Powder pulse sorting method and apparatus therefor

Abstract

The application discloses a powder pulse sorting method and a device thereof. The method is to utilize the rule that the relatively heavy powder in the powder fluid only settles in a separation working section due to stall in the process of continuously flowing through the powder pulse sorting device comprising at least one pulse sorting unit to realize powder sorting. The device has two configurations of single selection and double selection. The device in the double selection configuration can synchronously sort heavy powder and light powder, including dry selection and wet selection. Meanwhile, the method and the device thereof can be combined with other process methods to arbitrarily construct various circulating process flows, including granularity grading, throw selection, rough selection, fine selection, backflow re-selection, medium powder sweeping selection, light powder sweeping selection and mixed selection. The method can be used for classification and sorting of powder and can also be used for sorting of powder granularity, and simultaneously provides a new technical approach and device for modern ore dressing production and process transformation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of powder sorting technology, and relates to a powder pulse sorting method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Powders are aggregates of solid particles. Well-known powder separation methods include flotation, gravity separation, critical flow rate separation, magnetic separation, electrostatic separation, and screening.

[0003] Among the above methods, the critical velocity separation method uses the minimum conveying velocity of the powder fluid to collect rolling or sliding heavy powders at the bottom of the tube for separation. Although there are no practical application cases yet, this method relies on a single flow velocity for separation, so the requirements for the fluid flow rate are very high, which increases the control cost. At the same time, this method has a relatively small range for distinguishing powder density or mass, which affects the separation efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the aforementioned shortcomings by providing a powder pulse sorting method and apparatus. This method utilizes the principle that relatively heavy powders settle only in the separation section due to velocity loss during the continuous flow of powder fluid through a powder pulse sorting device comprising at least one pulse sorting unit, thus achieving powder sorting. The apparatus described in this invention has two configurations: single-selection and dual-selection. The dual-selection configuration can simultaneously sort heavy and light powders. Furthermore, by combining this method and apparatus with other processes, various cyclical process flows can be arbitrarily constructed, including particle size classification, slinging, coarse selection, fine selection, reflux re-selection, medium powder scavenging, light powder scavenging, and mixed selection.

[0005] The technical solution of this aspect is a powder pulse sorting method, characterized in that the powder in a two-phase fluid is sorted by pulse changes in the fluid around its critical flow velocity; the critical flow velocity refers to the fluid flow velocity corresponding to the powder falling from a suspended state to the bottom under the action of gravity and being able to slide, roll, or jump on the bottom bed surface with the fluid, or the minimum conveying flow velocity corresponding to the two-phase fluid; the pulse change refers to the change in flow velocity caused by the change in the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid flow while the flow rate remains constant; specifically including the following steps:

[0006] Step 1: Use air or water as a carrier and homogeneously mix it with the powder to be selected to prepare a two-phase fluid. Powders with high relative density or high mass are considered heavy powders, and powders with low relative density or low mass are considered light powders.

[0007] Step 2: The prepared two-phase fluid is fed into a powder pulse sorting device at a stable flow rate and conveying velocity, so that the flow velocity can change at least once in a pulse. Each pulse change of the flow velocity corresponds to the conveying velocity, the separation velocity, and the output velocity, respectively.

[0008] The conveying velocity mentioned refers to a velocity that is equal to or greater than the critical velocity of the incoming fluid, at which all powder particles in the fluid do not stagnate.

[0009] The separation velocity referred to here is the velocity that is equal to the critical velocity corresponding to the non-selectable light powder in the fluid during the process of separating heavy powder. At this velocity, the heavy powder that needs to be separated in the fluid will inevitably fall downwards due to stall. During the process of separating light powder, the velocity is equal to the critical velocity corresponding to the light powder that needs to be separated. The relatively heavy powder that does not need to be separated in the fluid falls downwards, while the light powder that needs to be separated flows with the carrier.

[0010] The output flow rate is equal to or greater than the critical flow rate corresponding to the remaining powder in the fluid after sorting, and the remaining powder in the fluid does not stagnate at this flow rate;

[0011] Step 3: When the fluid flows through the powder pulse sorting device and reaches the separation flow rate, the particles to be sorted are recovered.

[0012] (i) The heavy powder to be sorted is recovered at the bottom bed surface of the powder pulse sorting device corresponding to the separation flow rate, and the carrier and powder are further separated by conventional two-phase separation method to obtain the heavy powder in the feed fluid, thus realizing the sorting of heavy powder;

[0013] (ii) The light powder to be separated is split along with the carrier at the top or part of the powder pulse separation device corresponding to the separation flow rate. The carrier and powder are further separated by conventional two-phase separation method to obtain the light powder in the feed fluid, thus realizing the separation of light powder.

[0014] Step four: After sorting, the fluid flows out of the powder pulse sorting device through the remaining flow rate until the flow velocity reaches the output flow velocity, ending the sorting process. Alternatively, the fluid can be re-entered into step three or step two to achieve powder sorting during the multi-pulse flow velocity change process.

[0015] Furthermore, by combining the above methods with flotation, magnetic separation, gravity separation, electrostatic separation, chemical separation, screening, and bacterial separation, a new circulating process can be constructed to achieve the separation of various difficult-to-separate powders.

[0016] The pulse change in flow velocity mentioned above refers to the pulse change in fluid flow velocity from delivery flow velocity to separation flow velocity and then to output flow velocity; the multi-pulse change process of flow velocity refers to the repeated process of fluid flow velocity changing from delivery flow velocity to separation flow velocity and then to output flow velocity multiple times.

[0017] In the above method, the flow rate of the fluid is limited by its cross-sectional area, and the flow rate changes in a fixed manner in a pulse pattern around its critical flow rate. The changing parameters are determined by the configuration of the sorting device, and the number of pulses is controlled by the sorting device. The powder separated or sorted by the above method can be further improved by using the same sorting method, through re-sorting, re-sorting, ... or N-stage re-sorting, to further increase the proportion of the powder to be sorted in the resulting powder.

[0018] The above-mentioned powder sorting methods include various powder classification and sorting, as well as powder particle size classification and sorting, and dry and wet sorting.

[0019] The above-described powder pulse sorting method is applicable to the sorting of various powders.

[0020] The apparatus used to implement the above-mentioned powder pulse sorting method is as follows:

[0021] A powder pulse sorting device includes at least one single-selection pulse sorting unit or dual-selection pulse sorting unit consisting of a pulse generator and a collection and conveying box. It also includes an upper discharge pipe, a lower discharge pipe, a buffer tank, a guide pipe, a flow limiting valve, a support, a flow guide component, and a layered partition. Among these components, the upper opening or open end of the collection and conveying box is connected to the powder separation outlets evenly distributed on the bottom bed surface of the pulse generator's separation section B. The bottom discharge port of the collection and conveying box is connected to the lower discharge pipe or the guide pipe. The flow limiting valve is installed as needed between the bottom discharge port of the collection and conveying box and the discharge pipe or the guide pipe, and they are interconnected. The upper discharge pipe is connected to the outlet of the lightweight output section W of the pulse generator in the dual-selection pulse sorting unit. The support is fixedly connected to the support points on the main body of the sorting device to support the load-bearing parts.

[0022] The single-selection pulse sorting unit refers to a sorting device that uses a single-selection pulser.

[0023] The so-called dual-select pulse sorting unit refers to the pulser used in the sorting device, which is a dual-select pulser.

[0024] The pulse generator refers to a hollow component that can cause a regular change in fluid velocity by changing the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path; the pulse unit refers to the part corresponding to a pulse change in the fluid velocity during the process of the fluid passing through the pulse generator.

[0025] Furthermore, in the dual-selection pulse sorting unit, the light powder outlet of the pulser is connected to a light output section W, or the light output section W is an integral structure, and the outlet of the light output section W is connected to the upper discharge pipe; a flow limiting valve is installed between the upper discharge pipe and the outlet of the light output section W as needed.

