A two-stage separation device for a flotation machine and a method of using the same
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202611515662.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-09-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-11-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing flotation machines suffer from problems such as large footprint, high energy consumption, poor separation effect, complex operation and low bubble mineralization efficiency when processing high-ash fine coal slime. In particular, they are not effective in separating ultrafine coal particles with a particle size of less than 50 micrometers.
A two-stage separation device is adopted, including a bottom plate, concentrate cell, flotation cell, flushing pipe, tailings regulating device, feed cylinder and air intake device. Through the coaxial assembly structure and the combination design of inner cylinder and flow stabilizer plate, high turbulence mineralization and steady flow separation are achieved. Combined with the automatic control of tailings regulating and air intake device, the flow state and liquid level regulation of slurry are optimized.
It significantly improves sorting efficiency and concentrate recovery rate, reduces energy consumption and floor space, and achieves efficient sorting of high-ash fine-grained coal slime, product index stability and automated control.
Smart Images
Figure CN123024644A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of flotation machine technology, and particularly relates to a two-stage separation device for flotation machines and its usage method. Background Technology
[0002] With the continuous extension of mining years in my country and the widespread adoption of integrated mechanized coal mining technology, the content of high-ash fine particulate matter in raw coal has increased significantly, coal slime particles have become increasingly finer, and a large amount of gangue minerals have been mixed into the coal slurry, leading to increased ash content and a significant decrease in floatability of the flotation material. Fine coal particles, due to their weak inertia and low momentum, have a low probability of colliding with air bubbles. Simultaneously, high-ash clay minerals easily form a coating on the surface of coal particles, further inhibiting flotation selectivity. This results in increasingly prominent problems such as excessive ash content in clean coal and low recovery rates. These difficulties are particularly pronounced for ultrafine coal particles with a diameter of less than 50 micrometers, and have become a core bottleneck restricting the efficient operation of flotation systems.
[0003] In existing technologies, mechanically agitated flotation machines are the mainstream equipment for coal slime flotation. They typically employ a four-cell series-connected square tank structure, relying on impeller rotation to generate negative pressure that draws in air and forms bubbles. Simultaneously, a certain turbulence intensity is maintained within the tank to promote contact between the bubbles and coal particles. However, this structure has the following significant drawbacks: First, the four-cell series layout occupies a large area, has a complex transmission system, and high energy consumption. Furthermore, material transfer between multiple tanks increases the complexity of the process and the difficulty of control. Second, the continuous agitation of the impeller within the flotation tank keeps the entire tank in a state of strong turbulence. For fine-particle coal, the formed coal particle-bubble aggregates are prone to desorption under fluid shear force, causing the floated concentrate to fall back into the slurry, resulting in poor separation. Third, the long distance from the overflow weir to the concentrate froth layer in the square tank means the concentrate froth needs to travel a considerable horizontal conveying distance to be discharged. During this migration, some froth breaks down, causing concentrate loss and reducing the flotation rate and concentrate yield. Fourth, controlling tailings in multiple series tanks is difficult. Each tank has a slow response time, and level adjustment relies on manual gate operation, which is inaccurate and slow to respond. It cannot accurately control the liquid level in real time based on fluctuations in feed properties, leading to unstable ash content in both clean coal and tailings, and high labor intensity for operators. Fifth, the impeller-driven bubble generation method limits the amount of bubbles that can be drawn in. Dead zones are prone to exist within the tank, resulting in uneven bubble distribution. Furthermore, the generated bubbles tend to be large in size and have a wide size distribution, with insufficient proportion of fine bubbles. This makes it difficult for them to achieve efficient collision and adhesion with fine coal slime, limiting the improvement of mineralization efficiency.
[0004] As another common type of equipment, flotation columns can improve some of the separation effects, but they are tall, occupy a large area and volume, and rely on venturi tube jets to generate bubbles. They also have drawbacks such as easy clogging of the jet tubes and frequent maintenance of the bubble generator, making it difficult to operate stably for a long time in actual production.
