Applications of sonar-based VF/GVF metering to industrial processing

摘要

A processor module features a module that respond to input signalling containing information about a volumetric flow of a fluid having minerals and varying amounts of entrained gas flowing in a pipe and being processed in a processing stage of a mineral extraction processing system for extracting a mineral from ore, and provides output signalling containing information about operations of the processing stage of the mineral extraction processing system that is not substantially affected by the varying amounts of entrained gas in the fluid flowing in the pipe. The output signalling controls the operations of the processing stage. The input signalling is based upon a speed of sound measurement, including a SONAR-based entrained gas measurement to determine the amount of entrained air in conjunction with a density measurement of the fluid flowing in the pipe.

主权项

1. Apparatus comprising:
a signal processor module configured to receive first signals from a SONAR-based volumetric flow/gas volume fraction (VF/GVF) meter containing information about a volumetric flow of a slurry having minerals and varying amounts of entrained gas flowing in a feed line pipe providing the slurry to a cyclone in a grinding stage of a mineral extraction processing system for extracting a mineral from ore, wherein the first signals are based at least partly on a speed of sound measurement, including a SONAR-based entrained gas measurement to determine the amount of entrained air in conjunction with a density measurement of the slurry flowing in the feed line pipe, and second signals containing information about a density measurement of the slurry flowing in the feed line pipe, determine corrected second signals to correct errors in the density measurement based upon the varying amounts of entrained gas in the slurry; and determine one or more output signals containing information about operations of the grinding stage that is not substantially affected by the varying amounts of entrained gas in the slurry flowing in the feed line pipe based upon the first signals or the corrected second signals, wherein the one or more output signals control a hydrocyclone split that provides a flotation feed from the cyclone to a next stage in the mineral extraction processing system or provides a hydrocyclone split feedback flow from the cyclone to a previous stage in the mineral extraction processing system, including to a mill stage so larger size particles can be re-ground.