Integrated system for supplying clean water and clean energy to the mining industry

Abstract

Embodiments of this invention provide an integrated system for processing ore feedstock and RO treatment utilizing the principals of pumped storage hydroelectric technology including the use of an upper reservoir and lower reservoir. The integrated system includes a first subsystem that generates waste associated with processing the ore feedstock. In the integrated system, the waste includes the treatment of contaminated water. The integrated system further includes a second subsystem that treats the contaminated water included in the waste to generate recycled water and transmits the recycled water to the first subsystem. The integrated subsystem may also incorporate solar and / or wind power generation plants as a power source for the integrated system.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority benefit of the U.S. Provisional patent application titled, “SYSTEM INTEGRATING RENEWABLE ENERGY, SALT WATER PUMPED HYDROELECTRIC STORAGE, AND REVERSE OSMOSIS DESALINATION,” filed on Apr. 10, 2017 and having Ser. No. 62 / 483,879, this application also claims priority benefit of the U.S. Provisional patent application titled, “SYSTEM INTEGRATING RENEWABLE ENERGY, PUMPED HYDROELECTRIC STORAGE, AND REVERSE OSMOSIS DESALINATION FOR MINE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS,” filed on Jun. 1, 2017 and having Ser. No. 62 / 513,845. The subject matter of these related applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the Invention[0002]Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to renewable energy and water recycling, and specifically, to an integrated system for supplying clean water and clean energy to the mining industry.Description of the Related Art[0003]The global mini...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The disclosed invention provides a way to reduce costs and improve the environmental performance of mining by recycling waste water and storing clean energy generated from mining processes. The system also utilizes shared infrastructure, reduced pumps, and other cost-effective techniques to lower the overall cost of the integrated system. Overall, this invention helps to make mining more efficient and cost-effective while also reducing environmental impact.

Problems solved by technology

The global mining industry faces increasing scrutiny from government stakeholders, local communities and investors over compliance with increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

In particular, large-scale mine developments are typically associated with significant energy and water consumption requirements in order to economically extract ore from native rock and reduce the extracted ore to a high value concentrate for mineral extraction.

One drawback of renewable energy sources is their intermittency.

In particular, the seasonality and daily cycles of wind and solar resources may limit the reliability of various types of renewable energy sources without storage.

Even during daylight hours, solar energy is intermittent due to clouds and atmospheric interference that can radically impact the output of energy from photovoltaic cells.

However, water shortages in certain locations have placed mines in direct competition with farmers and local communities.

In some instances, the water shortages have forced mine operators to adopt more expensive and complex solutions, such as seawater treatment, or processed wastewater, or municipal sewage recycling to secure water for mine operations and to support the communities in which the mines operate.

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