[0026] Furthermore, the single-selection pulser includes at least one pulse unit consisting of a conveying section A, a separation section B, and an output section C connected in sequence. Powder separation outlets are evenly distributed on the bottom bed surface of the separation section B. The flow cross-sectional area of ​​the separation section B is larger than that of the adjacent conveying section A, and also larger than that of the adjacent output section C. The fluid monitoring port P1 is set as needed. In the single-selection pulser, due to the limitation of the flow cross-sectional area, the pulse change of the fluid velocity when passing through the separation section corresponds to only one amplitude. The separation object is heavy powder in the fluid.

[0027] Furthermore, the dual-selection pulser includes at least one pulse unit composed of a conveying section A, a separation section B, a light powder separation section E, a medium powder output section Z, and a light powder output section W. The heavy powder separation outlet is located on the bottom bed surface of the separation section B, and the light powder separation outlet is located at the uppermost or top end of the light powder separation section E. The bottom of the light powder separation section E has a sloping structure, and fluid monitoring ports are provided as needed. The flow cross-sectional area of ​​the separation section B is larger than that of the adjacent conveying section A, and also larger than that of the adjacent medium powder output section Z and light powder output section W. The sum of the flow cross-sectional areas of the outlet section W, and the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the light powder separation section E is greater than the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the adjacent light output section W; in the above working sections, the conveying section A is connected to the separation section B, the separation section B is connected to the light powder separation section E and the medium powder output section Z, and the light powder separation outlet of the light separation section E is connected to the light output section W; in the pulser with dual selection configuration, due to the limitation of the flow cross-sectional area, the pulse change of the fluid velocity when passing through the two separation sections corresponds to two amplitudes, which can simultaneously separate heavy powder and light powder in the fluid.

[0028] Furthermore, the pulse sorting units L in the same device are connected end-to-end or adopt an integral structure; the end-to-end refers to the pulser's conveying section A as the beginning and the output section C and medium powder output section Z as the end. The conveying section A of the next sorting unit L is connected to the output section C or medium powder output section Z of the previous sorting unit L, or the conveying section A of the next sorting unit L replaces the output section C or medium powder output section Z of the previous sorting unit L.

[0029] Furthermore, the collection and conveying box is a hollow cylindrical or inverted frustum-shaped structure with the discharge port located at the bottom; the side of the collection and conveying box is provided with a carrier inlet K1 as needed; and the collection and conveying box is provided with a monitoring interface P2 as needed.

[0030] Furthermore, the pulser is provided with a flow guide in front of the inner cavity of the separation section B as needed. This element can effectively improve the uneven distribution of fluid velocity at different positions of the separation section cross-section and improve the working effect of the separation section.

[0031] Furthermore, the pulse generator in the dual-selection pulse sorting unit is equipped with layered partitions as needed, and the outlets of the medium powder output section Z and the light powder output section W are merged. After merging, the dual-selection pulse generator is used as a single-selection pulse generator.

[0032] A monitoring interface is set in the pulse generator separation section to measure the working parameters of the internal fluid and provide real-time data for automated control.

[0033] The buffer slot is an open box placed below the flow guide pipe.

[0034] The bracket is a structural component used to support the entire sorting device, and its connection fulcrum is a part on the main body of the sorting device that can support and fix the force.

[0035] During operation, the fluid to be sorted is fed into the sorting device as described in this invention. The fluid's structure remains unchanged during the conveying section of the sorting unit; after the fluid enters the separation section:

[0036] (i) In the separation section of a single-selection pulser or a dual-selection pulser, the heavy powder in the feed fluid will fall to the bottom bed surface due to stall, enter the collection box through the powder separation outlet, and then be recovered from the lower discharge pipe outlet or the buffer tank. The heavy powder in the feed fluid is obtained through two-phase separation. After separation, the fluid flows out through the output section and is treated as medium powder fluid or light powder fluid. During this process, the working pressure of the fluid in the collection box is less than or equal to the working pressure of the fluid in the separation section.

[0037] (ii) In the light powder separation section of the dual-selection pulser, the heavy powder in the fluid will also experience a stall process, and then fall to the inclined surface set below, and further slide to the inlet of the medium powder output section, and flow out with the medium powder fluid through the outlet of the medium powder output section; the light powder in the separation section flows out with the carrier through the light powder separation outlet, the light output section and the upper discharge pipe, and the powder is recovered through two-phase separation to obtain the light powder in the selected fluid.

[0038] The aforementioned powder pulse sorting device can be used for the classification and sorting of powders with similar or identical particle sizes but different densities, as well as for multi-stage classification and sorting. It can also be used for particle size classification and sorting of powders with similar or identical densities but different particle sizes, including wet and dry separation. It is suitable for fields such as mineral processing, chemical industry, building materials, energy, plastics, metallurgy, food, feed, medicine, and environmental protection.

[0039] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention provides a new technical method for powder sorting; this new technical method can be seamlessly integrated with other powder sorting technologies, complementing each other's advantages, constructing new powder sorting processes and procedures, and maximizing production efficiency and sorting effect; the technical method of this invention does not use any chemical agents in the sorting process, resulting in significant environmental benefits, while effectively reducing the production cost of powder sorting. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating the unit structure and working principle of a dual-selection pulse sorting device in this invention;

[0041] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the unit structure and working principle of another dual-selection pulse sorting device in this invention;

[0042] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating the unit structure and working principle of a single-selection pulse sorting device in this invention;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the unit structure and working principle of another single-selection pulse sorting device in this invention;

[0044] Figure 5 This is a structural cross-sectional schematic diagram of another unit of the single-selection pulse sorting device in this invention;

[0045] Figure 6 This is a structural cross-sectional schematic diagram of a single-pulse sorting device with two sorting units in this invention;

[0046] Figure 7 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of a dual-select multi-pulse sorting device in this invention;

[0047] Figure 8 These are two linear flowchart symbols for the powder pulse sorting device created in this invention;

[0048] Figure 9 This is a mineral processing technology and flow chart constructed using the powder pulse separation method described in this invention;

[0049] Figure 10 This is a flow chart of a mineral roughing process constructed by combining the powder pulse separation method and flotation technology described in this invention.

[0050] Figure 11 This is a process flow diagram of recovering minerals in a tailings conveying pipeline using the powder pulse sorting device described in this invention.

[0051] The labels in the diagram are as follows: 1. Fluid inlet; 2. Heavy powder outlet; 3. Medium powder outlet; 4. Light powder outlet; 5. Output port; 6. Pulse generator; 7. Collection box; 8. Support; 9. Lower discharge pipe; 10. Fluid; 11. Flow guide; 12. Layered baffle; 13. Upper discharge pipe; 14. Buffer tank; 15. Flow guide; 16. Flow limiting valve; A. Conveying section; B. Separation section; C. Output section; D. Hysteresis zone; E. Light powder separation section; Z. Medium powder output section; W. Light powder output section; L. Sorting unit; P1. Separation section monitoring port; P2. Collection box monitoring port; K1. Upper discharge pipe carrier input interface; K2. Collection box carrier input interface; K3. Lower discharge pipe carrier input interface; a. Represents the flow trajectory of heavy powder; c. Represents the flow trajectory of medium powder; d. Represents the flow trajectory of light powder.

[0052] Explanation of symbols in the diagram: Represents heavy powders in a fluid; Represents medium-strength powder; This represents lightweight powder in a fluid; the direction of the triangular arrow indicates the direction of powder flow. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The powder pulse sorting device used in this invention includes a pulse generator 6, a collection and conveying box 7, a support 8, a lower discharge pipe 9, a flow guide 11, a layering partition 12, an upper discharge pipe 13, a buffer tank 14, a flow guide 15, and a flow limiting valve 16.