[0005] The numerous defects of the aforementioned existing technologies have led to problems such as low processing capacity, poor separation effect, high energy consumption, and complex operation and maintenance when separating high-ash fine coal slime. There is an urgent need to develop a new type of flotation separation device that is compact in structure, low in energy consumption, has high bubble mineralization efficiency, controllable liquid level, and can achieve rapid discharge. Summary of the Invention
[0006] Based on the technical problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a two-stage separation device for flotation machines and its usage method.
[0007] According to a first aspect of the technical solution of the present invention, a two-stage separation device for a flotation machine is provided, comprising a bottom plate, a concentrate cell, a flotation cell, a flushing pipe, a tailings regulating device, a feed cylinder, and an air inlet device. The concentrate cell and the flotation cell are coaxially arranged above the bottom plate. A flushing pipe is provided above the concentrate cell. The height and diameter of the flotation cell are both smaller than those of the concentrate cell. The flotation cell is connected to the tailings regulating device. The bottom of the flotation cell is connected to the feed cylinder. An air inlet device is provided inside the feed cylinder.
[0008] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the tailings regulating device includes a tailings chamber, the side wall of the tailings chamber is provided with a tailings outlet, the bottom of the tailings chamber is connected to the bottom of the flotation cell through a tailings connecting pipe, and an opening degree control component is provided at the opening of the tailings connecting pipe near the tailings chamber.
[0009] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the flotation cell includes an inner cylinder, the inner cylinder is disposed on the bottom plate, the upper surface of the bottom plate inside the inner cylinder is provided with a flow guide groove, and the inner wall of the inner cylinder is provided with a plurality of flow stabilizers.
[0010] A further improvement of the present invention is that the concentrate tank includes an outer cylinder and a concentrate outlet, the outer cylinder is disposed above the bottom plate, and the concentrate outlet is disposed on the side wall of the outer cylinder near the bottom plate.
[0011] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the feed cylinder includes a cylinder wall, the opening of the cylinder wall away from the bottom plate is the feed inlet, and the side wall of the cylinder wall is provided with several layers of stator blades in the vertical direction.
[0012] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the flushing pipe includes an annular inlet pipe and a plurality of nozzles, the annular inlet pipe is disposed above the concentrate cell and the flotation cell, and a plurality of nozzles are uniformly disposed at the bottom of the annular inlet pipe.
[0013] A further improvement of the present invention is that: the opening control component includes a valve plug disposed at the opening of the tailings connecting pipe near the tailings chamber, a valve stem is vertically disposed above the valve plug, the top end of the valve stem is connected to an actuator, the actuator is used to drive the valve stem to move up and down, an actuator base is disposed below the actuator, and the actuator base is fixedly connected to the tailings chamber through a tailings chamber flange.
[0014] A further improvement of the present invention is that a tailings chamber base is provided below the tailings chamber, and the tailings chamber base is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the concentrate tank.
[0015] A further improvement of the present invention is that the air intake device is disposed between the stator blades and the feed inlet, and the stator blades of each layer are radially arranged on the inner side of the cylinder wall.
[0016] According to a second aspect of the technical solution of the present invention, a method of using a two-stage separation device for a flotation machine is provided, comprising the following steps: Step S1: The slurry is fed into the feed cylinder, and gas is introduced into the feed cylinder through the air inlet device, so that the slurry, reagent and gas are mixed in turbulent flow in the feed cylinder and mineralization bubbles are formed. Step S2: Mineralized bubbles and slurry enter the flotation cell from the feed cylinder and undergo flotation separation in the flotation cell. After the concentrate bubbles float to the surface, they overflow from the upper edge of the flotation cell into the concentrate cell. Step S3: Spray water into the overflow area through the flushing pipe to accelerate the entry of foam into the concentrate tank; Step S4: Control the liquid level and tailings discharge rate in the flotation cell by adjusting the tailings regulating device connected to the flotation cell.
