Telescopic Filling Mechanism
Project Details:
Total Value: $92 000
Year Completed: 2014
Duration: 6 months
Background:
A mining company sought to reduce the generation of fine coal within a coal mine, which occurs during coal transfer between conveyors or chutes and from coal-on-coal impact in underground bunkers.
Description:
A study was conducted to evaluate various filling techniques for the underground bunker. Flow simulations and analyses identified a telescopic filling mechanism as the optimal solution for minimizing fine coal production. A 1:20 scale model of the mechanism was fabricated and tested to demonstrate the concept’s key features and validate its effectiveness.
Attritioners
Project Details:
Total Value: $73 000
Year Completed: 2008
Duration: 12 months
Background:
Support was provided for the implementation of an attritioning process in a Micro-Diamond Laboratory. The objective was to introduce an intermediary sample processing step between crushing and primary dissolution to remove fine particles, thereby reducing the volume of acids required for processing.
Description:
The attritioning process was thoroughly investigated, tested, and optimized for the laboratory’s requirements. In the prototype plant, cyclones were previously employed to automatically deslime samples post-attritioning. A comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of cyclones as a desliming method, with a focus on achieving precise particle size separation. The attritioner was completely redesigned to accommodate a reduced sample size, enhancing operational efficiency. The integrated system, comprising the attritioner, an emptying mechanism, and the desliming process, was rigorously tested as a cohesive unit. Additionally, a granulometry study was performed to assess the effectiveness of the attritioning process, ensuring optimal performance and reliability for the laboratory’s operations.
Micro-Diamond Recovery
Project Details:
Total Value: $176 000
Year Completed: 2007
Duration: 20 months
Background:
The Centre for Micro-Diamond Recovery was established to extract micro-diamonds from samples obtained from exploration sites. To enhance efficiency and capacity, a pilot plant was developed to automate the recovery process and increase the facility’s throughput.
Description:
Specialized equipment, including attritioners, reactors, and cyclones, was designed and implemented for the pilot plant. The reactors were constructed using polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, and titanium, carefully selected for their resistance to the corrosive acids utilized in the process, namely hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, and aluminum trichloride. This equipment ensured robust and reliable operation, supporting the facility’s objectives of automated micro-diamond recovery and improved processing efficiency.