[0054] The pulse sorting device includes at least one pulse sorting unit L; the sorting unit refers to the device corresponding to the pulse change process of the flow velocity in the inner cavity of the pulser 6 when the fluid passes through the pulse sorting device, and the pulse amplitude of the flow velocity is controlled by the configuration of the pulser 6.

[0055] The pulser 6 refers to a tubular or box-shaped component that can cause a regular change in fluid velocity by changing the flow cross-sectional area. It includes at least one pulse unit and its configuration is divided into single-selection pulser and dual-selection pulser.

[0056] In a single-selection pulser, the pulse unit is composed of a conveying section A, a separation section B, and an output section C connected sequentially. The bottom bed surface of the separation section B has a heavy powder separation outlet. During operation, as the fluid passes through this pulse unit, the powder is only affected by the pulse amplitude of the fluid velocity during separation. The separation target is the heavy powder in the fluid. The product (heavy powder) is collected at the heavy powder separation outlet at the bottom bed surface of the separation section B. The fluid after the separation section B flows out through the output section C. The outflowing fluid is processed according to the powder structure as either medium powder fluid or light powder fluid. Its output port 5 is processed according to the sorting process requirements. In this component, the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the conveying section A and the output section C is smaller than that of the separation section B.

[0057] The dual-selection pulse generator is based on the single-selection pulse generator, further adding a light powder separation section E at the upper rear position after the separation section B. This allows the powder separation process, where the fluid passes through the pulse generator 6, to be simultaneously affected by two pulse amplitudes of the fluid velocity, enabling the simultaneous separation of heavy and light powders in the fluid. In this configuration, a light powder separation outlet is located at the uppermost or topmost point of the light powder separation section E, with an inclined bottom surface and an included angle β > 36°. Simultaneously, the output section C of the single-selection pulse generator is divided into a medium powder output section Z and a light powder output section W according to the flow cross-sectional area, and these are output in parallel. The original output section C is replaced; the light powder separation outlet of the light powder separation section E is connected to the light output section W, and the separation section B is also connected to the medium powder output section Z; the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the medium powder output section Z and the light output section W is equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the original output section C, and the ratio of the two cross-sectional areas is determined according to the structure of the medium powder in the fluid and the requirements of the sorting process; in this component, the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the separation section B is greater than the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the conveying section A, and also greater than the sum of the flow cross-sectional areas of the medium powder output section Z and the light output section W, and the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the light powder separation section E is greater than the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the light output section W.

[0058] The pulse sorting device uses a single-selection pulse generator, and the device is a single-selection pulse sorting device.

[0059] The pulse sorting device uses a dual-selection pulse generator, and the device is a dual-selection pulse sorting device.

[0060] The collection and conveying box 7 is cylindrical or inverted truncated cone. The carrier input interface K2 and monitoring interface P2 are set as needed. The discharge port is located at the bottom, and the upper opening is connected to the powder separation outlet at the bottom of the pulse separator section. The number of outlets corresponds to the number of pulse separation units.

[0061] In this device, the upper discharge pipe 13 is connected to the light output section W outlet of the dual-selection pulser 6. A flow limiting valve 16 can be added between the two as needed to adjust the flow ratio of medium powder fluid and light powder fluid. The carrier input interface K1 of the upper discharge pipe 13 is set as needed.

[0062] In this device, the lower discharge pipe 9 or the guide pipe 15 is connected to the outlet of the collection and conveying box 7. A flow limiting valve 16 can be added between the two as needed. In the working structure using the guide pipe 15, a buffer tank 14 is set at the bottom of the outlet of the guide pipe 15. The carrier input interface K3 of the lower discharge pipe 9 is set as needed.

[0063] In this device, the bracket 8 is used to support the entire sorting device, and its connection fulcrum is a part of the pulse generator 6 or the housing of the collection and conveying box 7 in the device that can be supported and fixed to bear force.

[0064] In this device, the pulse sorting unit L refers to the device corresponding to a pulse change in the flow velocity of the incoming fluid as it passes through the sorting device.

[0065] Furthermore, a flow guide 11 is provided at the junction of the pulser 6 conveying section A and the separation section B; during operation, the flow guide 11 can effectively improve the uneven distribution of fluid velocity at different positions of the separation section B cross section, thereby improving the working effect of the separation section B.

[0066] Furthermore, a monitoring interface P1 is set in the separation section B of the pulser 6; this interface P1 can be used to measure the working parameters of the fluid inside the pulser 6, providing real-time data for automated control.

[0067] In a device with two or more pulse sorting units L, each pulse sorting unit is connected to the next sorting unit by the output section C of the pulse generator 6 or the outlet of the medium powder output section Z and the inlet of the conveying section A. Alternatively, a multi-pulse integrated configuration or a pulse generator with a part of an integrated configuration may be used. At the same time, the output section C of the previous pulse generator unit or the medium powder output section Z can directly replace the conveying section A of the next pulse unit.

[0068] In this device, a layered partition is added to merge the Z-outlet of the medium powder output section and the W-outlet of the light powder output section in the dual-selection pulser. The merged working section is used as the output section C in the single-selection pulser. Through the action of the layered partition 12, the heavy and light powders in the output fluid are pre-separated, which is beneficial to improving the sorting effect of the subsequent sorting unit.

[0069] In this device, the upper discharge pipe 13 is constructed as an integral unit in the multi-pulse sorting device, or the upper discharge pipe of some sorting units is constructed as an integral unit, or the upper discharge pipe 13 is grouped in a front-to-back sequence and configured in groups to achieve multi-stage sorting of light powder in the same device.

[0070] In this device, the lower discharge pipe 9 is constructed as an integral unit in the multi-pulse sorting device, or the lower discharge pipe of some sorting units is constructed as an integral unit, or the lower discharge pipe 9 is grouped in sequence and configured in groups to achieve multi-stage sorting of heavy powder in the same device.

[0071] During operation, when the selected fluid 10 is fed into the above-described device according to the requirements of this invention; during the process of the fluid flowing through each unit of the pulser:

[0072] (i) During the process of flowing through the conveying section A, the ratio of carrier to powder in fluid 10 does not change.

[0073] (ii) During the process of passing through the separation section B of the single-selection pulser or the dual-selection pulser, the heavy powder in the feed fluid 10 will fall to the bottom bed surface due to stall, enter the collection box 7 through the powder separation outlet, and then be recovered from the heavy powder outlet 2 of the lower discharge pipe 9 or the buffer tank 14. The heavy powder in the feed fluid is obtained through two-phase separation. After separation, the fluid flows out through the output section C and is treated as medium powder fluid or light powder fluid. During this process, the working pressure of the collection box 7 is less than or equal to the working pressure of the fluid in the separation section B.

[0074] (ii) During the process of flowing through the light powder separation section E of the dual-selection pulser, the relatively heavy powder in the fluid in this area will also experience a stall process, and then fall to the inclined surface set below, and then slide further to the inlet of the medium powder output section Z, and flow out with the medium powder fluid through the medium powder outlet 3 of the medium powder output section Z; the light powder in the light powder separation section E flows with the carrier through the light powder separation outlet, the light output section W, the upper discharge pipe 13, and then flows out from the light powder outlet 4. The powder is recovered through two-phase separation to obtain the light powder in the feed fluid.

[0075] In the above device, the carrier input interfaces K1, K2, and K3 are set as needed for adjusting their respective flow rates and speeds; at the same time, K2 and K3 can also serve as connection interfaces between the upper discharge pipe 13 and the lower discharge pipe 9 between sorting units.

