screen 30 is situated clear of the slurry in the tank means that it is easily inspected for wear and clogging. The pumping characteristics provided by the pipe 12 and the axial flow impeller 22 are consistent, and are less sensitive to screen condition than similar apparatus in which slurry is pumped through a screen. Compared to such apparatus, the pressure gradient across the screen is relatively low, which results in improved efficiency and reduced energy consumption. The screen 30 is also less prone to clogging than forced-flow systems, since carbon or resin particles are less inclined to become lodged in the apertures of the 0*
S
S.
S.
S
S..
S S 8 screen as they gravitate down the sides of the screen. In contrast, separator devices which pump liquid through a screen tend to clog the screen relatively quickly, as the irregularly shaped carbon particles lodge in the screen apertures and are held against the screen by the pressure gradient across it.
0 *0 *oo 4 4 4

Claims (9)

1. Apparatus for separating particulate material from a liquid comprising: a vessel 2or liquid containing particulate material; a conduit in the vessel with an inlet located to be below the surface of liquid in the vessel and an outlet located to be above the surface; impeller means for pumping liquid and particulate material in the vessel through the conduit and out of the outlet; an inclined screen above the vessel and extending outwardly and downwardly from the outlet; a deflector plate disposed above the outlet and extending adjacent to the screen to force liquid and particulate material leaving the outlet downwardly over the screen; and 9* a launder underneath the screen, so that when liquid and particulate material are pumped .through the conduit and out of the outlet, the liquid S..passes through the screen into the launder, while the particulate material is retained by the screen.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the screen surrounds the outlet.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the screen is frusto conical and is concentric with the outlet of the conduit.
4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the screen has a lowermost edge which is located directly above the vessel to allow the particulate material retained by the screen to gravitate back into the vessel.
Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a second launder is disposed below a lowermost edge of the screen for collection of particulate material gravitating off the screen.
6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the spacing between the deflector plate and the screen reduces in a direction away from the outlet.
7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the impeller means comprises an axia, flow impeller in the conduit.
8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the impeller means comprises an airlift below the inlet of the conduit. .o
9. Apparatus for separating particulate material from a liquid substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, any one of Figures 1 to 3. fee: Dated this 5th day of January 1994. WILLIAM BAGULEY and TIMOTHY JOHN CLAMP By their Patent Attorneys R K MADDERN ASSOCIATES An A ABSTRACT Apparatus for separating particulate material such as carbon granules from a liquid such as a slurry comprises a tank for the liquid, with an upright pipe in the tank which extends above the surface of the liquid. An impeller in the pipe pumps liquid upwardly through the pipe. An inclined screen surrounds the mouth of the pipe. above the surface of the liquid, and a launder is arranged below the screen. The liquid is pumped out of the pipe over the screen, and falls through the screen into the launder, while the carbon granules are retained by the screen. The granules gravitate down the inclined screen, and either fall back into the tank or can be collected in a second launder. *a S***a S
AU79352/91A 1990-06-27 1991-06-27 Apparatus for separating particulate material from a liquid Ceased AU646869B2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ZA90/5008 1990-06-27
ZA905008 1990-06-27

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
AU7935291A AU7935291A (en) 1993-03-18
AU646869B2 true AU646869B2 (en) 1994-03-10

Family

ID=25580186

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
AU79352/91A Ceased AU646869B2 (en) 1990-06-27 1991-06-27 Apparatus for separating particulate material from a liquid

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU646869B2 (en)
GB (1) GB2245504B (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5449454A (en) * 1993-01-13 1995-09-12 Aquaria, Inc. Gas expelling device for a canister type filter
GB9321963D0 (en) * 1993-10-25 1993-12-15 Hydro Int Ltd Separator
GB2343385B (en) * 1998-11-04 2002-10-30 Wedge Wire Screens Ltd Improvements relating to screening apparatus

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB917248A (en) * 1960-06-23 1963-01-30 Stamicarbon Pumping and screening installation for liquids entraining solid particles
GB2232443A (en) * 1989-06-09 1990-12-12 Hanford Eng Ltd A venturi pump apparatus
GB2235393A (en) * 1989-08-25 1991-03-06 Wu Kie Pyng Waste separator

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3880762A (en) * 1973-11-19 1975-04-29 Roger Francis Wise Separator for cuttings

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB917248A (en) * 1960-06-23 1963-01-30 Stamicarbon Pumping and screening installation for liquids entraining solid particles
GB2232443A (en) * 1989-06-09 1990-12-12 Hanford Eng Ltd A venturi pump apparatus
GB2235393A (en) * 1989-08-25 1991-03-06 Wu Kie Pyng Waste separator

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9114173D0 (en) 1991-08-21
AU7935291A (en) 1993-03-18
GB2245504B (en) 1994-02-16
GB2245504A (en) 1992-01-08

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