[0017] Compared with the prior art, the above-mentioned technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects: 1. This invention employs a coaxial assembly structure consisting of a base plate, concentrate cell, flotation cell, flushing pipe, tailings regulating device, feed cylinder, and air intake device. The flotation cell's height and diameter are smaller than the concentrate cell's, creating a two-stage configuration: high-turbulence mineralization within the feed cylinder and stable-flow separation within the flotation cell. This solves the problems of large footprint, low transmission efficiency, high energy consumption, and easy clogging of the flotation column jet pipes caused by the existing four-cell series square tank structure in mechanically agitated flotation machines. An air intake device at the bottom of the feed cylinder allows bubbles to generate from the lowest point and rise axially to fully mineralize the slurry. Combined with the compact annular layout of the flotation cell and concentrate cell, a single unit can achieve highly efficient separation, significantly improving processing capacity while minimizing equipment footprint.
[0018] 2. This invention addresses the challenges of controlling tailings in multi-cell series flotation, including the difficulty of tailings control, slow response speed of each cell, and the low precision and lag in manual gate adjustment of existing flotation machines, which leads to excessive ash content in clean coal and high coal content in tailings. The tailings regulation device comprises a tailings chamber, a tailings outlet, a tailings connecting pipe, and an opening control component. This synergistic control of the ash content of clean coal and tailings results in excessive ash content in clean coal and high coal content in tailings. The opening control component automatically and precisely adjusts the flow area of the tailings connecting pipe, enabling rapid and stepless continuous adjustment of the flotation cell level. This, in turn, coordinates the control of ash content in both clean coal and tailings, significantly improving the stability and yield of flotation products.
[0019] 3. This invention uses a combination structure of an inner cylinder, a guide channel, and a flow stabilizer in the flotation cell. The flow stabilizer is vertically installed on the inner wall of the inner cylinder, and a guide channel is formed on the upper surface of the bottom plate. This allows the slurry entering from the feed cylinder to rapidly transform into a low-disturbance static flow field after radial and axial diversion by the guide channel and circumferential stabilization by the flow stabilizer. This solves the problem in existing mechanically agitated flotation machines where continuous agitation causes fine coal particles to be separated into a separation layer and a foam layer due to turbulent disturbance, leading to the shedding of clean coal particles from the mineralized bubbles. After the high-turbulence of the first stage completes mineralization, the flow state in the second-stage flotation cell quickly stabilizes, suppressing tailings and damage to already mineralized bubbles, significantly improving the flotation recovery rate and separation performance of fine-grained coal slime.
[0020] 4. This invention, by setting the concentrate tank as an outer cylinder and the concentrate outlet located near the side wall of the bottom plate, forms a coaxial annular structure with the inner cylinder of the flotation cell. This allows the concentrate froth to overflow from the upper edge of the inner cylinder and fall directly into the concentrate tank, then be quickly discharged from the bottom side. This solves the problems of long distance between the concentrate froth layer and the overflow weir in existing square-channel flotation machines, resulting in prolonged froth residence time, easy breakage, concentrate loss due to fallback, and low separation rate. The radial short-stroke design of the annular inner cylinder significantly shortens the froth discharge path. Combined with the low-position setting of the concentrate outlet, it achieves immediate and rapid discharge of concentrate froth, improving the unit pulp throughput and concentrate recovery rate.
[0021] 5. This invention, by configuring the feed cylinder as a cylinder wall, feed inlet, and several layers of stator blades arranged vertically, causes the slurry, reagents, and gas to undergo repeated shearing and mixing as they pass through the stator blades, forming a strongly turbulent mixing zone. This solves the problems of large and unevenly distributed bubbles, low collision probability between coal particles and bubbles, and insufficient mineralization in existing flotation machines. The multi-layered stator blades shear and disperse the gas and slurry in stages, generating a large number of microbubbles that efficiently collide and adhere to the coal particles, completing deep pre-mineralization within the feed cylinder. This provides sufficient mineralized material for subsequent static separation, laying the foundation for efficient flotation.