[0076] The method described in this invention will be further explained below with reference to the apparatus described in this invention:

[0077] The feed fluid described in this invention refers to a fluid formed by mixing solid powder and a carrier in two phases, wherein the powder is the target to be sorted, including two-phase fluids that require further sorting after initial sorting, and so on. In the method and sorting steps described in this invention:

[0078] Step one involves preparing the powder to be selected into a two-phase fluid using conventional methods. When using a dry separation process, the powder to be selected is homogeneously mixed with air to prepare a powder fluid, with air being the continuous phase. When using a wet separation process, the powder to be selected is homogeneously mixed with water to prepare a powder fluid, with water being the continuous phase. To clearly define the separation target, this invention treats powders with high relative density or high mass as heavy powders and handles them as heavy powders during the separation process, while powders with low relative density or low mass are treated as light powders and handled as light powders during the separation process.

[0079] Step two involves feeding the prepared fluid into the sorting device via pipeline at a stable flow rate and conveying velocity. The number of pulse units required by the device is determined based on the powder structure and sorting requirements. The more pulse units there are, the higher the yield of the sorted product. This invention requires that during the flow of the feed fluid through the pulse unit of the pulser 6, the conveying velocity corresponds to the conveying section A of the pulse unit, the separation velocity for heavy powders corresponds to the separation section B of the pulse unit, the separation velocity for light powders corresponds to the light powder separation section E of the pulse unit, the output velocity after heavy powder sorting corresponds to the output section C or the medium powder output section Z of the pulse unit, and the output velocity after light powder sorting corresponds to the light output section W of the pulse unit.

[0080] Therefore, based on the flow rate Q of the selected fluid, at the above flow rate, the pulse unit of pulser 6 is required to:

[0081] (i) In conveying section A: To ensure continuous flow of the feed fluid and prevent accumulation at the bottom bed surface, the flow rate Q of the feed fluid entering conveying section A of the pulse unit remains constant, and its velocity should be equal to or greater than the critical velocity u of the feed fluid; therefore, the cross-sectional area S1 of conveying section A in each pulse unit of the sorting device should conform to the following formula:

[0082] S1≤Q / u Formula 1

[0083] (II) In separation section B: When the feed fluid flows through separation section B of the pulse unit, it separates heavy powder. When the flow velocity is equal to the critical flow velocity u1 corresponding to the non-selected light powder, the heavy powder below the non-selected light powder is in a stall state and will fall rapidly downward to the bottom bed surface of separation section B under the action of gravity. Then, it falls into the collection and conveying box 7 through the heavy powder separation outlet set at the bottom bed surface, completing the process of heavy powder separation or separation in the fluid. Therefore, the flow cross-sectional area S2 of separation section B in each pulse unit of the sorting device should conform to the following formula:

[0084] S2=Q / u1 Formula 2

[0085] (III) At the output section C: The fluid entering the output section C is the fluid after heavy powder separation, but a certain amount of relatively heavy powder may still remain in the fluid. Its flow rate is the flow rate Q of the conveying section A minus the volumetric flow rate V of the separated heavy powder. To prevent the powder in the fluid from accumulating and stagnating at the bottom of this working section, the flow velocity when flowing through the output section of the separation unit is required to be equal to or greater than the critical flow velocity u2 of the fluid in this section, so that the separated fluid can pass continuously under this condition. Therefore, the flow cross-sectional area S3 of the output section C in each pulse unit of the separation device should conform to the following formula:

[0086] S3≤(QV) / u2 Formula 3

[0087] (iv) In the light powder separation section E: In the device described in this invention, the fluid entering the light powder separation section E is the upper layer fluid after separation in section B, and the flow rate is Q. W The mixture contains a certain proportion of lightweight powder that needs to be sorted. To separate the lightweight powder, the present invention requires that the flow velocity of the lightweight powder separation section E be equal to the critical flow velocity u3 corresponding to the lightweight powder to be sorted. In this state, the relatively heavy powder that does not need to be sorted falls due to stalling, while the lightweight powder to be sorted separates with the carrier. Therefore, the flow cross-sectional area S of the lightweight powder separation section E in each pulse unit of the sorting device... E It should conform to the following formula:

[0088] S E =Q W / u3 Formula 4

[0089] (v) In the light powder output section W: the flow rate entering this section is the same as the flow rate Q in the light powder separation section E. W Subtracting the volumetric flow rate V1 of the relatively heavy powder separated in this section, to prevent the light powder separated with the carrier from falling back, according to the requirements of this invention, its flow velocity is equal to or greater than the critical flow velocity of the fluid in this section, that is, the critical flow velocity u3 corresponding to the light powder to be sorted; in this state, the sorted light powder flows out with the carrier; therefore, the flow cross-sectional area S of the light output section W in each pulse unit of the sorting device... W It should conform to the following formula:

[0090] S W ≤(Q W -V1) / u3 Formula 5

[0091] (vi) In the medium powder output section Z: the flow rate entering this section is the flow rate Q of the conveying section A, minus the volumetric flow rate V of the separated heavy powder, and then minus the flow rate (Q) of the light powder output section W. W-V1), the fluid is the fluid after heavy powder separation, but a certain amount of relatively heavy powder may still remain in the fluid; to prevent the powder in the fluid from accumulating and stagnating at the bottom of the working section, the present invention requires that the flow velocity when flowing through the powder output section Z of the separation unit is equal to or greater than the critical flow velocity u2 of the fluid in that section; therefore, the flow cross-sectional area S of the medium powder output section Z in each pulse unit of the separation device is... Z It should conform to the following formula:

[0092] S Z ≤(QQ W -V+V1) / u2 Formula 6

[0093] In the above formula: Q represents the total flow rate; Q W V represents the flow rate of the light powder separation section E; V represents the flow rate of the heavy powder that has been separated in the separation section B; V1 represents the volumetric flow rate of the relatively heavy powder that falls and separates from the light powder separation section E; S1 represents the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the conveying section A; S2 represents the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the separation section B; S3 represents the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the output section C; S E S represents the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path in section E, which separates lightweight powders; W S represents the cross-sectional area of ​​the lightweight output section W; Z u represents the cross-sectional area of ​​the medium powder output section Z; u represents the critical velocity of the conveying section A (feed fluid); u1 represents the critical velocity of the non-selected light powder in the feed fluid; u2 represents the critical velocity of the fluid after the separation section B of the sorting unit; u3 represents the critical velocity of the light powder that needs to be sorted.

[0094] In each of the above operating sections, for the single-selection configuration device, the working flow rate of the fluid has the following relationship:

[0095] Flow velocity in conveying section A > Flow velocity in separating section B < Flow velocity in output section C

[0096] For a dual-selection configuration device, the working flow rate of the fluid has the following relationship:

[0097] Flow velocity in conveying section A > Flow velocity in separating section B < Flow velocity in intermediate powder output section Z

[0098] Flow rate in separation section B > Flow rate in lightweight powder separation section E < Flow rate in lightweight output section W

[0099] In order to stabilize and control the sorting flow rate, in actual operation, the flow rates of the medium powder output section Z and the light powder output section can be the same.

[0100] Step three is to recover and sort the powder obtained:

[0101] (I) Recovery of heavy powder obtained from separation: Since the critical flow velocity u1 corresponding to the non-selected light powder is in the separation section B, the heavy powder to be separated will fall downwards due to the stall in the separation section B and the action of gravity. After falling to the bottom bed surface, it will enter the collection box 7 through the outlet, and then flow out through the lower discharge pipe 9 and be recovered. The carrier and powder will be further separated by conventional two-phase separation method to obtain the heavy powder in the feed fluid, thus realizing the separation of heavy powder.

[0102] (II) Recovery of Light Powders Obtained from Separation: Since the fluid in the light powder separation section E is the upper layer fluid after separation in the separation section B, its flow velocity is the critical flow velocity u3 corresponding to the light powder to be separated. The relatively heavy powder in the fluid is separated due to stall and falling downwards. The light powder to be separated can only flow with the carrier and enter the light output section W through the outlet to be recovered. The carrier and powder are further separated by conventional two-phase separation method to obtain the light powder in the selected fluid, thus realizing the separation of light powders.

