Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
  • F04B—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS
  • F04B15/00—Pumps adapted to handle specific fluids, e.g. by selection of specific materials for pumps or pump parts
  • F04B15/02—Pumps adapted to handle specific fluids, e.g. by selection of specific materials for pumps or pump parts the fluids being viscous or non-homogeneous
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G53/00—Conveying materials in bulk through troughs, pipes or tubes by floating the materials or by flow of gas, liquid or foam
  • B65G53/30—Conveying materials in bulk through pipes or tubes by liquid pressure

Definitions

• the present invention relates to mineral transportation, and in particular to the
• Conventional transportation systems include road links, rail networks, and ships.
• valve mechanisms cannot successfully accommodate large abrasive particles.
• the invention as presently contemplated provides a
• the method includes the further step of adding a flocculating agent to the
• a slurry thereby further reducing the density and stabilising the froth.
• a slurry thereby further reducing the density and stabilising the froth.
• a slurry thereby further reducing the density and stabilising the froth.
• the method preferably comprises the further step of separating the desired minerals
• the separation process preferably
• microwave heating includes one or more of: microwave heating; ultrasonic separation; cyclone separation; flotation; spraying; electrostatic precipitation; filtration; and drying.
• a return pipe line flows upstream from the separation
• the pumping step is performed by a twin
• the invention provides an apparatus for transportation
• said apparatus comprising crushing means to crush the ore into relatively
• mixing means to mix the crushed ore with a liquid carrier to form a relatively
• injection means to inject a gas into the slurry thereby to aerate
• FIG 1 is schematic view showing a long distance mineral transportation pipe line system including a pumping station according to the invention
• Figure 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic plan view showing the pumping station of
• Figure 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2
• FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section showing one of the floating flap valves
• FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the flap valve of Figure 4.
• Figure 6 is a schematic view showing a typical hydraulic drive arrangement for the
• Figure 7 is an enlarged diagrammatic plan view showing an alternative arrangement
• Figure 8 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Figure 7,
• Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the pumping station connected to a fluid
• the ore is initially processed, crushed and reduced to relatively fine particles in a conventional processing plant 1.
• the crushed ore is then fed to
• a belt conveyor 2 for transportation to a mixer 3.
• the crushed ore is mixed
• liquid carrier which may be mine water for example
• the mixer includes programmable metering devices and feeders (not shown) for the crushed minerals, oxides or concentrates, the liquid carrier, flocculating agents, plasticisers, lubricants and other components required to optimise the pumping
• the slurry is fed from the mixer 3 to a post-treatment station (not shown)
• flow monitoring device 5 A is positioned downstream of the pumping station to permit
• the pipe line terminates at a separation station 7 from which the ore 8 is recovered.
• the separation station 7 is shown diagrammatically as a cyclone separator. It will be
• flotation, spraying, electrostatic precipitation, filtration and drying may be used in order to
• the overflow from the separation station is directed to a
• the recovered flocculant, carrier liquid, and other additives may be reused.
• the dense slurry forms the walls of a
• the gas bubble and the surrounding slurry skin should result in a structure having
• FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of a pumping station 5 in more detail. It will be seen that between the inlet 1 1 and outlet 12, the pipe line divides into two branches, 6A
• Each branch has an associated positive displacement pump cylinder 13 driven by
• pipe line causes the upstream flap valve 15 to close and the downstream valve 16 to open
• FIGS 7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the pumping station 5 wherein,
• branches 6 A and 6B. Each branch has an associated diaphragm type pump assembly 20,
• Each diaphragm pump includes a flexible diaphragm 21 movable
• each pump acts in conjunction with a pair of
• Figure 9 shows a diagrammatic view of the pumping station 5 connected to a fluid
• the media will travel in the pipe line form an initially compressed state at the
• the delivery velocity at the outlet point may vary from 0.05 metres
• variables such as the volumetric flow rate and the pressure capacity of the pump, the length and diameter of the pipe line, the nature of the materials being pumped,
• velocity profiles will be subject to a number of variables and may not necessarily be linear.
• the suction stroke will be relatively constant, whereas the volume of fluid injected into the
• the pipe line acts a self-regulating damper, distributing pressure
• the present invention enables dense mineral ores to be transported by pipe line over
• the invention also allows a significant reduction in water

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Drilling And Exploitation, And Mining Machines And Methods (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=3796360

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 1996
  • 1996-08-30 AU AUPO2047A patent/AUPO204796A0/en not_active Abandoned
• 1997
  • 1997-02-18 ZA ZA9701384A patent/ZA971384B/xx unknown
  • 1997-07-25 WO PCT/AU1997/000477 patent/WO1998008761A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1997-07-25 CA CA002264093A patent/CA2264093A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-07-25 EP EP97931588A patent/EP0954501A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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