| 摘要 |
The present invention is directed to a dense medium separator and methods for operating the separator and separating solids in a dense medium. A separator is presented with distribution and extraction zones at opposite ends. Solids enter the separator and medium is injected in the direction of the extraction zone at the distribution zone. The injected medium forms a float current that moves the lower density solids to the extraction zone which then overflows a weir and is harvested. A floats extraction device separates the lower density solids from the medium and recirculates the medium back into the injection stream. Between the distribution and extraction zones is a separation zone where higher density solids fall out of the float current and into/onto a sinks mover at the bottom of the separation zone. The sinks mover moves the higher density solids in a direction opposite to that of the flow direction to a recovery zone where they are harvested. A sinks recovery device separates the high density solids from the medium and recirculates the medium back into the injection stream. The sinks mover also creates counter-current in the medium which is also opposite the direction of the float current. Higher separation accuracies are achieved by establishing a vertical interval of unperturbed medium in the separation zone of the bath between the float current of the upper level and the counter-current and sinks mover in the lower level. There, the predominant force acting on the solids is the separation density, i.e., the difference between the density of a solid and the medium. Lower density solids (floats) will separate, unimpeded, upward into the float current where they are extracted at the extraction zone, while higher density solids (sinks) separate downward into the counter-current and on to the sinks mover, where they are recovered in the recovery zone.
|