[0103] In the above method, the flow rate Q ratio of the two working sections, the medium powder output section Z and the light powder output section W, is determined based on the powder structure in the fluid and the requirements of the sorting process.

[0104] In the above method, two or more sorting units L form a multi-pulse sorting device. The number of pulses is the same as the number of sorting units L. The more pulses there are, the higher the sorting efficiency. The pulse variation parameters are determined by the configuration of the sorting device. When a dual-selection multi-pulse sorting device is used, the flow rate through the separation section of each sorting unit decreases.

[0105] Furthermore, the powder pulse separation method described in this invention can be combined with flotation, magnetic separation, gravity separation, electrostatic separation, chemical separation, and bacterial separation to construct a variety of new circulating processes. The circulating process refers to a mineral processing flow that combines grinding, particle size classification, slinging, roughing, cleaning, reflux separation, cleaning scavenging, medium powder scavenging, and light powder scavenging processes as needed.

[0106] Example 1

[0107] See Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating the unit structure and working principle of a dual-selection pulse sorting device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the powder pulse sorting device includes a pulser 6, a collection and conveying box 7, a support 8, a lower discharge pipe 9, and a flow limiting valve 16. The collection and conveying box 7 is connected to the bottom powder separation outlet of the separation section B of the pulser 6. The bottom outlet of the collection and conveying box 7 is connected to the flow limiting valve 16, and the other end of the flow limiting valve 16 is fixedly connected to the lower discharge pipe 9. The support 8 is a component for fixing the device and is fixedly connected to the housing of the pulser 6. The device has four fluid interfaces: fluid inlet 1, heavy powder outlet 2, medium powder outlet 3, and light powder outlet 4. In addition, a monitoring port P1 is provided at the top of the separation section B of the pulser 6, and a monitoring port P2 is provided on the side of the collection and conveying box 7. To facilitate the adjustment of fluid working pressure and flow rate, a carrier inlet K2 is provided on the side of the collection and conveying box 7, and a carrier inlet K3 is provided on the lower discharge pipe 9.

[0108] The device has only one independent pulse sorting unit. The pulser 6 used is a dual-selection configuration with five working sections: conveying section A, separation section B, light powder separation section E, medium powder output section Z, and light powder output section W. The medium powder output section Z and light powder output section W are arranged in parallel. Among them, the light powder separation section E is an extended functional area after the separation section B, used for the separation of light powder. In the pulser 6, the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the separation section B is larger than that of the conveying section A, and also larger than the sum of the flow cross-sectional areas of the medium powder output section Z and the light powder output section W. The flow cross-sectional area of ​​the light powder separation section E is larger than that of the light powder output section W. The bottom bed surface of the separation section B is evenly distributed with heavy powder separation outlets. To prevent the relatively heavy powder in the light powder separation section E from accumulating and stagnating in the inner cavity of the pulser 6 due to stall, the bottom of the light powder separation section E is an inclined plane with an included angle β > 36°.

[0109] The collection and conveying box 7 is an inverted frustum configuration with the discharge port located at the bottom and the carrier inlet K1 located on the side. The included angle of the frustum side should be such that powder does not accumulate or stagnate on the inclined surface. The configured monitoring interface P2 is used for monitoring the working pressure of the fluid inside the collection and conveying box 7 and controlling the carrier inlet K2.

[0110] During operation, the feed fluid 10 enters the pulser 6 from the fluid inlet 1 of the device at the required flow rate in the conveying section A. The flow rate remains stable. During the process of passing through the pulser 6, the flow rate changes due to the limitation of the cross-sectional area of ​​each working section of the pulser 6. When the flow rate in the conveying section A is equal to or greater than the critical flow rate u of the feed fluid, the flow rate through the separation section B is equal to the critical flow rate u1 corresponding to the non-selected light powder in the fluid, the flow rate through the light powder separation section E is equal to the critical flow rate u3 corresponding to the light powder to be separated, and the flow rate through the medium powder output section Z and the light powder output section W is equal to or greater than the critical flow rate u2. Obviously, the cross-sectional area of ​​each working section of the device must be designed according to the flow rate requirements. During the process of the fluid passing through the device, the limitation of the cross-sectional area will inevitably result in a fixed negative pulse change. The change parameters are determined by the design parameters of the cross-sectional area and the length of the equal cross-sectional area of ​​each working section of the pulser 6, but all should meet the flow rate requirements described in this invention.

[0111] During operation, when the selected fluid 10 passes through the pulser 6 conveying section A under conditions that are greater than or equal to its critical flow velocity u, all powders can directly pass through and completely enter the separation section B along with the carrier, and will not deposit on the bottom bed surface of the conveying section A.

[0112] During operation, when the powder, carried by the carrier, passes through separation section B, the fluid velocity is equal to the critical velocity u1 corresponding to the non-selected light powder in the feed fluid 10. The heavy powder below the non-selected light powder is in a stall state, and due to stalling, the heavy powder will follow... Figure 1 The trajectory shown in Figure a rapidly falls towards the bottom of separation section B, then through the powder separation outlet at the bottom of separation section B, and finally into the collection box 7. It then flows out from the heavy powder outlet 2 along with the carrier input at port K2, passing through the lower discharge pipe 9, thus achieving the separation of heavy powder. Since the flow velocity of the unselected light powder as it passes through separation section B is the critical flow velocity u1 of the fluid, meeting the minimum flow velocity requirement for powder conveying, all but a very small amount of the unselected light powder that slides or rolls along the bottom bed surface will pass through separation section B with the carrier. Figure 1 The flow trajectories shown in b and c are as follows; the non-selected light powder mentioned above refers to the aggregate of medium powder and light powder, where light powder is the light powder that needs to be sorted or separated, and medium powder is the powder with relatively medium mass after removing light and heavy powder, and contains unselected heavy and light powder.

[0113] During operation, the fluid flow rate after separation in section B flows to section Z (medium powder output section) and section W (light powder output section) respectively according to the cross-sectional area ratio of the two sections:

[0114] (i) The flow velocity of the fluid flowing to the intermediate powder output section Z is equal to or greater than the critical flow velocity u2 of the fluid in that section. Since the flow velocity must meet the requirements of the heavy powder entrained in the conveying fluid, the critical flow velocity u2 must be greater than the flow velocity u1 of the separation section B. The powder in the fluid will not be deposited in the intermediate powder output section Z. The fluid flowing out of the intermediate powder output section Z is processed according to the powder structure and sorting requirements.

[0115] (ii) The fluid flowing to the light output section W must first pass through the light powder separation section E. When the fluid enters the light powder separation section E, the flow velocity corresponds to the critical flow velocity u3 of the light powder to be separated. The relatively heavy powder falls downwards due to stalling and slides down the bottom slope into the medium powder fluid. The light powder to be separated continues to flow to the top light output section W with the carrier and flows out from the light powder outlet 4 at the same flow velocity as the fluid in the medium powder output section Z, thus realizing the separation of light powder.

[0116] In the same pulse sorting device, the above method and process realize the simultaneous sorting of light and heavy powders.

[0117] Furthermore, when two or more sorting devices of the same diameter as conveying section A and medium powder output section Z are connected, a dual-selection multi-pulse type sorting device can be formed.

[0118] In this embodiment, the input flow rate is monitored and controlled by the monitoring port P1 and the configured monitoring device above the pulser 6. To avoid crossflow interference between the collection box 7 and the pulser 6 during the powder output process, the flow rate and working pressure of the carrier inlet K2 are controlled by the monitoring device configured by the monitoring port P2 of the collection box 7. The flow rate output of the collection box 7 is adjusted by the flow limiting valve 16 to keep the fluid pressure in the collection box 7 and the pulser 6 balanced. When the working pressure of the fluid in the separation section B of the pulser 6 is greater than the fluid pressure in the collection box 7, the yield of heavy powder falling into the collection box 7 increases and its proportion in the obtained powder decreases. Conversely, when the pressure is lower, the yield of heavy powder decreases and its proportion in the obtained powder increases until normal separation is impossible. In addition, by adopting the process method of adjusting the flow rate of each working section of the pulser 6, the heavy powder falling into the collection box 7 is sent to the lower discharge pipe 9 with a surplus flow rate without affecting the normal working flow rate, thus eliminating the need for the carrier inlet K2 on the side wall of the collection box 7.

