DRY COAL SORTING: NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGY FOR COAL PREPARATION

摘要

Electronic ore sorters were first introduced to the minerals processing industry in the late 1940s. Since that time, faster microprocessors, improved sensors, and lower equipment costs have allowed this unique technology to evolve and become commercially attractive for a variety of applications. Recent estimates indicate that nearly 300 industrial-scale sorters are now used worldwide for ore concentration. Electronic sorters utilize specially-designed sensors to evaluate the quality of feed particles that are spread across the surface of a moving conveyor belt. Highspeed microprocessors use the sensor data to control pneumatic actuators located at the end of the conveyor. The pneumatic actuators are sequenced so that particles meeting the target quality are diverted into the product stream. This paper describes the DriJet™ sorting technology, which has been designed specifically for coal cleaning applications. This system offers many benefits for coarse coal upgrading including mechanical simplicity, high capacity, low cost and minimal environmental impacts. Recent test data from both run-of-mine coal and waste coal upgrading applications will be presented.