[0119] In this embodiment, the K3 port on the lower discharge pipe 9 is the process carrier inlet. By supplementing the carrier, the flow rate of the fluid containing powder in the lower discharge pipe 9 is increased, so that the flow rate of the fluid in the lower discharge pipe 9 is greater than its critical flow rate, thus avoiding powder deposition. In order to prevent the fluid in the lower discharge pipe 9 from flowing back into the collection and conveying box 7 and interfering with the working pressure and flow rate of the collection and conveying box, there is an angle between the main pipe of the lower discharge pipe 9 and the feed pipe, and the angle α is less than 90°.

[0120] In this embodiment, water is used as a carrier to prepare the fluid when the powder is separated by wet separation process, and air is used as a carrier to prepare the fluid when the powder is separated by dry separation process.

[0121] The device shown in this embodiment has a simultaneous dual-selection function for light and heavy powders. Its sorting method is suitable for powders with different masses and densities. It can use forward selection, reverse selection, and slinging processes to classify and sort various powders, and can also classify and sort powders by particle size.

[0122] Example 2

[0123] See Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the unit structure and working principle of another dual-selection pulse sorting device in this invention. The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the light output section W of the pulser 6 and the light powder outlet 4 in this sorting unit are vertically upward; the advantage of this embodiment is that the working area of ​​the light powder separation section E can be arbitrarily increased, which can effectively increase the proportion of light powder in the obtained powder; the working method and application of this embodiment are the same as those of embodiment 1.

[0124] Example 3

[0125] See Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the unit structure and working principle of a single-selection pulse sorting device in this invention. The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that in this sorting unit, the pulser 6 has only one output section C after the separation section B, and there is no light powder separation section E inside the pulser 6. The pulser 6 belongs to a single-selection configuration. Another difference is that a guide element 11 is added between the conveying section A and the separation section B of the sorter 6.

[0126] In this embodiment, the working flow rate of the output section C is equal to or greater than the critical flow rate u2 of the fluid in that section. After the separation section B, the powder in the fluid will not accumulate and stagnate at the bottom of the output section C and can pass through continuously. The main function of the output section C is also to transport the fluid. The output port 5 is connected to the subsequent pulse sorting unit or the conveying pipe. The fluid output from the output port 5 is processed according to the structure of the powder and the requirements of the sorting process.

[0127] In the method described in this invention, when the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the separation section B of the sorting unit increases, a hysteresis zone D will be generated for the fluid flow, causing significant differences in the flow velocity distribution at different positions of the separation section B, which affects the sorting effect. To address this phenomenon, this embodiment adds a flow guide 11 between the conveying section A and the separation section B of the sorter 6. By guiding the flow, the flow velocity distribution at various positions on the separation section B is made uniform, which can effectively eliminate the hysteresis zone D in the fluid flow. The working method of this embodiment is the same as that of Embodiment 1, and it is mainly used for sorting heavy powders.

[0128] Example 4

[0129] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the unit structure and working principle of another single-selection pulse sorting device in this invention. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the outlet of the light powder output section W and the outlet of the medium powder output section Z of the pulser 6 are merged into one unit. The output section C of the pulser 6 is also constructed through the above-mentioned merging, but this pulser 6 is a single-selection configuration. This embodiment retains the light powder separation section E, part of the light powder output section W, and part of the medium powder output section Z from Embodiment 1. Simultaneously, a layered partition 12 is naturally formed between the medium powder output section Z and the light powder output section W. Its advantage is that it can promote the relative stratification of heavy powder and light powder in the fluid transported by the output section C, effectively improving the sorting efficiency of heavy powder in the next stage sorting unit. The working method of this embodiment is the same as that of Embodiment 1, and its application is the same as that of Embodiment 3.

[0130] Example 5

[0131] See Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a structural cross-sectional schematic diagram of another unit of the single-selection pulse sorting device in this invention. The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 3 is that the flow limiting valve 16 configured at the bottom of the collection and conveying box 7 is connected to a guide pipe 15, and a buffer tank 14 is configured at the bottom of the guide pipe 15 for temporarily storing the sorted powder.

[0132] In this embodiment, the separated heavy powder flows directly into the bottom buffer tank 14 along with the fluid through the guide pipe 15; the feature of this embodiment is that it is convenient to inspect the separated powder on site and take samples at any time, and its purpose is the same as that of embodiment 3.

[0133] Example 6

[0134] See Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a structural cross-sectional schematic diagram of a single-pulse sorting device with two sorting units according to the present invention. The single-pulse sorting device shown in this embodiment is composed of sorting units L1 and L2 connected end to end, and the configuration of the sorting units is the same as that in embodiment 3.

[0135] In this embodiment, the output section C1 of the sorting unit L1 and the conveying section A2 of the sorting unit L1 share a working section (C1 / A2). This configuration reduces the energy consumption required for fluid flow and reduces the volume of the sorting device by shortening the fluid flow distance. The effect of this method is more obvious in multi-pulse sorting devices. The working method, application and functions of each interface of this embodiment are the same as those of embodiment 3.

[0136] Example 7

[0137] See Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a structural cross-sectional schematic diagram of a dual-selection multi-pulse sorting device according to the present invention. The sorting unit configuration in this embodiment is the same as that in embodiment 2. By adopting the combination method of embodiment 6, a dual-selection multi-pulse sorting device is composed of sorting units L1, L2, L3...Ln and the corresponding functional settings of each unit. The pulse generator 6 adopts an integral configuration. Each sorting unit's light output section W outlet is equipped with a flow limiting valve 16, which is then connected to the upper discharge pipe 13. All fluids flowing out through the light output section W share a single light powder outlet 4. Each sorting unit's collection and conveying box 7 outlet is also equipped with a flow limiting valve 16. The other end of the valve is connected to the lower discharge pipe 9. All fluids flowing out through the collection and conveying box 7 share a single heavy powder outlet 2.

[0138] In this embodiment, the working principle and control method of each sorting unit are the same as those described in Embodiment 1.

[0139] During operation, heavy powder in the fluid enters the separation section B of the sorting unit L1 and is distributed at various positions in the cross section. While moving forward with the fluid, it also falls downward. Heavy powder in the upper layer that has not fallen to the bottom bed surface of the separation section B will flow with the carrier to the separation sections of the sorting units L2, L3...Ln. These powders will continue to move downward, downward, and downward again until they fall to the bottom bed surface of the separation section and are sorted and separated. The sorted heavy powder is all collected into the lower discharge pipe 9 through the discharge ports of each collection box 7 and then recovered from the heavy powder outlet 2.

[0140] During the separation or sorting of heavy powders, the yield of light powders will also increase synchronously with the increase of the number of sorting units. The sorted and separated light powders are fed into the upper discharge pipe 13 through the light output section W of each sorting unit, and then recovered from the light powder outlet 4.

[0141] In this device, since separating light powders requires diverting a certain amount of carrier, the fluid flow rate processed by the next sorting unit is only the medium powder flow rate of the previous sorting unit, and so on. In other words, in this dual-selection multi-pulse sorting device, as the number of sorting units increases, the output medium powder flow rate of each sorting unit decreases until the medium powder flow rate is completely sorted or processed according to the proportion of powder structure.

[0142] This dual-selection multi-pulse sorting device can simultaneously sort light and heavy powders with high sorting efficiency. It is mainly used for powder classification and sorting, as well as various powder particle size classification and sorting, including wet and dry separation. It can also be used directly as an independent process section in mineral processing, such as primary separation process section, intermediate separation process section, fine separation process section, scavenging process section, particle size classification process section, etc.

[0143] Example 8

[0144] See Figure 8 , Figure 8 These are two linear flow chart symbols for the powder pulse sorting device created by this invention: In these symbols, the meanings of the numbers and arrows are the same as in Embodiments 1 to 7 above: the arrow direction represents the fluid source and destination; 1 represents the fluid inlet and the source of the selected fluid; 2 represents the heavy powder outlet and the fluid destination; 3 represents the medium powder outlet and the fluid destination; 4 represents the light powder outlet and the fluid destination; 5 represents the output port and the fluid destination of the fluid after sorting by the single-selection pulse sorting device; in application, the numbers representing the fluid source and destination can be omitted; L represents the number of sorting units or the number of pulses of fluid flow rate. When L equals 1 or is omitted, this symbol represents a pulse sorting device with only one sorting unit.

[0145] Figure (I) in the diagram represents a dual-selection pulse sorting device; Figure (II) in the diagram represents a single-selection pulse sorting device.

[0146] Example 9

[0147] See Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a mineral processing technology and flow chart constructed using the powder pulse separation method described in this invention. The flow chart shown in this embodiment is drawn using the linear flow chart symbols described in Embodiment 8. The mineral processing technology shown in the flow chart treats the dense powder in the raw ore as minerals, and achieves mineral separation through the separation of heavy powders. This process simultaneously employs both dual-separation and single-separation pulse separation devices. The number of separation units (L value) of the devices used is determined based on the ore structure and grade. The working flow rate used for separation is based on experimental data or data obtained through speed reduction adjustments. This process consists of grinding, powder particle size classification, roughing, cleaning, fine particle separation, and scavenging processes, as detailed below:

[0148] (I) Ore grinding and preparation of feed fluid: Ore grinding is used to separate minerals from gangue; in wet separation process, ore is ground by wet method and the powder is prepared by water as carrier to prepare feed fluid; in dry separation process, ore is ground without water after drying and the powder is prepared by air as carrier to prepare feed fluid; the prepared fluids are all two-phase fluids and are sent to particle size classification and separation after homogenization.

[0149] (II) Particle Size Classification and Sorting: The feed fluid is fed into a dual-selection multi-pulse sorting device as described in this invention at the required flow rate for particle size classification and sorting. In this process, coarse powder corresponds to heavy powder, which is also powder in which minerals and gangue are not completely separated. After being separated, it is carried by the carrier and separated from the heavy powder outlet 2 of the sorting device, and then returned to the grinding device. After regrinding, the minerals are completely separated and then sorted again in the process. Medium powder corresponds to the medium powder described in this invention, which is relatively high-grade light powder and is also the powder with the largest proportion and easy to sort. After being separated, it is carried by the carrier and separated from the medium powder outlet 3 of the sorting device, and then directly sent to the subsequent device for coarse selection. Fine powder corresponds to light powder, which also contains extremely fine mineral powder. After being separated, it is carried by the carrier and separated from the light powder outlet 4 of the sorting device, and then directly sent to the subsequent device for fine particle sorting.

[0150] (III) Roughing and Fine Powder Separation: Roughing is a separation process with the primary goal of increasing the recovery rate of mineral powders. In this embodiment, the fluid to be separated after particle size classification is directly divided into two streams:

[0151] (1) Medium-particle powder roughing: The medium-particle fluid from the powder particle size classification and separation process section is fed into a dual-selection multi-pulse separation device of the present invention at the required flow rate for separation; the rough concentrate produced by roughing corresponds to heavy powder, which is separated from the heavy powder outlet 2 of the device with the carrier after separation and then sent to the fine separation; the medium-particle fluid after roughing is medium-particle fluid, which is easy to carry away the mineral powder that was missed. Therefore, the medium-particle fluid separated from the medium powder outlet 3 of the separation device is directly sent to the subsequent scavenging process; the rough tailings produced by roughing are light powder, which are separated from the light powder outlet 4 with the carrier. The fluid is directly incorporated into the tailings pipeline, and the light powder contained therein is treated as tailings.

[0152] (2) Fine particle separation: The fine fluid from the light powder outlet 4 of the particle size classification and separation device is fed into a single-particle multi-pulse separation device of the present invention at the required flow rate for separation. The single-particle multi-pulse separation device is selected based on the fact that the mineral grade in the fine fluid is relatively low. After the mineral (relatively heavy powder) is separated, the fluid loses its value for further separation. Therefore, the fluid after fine particle separation is separated from the outlet 5 of the separation device and then directly connected to the tailings pipeline. The powder contained therein is treated as tailings. The mineral separated by fine particle separation is relatively heavy powder. It is separated and recovered from the heavy powder outlet 2 of the device to complete the fine particle separation. When the grade of fine concentrate does not meet the beneficiation requirements, its fluid can be incorporated into the beneficiation process or a further first-stage fine concentrate beneficiation process can be added.

[0153] (iv) Fine separation: The rough concentrate fluid from the roughing process and the scavenging concentrate fluid from the scavenging process are combined and fed into a dual-selection multi-pulse separation device of the present invention at the required flow rate for fine separation. The concentrate and middlings fluid separated from the fine separation has a relatively high mineral grade and is generally recovered by adding a fine scavenging process. In this embodiment, the concentrate and middlings fluid separated from the powder outlet 3 of the device after fine separation is sent to the scavenging process by reflux. The tailings separated after fine separation are light powders and are separated from the light powder outlet 4 of the device with the carrier. The fluid is directly incorporated into the tailings pipeline, and the powder contained therein is treated as tailings. The concentrate obtained after fine separation is separated and recovered from the heavy powder outlet 2 of the device with the carrier, and further two-phase separation is performed to obtain the concentrate.

[0154] (v) Scavenging: The rough and medium ore fluids from the roughing process and the concentrate and medium ore fluids from the cleaning process are combined and then fed into a single-selection multi-pulse separation device of the present invention at the required flow rate. The scavenged concentrate is separated and recovered from the heavy powder outlet 2 of the device along with the carrier and then sent to the cleaning process for further selection. The scavenged fluid is separated from the outlet 5 and directly incorporated into the tailings pipeline, and the contained powder is treated as tailings.

[0155] In this embodiment, the speed reduction adjustment data refers to adjusting the working flow rate of the separation section of the separation unit of the sorting device from high to low, and then sampling and detecting the proportion of heavy powder separated. The flow rate corresponding to the proportion meeting the process requirements is the working flow rate of the device.

[0156] In this embodiment, when both the working pressure of the fluid and the working pressure of the sorting device are met, the concentrate grade and recovery rate can be further improved by selecting a device with more sorting units. The process flow described in this embodiment is applicable to the sorting of various minerals with a density greater than that of non-minerals, and both wet and dry sorting processes can be used.

[0157] Example 10

[0158] See Figure 10 , Figure 10 This is a mineral roughing process and flow chart constructed by combining the powder pulse separation method and flotation technology described in this invention. In this embodiment, the ore grinding is carried out by wet method, and the powder is mixed with water to prepare a fluid. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 9 is that the medium-particle fluid after particle size classification is sent to the flotation device for roughing. Due to the effect of reagents, the flotation process is not advantageous for separating extremely fine particles. Therefore, this process retains the pulse separation process used for extremely fine particles in Embodiment 9.

[0159] The advantage of this embodiment is that it overcomes the technical obstacles caused by coarse settling tanks and the mud-like agglomeration of ultra-fine powders in the flotation process, and can maximize the efficiency of the flotation process. This embodiment is mainly used in the pre-process of mineral flotation, and can effectively improve the capacity and efficiency of the original flotation production equipment.

[0160] Example 11

[0161] See Figure 11 , Figure 11 This is a process flow diagram of mineral recovery in a tailings conveying pipeline using the powder pulse separation device described in this invention. The process flow shown in this embodiment involves directly connecting a single-pulse multi-pulse separation device in series within the tailings conveying pipeline. In this embodiment, the fluid velocity from the tailings conveying pipeline is necessarily greater than the critical velocity. As long as the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the pulse separation device used for separation, and the conveying section A and output section C of each separation unit, is equal to or greater than the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the tailings conveying pipeline, minerals in the tailings conveying pipeline can be separated without additional energy consumption, and without increasing pipe resistance in the original conveying pipeline. The separated minerals flow out through the heavy powder outlet 2 for separation and are either returned to the original production system or refined on-site to achieve mineral recovery.

[0162] This embodiment utilizes the existing working pressure and flow rate during tailings fluid transportation and can be installed and applied in various powder separation fluid transportation pipelines to recover heavy or light mineral powders entrained therein.

[0163] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely representative examples of the present invention. Obviously, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and many combinations and modifications are possible. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made based on the technical methods and embodiments of the present invention should be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A powder pulse sorting method, characterized in that, The separation of powder in a two-phase fluid is achieved through pulsed changes in the fluid's critical velocity. The critical velocity refers to the fluid velocity at which, under gravity, the powder falls from a suspended state to the bottom and can slide, roll, or jump on the bottom surface, or it is the minimum conveying velocity corresponding to the two-phase fluid. The pulsed change refers to a change in the fluid velocity caused by variations in the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid flow while maintaining a constant flow rate. Specifically, the process includes the following steps: Step 1: Use air or water as a carrier and homogeneously mix it with the powder to be selected to prepare a two-phase fluid. Powders with high relative density or high mass are considered heavy powders, and powders with low relative density or low mass are considered light powders. Step 2: The prepared two-phase fluid is fed into a powder pulse sorting device at a stable flow rate and conveying velocity, so that the flow velocity can change at least once in a pulse. Each pulse change of the flow velocity corresponds to the conveying velocity, the separation velocity, and the output velocity, respectively. The conveying velocity refers to a velocity that is equal to or greater than the critical velocity of the selected fluid. The separation velocity refers to the velocity that is equal to the critical velocity corresponding to the non-selected light powder in the fluid during the process of separating heavy powder, and equal to the critical velocity corresponding to the light powder to be separated during the process of separating light powder. The output flow rate is equal to or greater than the critical flow rate corresponding to the remaining powder in the sorted fluid; Step 3: When the fluid flows through the powder pulse sorting device and reaches the separation flow rate, the powder to be sorted is recovered. (i) The heavy powder to be separated is recovered at the bottom bed surface of the powder pulse separation device corresponding to the separation flow rate, and the carrier and powder are further separated by conventional two-phase separation method to obtain the heavy powder in the feed fluid, thus realizing the separation of heavy powder; (ii) The light powder to be separated is diverted along with the carrier at the top or part of the powder pulse separation device corresponding to the separation flow rate. The carrier and powder are further separated by conventional two-phase separation method to obtain the light powder in the feed fluid, thus realizing the separation of light powder. Step four: After sorting, the fluid flows out of the powder pulse sorting device through the remaining flow rate to reach the output flow rate, ending the sorting process, or it is re-sent to step three or step two to achieve powder sorting during the process of multi-pulse flow rate changes. By combining the above methods with flotation, magnetic separation, gravity separation, electrostatic separation, chemical separation, screening, and bacterial separation, a new circulating process can be constructed to achieve the separation of various difficult-to-separate powders.

2. The powder pulse sorting method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The flow velocity can undergo at least one pulse change, which is achieved by changing the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid flow.

3. A powder pulse sorting device, employing the powder pulse sorting method as described in any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: It includes at least one single-selection pulse sorting unit or a double-selection pulse sorting unit consisting of a pulse generator (6) and a collection and conveying box (7), and also includes an upper discharge pipe (13), a lower discharge pipe (9), a buffer tank (14), a guide pipe (15), a flow limiting valve (16), a bracket (8), a flow guide (11), and a layered partition (12); the upper opening or open opening of the collection and conveying box (7) is connected to the powder separation outlet evenly distributed on the bottom bed surface of the separation section B of the pulse generator (6), the bottom discharge port of the collection and conveying box (7) is connected to the lower discharge pipe (9) or the guide pipe (15), the flow limiting valve (16) is set between the bottom discharge port of the collection and conveying box (7) and the discharge pipe (9) or the guide pipe (15), and they are connected to each other; the upper discharge pipe (13) is connected to the outlet of the light output section W of the pulse generator (6) of the double-selection pulse sorting unit; the support point of the bracket (8) is fixedly connected to the support part of the main body of the sorting device; The single-selection pulse sorting unit refers to the pulser (6) used in the sorting device being a single-selection pulser; The dual-select pulse sorting unit refers to the pulser (6) used in the sorting device, which is a dual-select pulser.

4. The powder pulse sorting device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The light powder outlet of the pulse generator (6) in the dual-selection pulse sorting unit is connected to a light output section W, or is an integral structure with the light output section W. The outlet of the light output section W is connected to the upper discharge pipe (13).

5. The powder pulse sorting device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The single-selection pulser includes at least one pulse unit consisting of a conveying section A, a separation section B, and an output section C connected in sequence. The bottom bed surface of the separation section B has powder separation outlets evenly distributed. The flow cross-sectional area of ​​the separation section B is larger than that of the adjacent conveying section A, and also larger than that of the adjacent output section C. In the single-selection pulser, due to the limitation of the flow cross-sectional area, the pulse change of the fluid velocity when passing through the separation section B corresponds to only one amplitude. The separation object is heavy powder in the fluid.

6. The powder pulse sorting device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The dual-selection pulser includes at least one pulse unit consisting of a conveying section A, a separation section B, a light powder separation section E, a medium powder output section Z, and a light output section W. The heavy powder separation outlet is located on the bottom bed surface of the separation section B, and the light powder separation outlet is located at the top or top of the light powder separation section E. The bottom of the light powder separation section E has an inclined structure. The flow cross-sectional area of ​​the separation section B is greater than the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the adjacent conveying section A, and is also greater than the sum of the flow cross-sectional areas of the adjacent medium powder output section Z and the light output section W. The flow cross-sectional area of ​​the light powder separation section E is greater than the flow cross-sectional area of ​​the adjacent light output section W. In each working section, the conveying section A is connected to the separation section B, the separation section B is connected to the light powder separation section E and the medium powder output section Z, and the light powder separation outlet of the light separation section E is connected to the light output section W. In a dual-selection pulser, due to the limitation of the flow cross-sectional area, the pulse change of the fluid velocity when passing through the two separation sections corresponds to two amplitudes, which can simultaneously separate heavy powder and light powder in the fluid.

7. The powder pulse sorting device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The pulse sorting units L described above are either connected end-to-end or use an integral structure within the same device; The term "beginning and end" refers to the pulse generator (6) with the conveying section A as the beginning and the output section C and the medium powder output section Z as the end. The conveying section A of the next sorting unit L is connected to the output section C or the medium powder output section Z of the previous sorting unit L, or the conveying section A of the next sorting unit L replaces the output section C or the medium powder output section Z of the previous sorting unit L.

8. The powder pulse sorting device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The collection and conveying box (7) is a hollow cylindrical or inverted frustum-shaped structure with the discharge port located at the bottom; the collection and conveying box (7) has a carrier inlet K1 on the side of the box body; the collection and conveying box (7) is equipped with a monitoring interface P2.

9. A powder pulse sorting device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The pulser (6) has a guide (11) in front of the inner cavity of the separation section B.

10. A powder pulse sorting device as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The pulse generator (6) in the dual-selection pulse sorting unit is equipped with a layered partition (12), and the outlet of the medium powder output section Z and the outlet of the light powder output section W are merged. After merging, the dual-selection pulse generator is used as a single-selection pulse generator.

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