[0022] 6. This invention solves the problem in existing flotation machines where concentrate foam, due to its high viscosity and poor fluidity, accumulates near the overflow weir, causing the concentrate to fall back into the slurry after foam bursting, resulting in concentrate loss and low discharge efficiency. The annular inlet pipe and evenly distributed nozzles ensure continuous and uniform water flow across the entire overflow circumference. The foam, propelled by thrust, quickly slides into the concentrate tank and flows towards the concentrate outlet, significantly shortening foam residence time, reducing concentrate loss due to foam defoaming and bursting, and improving concentrate recovery rate.
[0023] 7. This invention integrates the valve plug, valve stem, actuator, actuator base, and tailings chamber flange into a single opening control component. The valve plug is located inside the tailings connecting pipe opening, and the actuator is fixed to the tailings chamber via the base and flange. The actuator drives the valve stem to move the valve plug up and down, achieving precise opening adjustment and rapid liquid level changes. This solves the problems of difficult control of multi-tank series tailings, slow response speed of each tank, poor adjustment accuracy of existing manual gate adjustment mechanisms, high degree of human arbitrariness, and inability to respond in real time to feed fluctuations, leading to lag in liquid level control and fluctuations in flotation indicators. The actuator can receive automatic control signals to achieve precise and continuous adjustment of tailings discharge and stable maintenance of the flotation tank liquid level, providing a reliable actuator for automating the flotation process and fine-grained management of indicators.
[0024] 8. This invention solves the problems of existing flotation machines with multiple cells and multiple tailings pipelines connected in series, resulting in complex structures, easy loosening and leakage of fastening connections, loose overall structure, and large footprint. The rigid connection between the tailings chamber base and the concentrate cell forms an integrated structure of the tailings chamber, flotation cell, and concentrate cell, ensuring reliable connection and sealing of the tailings connection pipes, simplifying the installation foundation, and improving the structural compactness of the equipment.
[0025] 9. This invention, by placing the air inlet device between the stator blades and the feed inlet, and with several downward-facing air outlets evenly arranged circumferentially in the annular air inlet device, prevents coal slime from clogging the air inlet and increases the bubble travel distance. Each layer of stator blades is arranged radially on the inner side of the cylinder wall, ensuring that compressed air ejected from the annular air inlet device at the bottom of the feed cylinder is immediately sheared and refined by the upper layers of stator blades. Furthermore, the bubbles travel the longest distance upwards from the bottom, solving the problems of limited bubble intake and insufficient bubble dispersion, short bubble rising distance, and insufficient contact time with the slurry caused by high or lateral air inlet positions in existing flotation machines. The low-position arrangement of the air inlet device combined with the radially arranged multi-layered stator blades achieves step-by-step microbubble formation and long-distance full mineralization, significantly increasing the gas-liquid-solid contact time and collision probability, thus significantly improving mineralization efficiency and flotation effect.
[0026] 10. This invention solves the problems of low separation efficiency and unstable product indicators caused by existing flotation methods, such as large bubble generation, turbulent mixing and mineralization in the feed cylinder, foam accumulation and retention, and delayed liquid level control, by setting the separation method as a continuous process: step S1, turbulent mixing and mineralization of slurry, reagents and gas in the feed cylinder; step S2, static separation and concentrate overflow in the flotation cell; step S3, water spraying through the flushing pipe to promote discharge; and step S4, precise control of liquid level by the tailings regulating device. This method utilizes the advantages of a two-stage device configuration, first achieving efficient mineralization in the feed cylinder, and then achieving selective separation in the static flotation environment. Supplemented by forced water spraying for discharge and automatic liquid level control, it comprehensively optimizes the entire flotation process, significantly improves concentrate recovery and separation accuracy, reduces manual intervention, and is suitable for the efficient separation of high-ash fine-grained coal slime. Attached Figure Description
[0027] The accompanying drawings are provided to better understand the invention and are not intended to unduly limit the scope of the invention. Wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a two-stage separation device for a flotation machine according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a two-stage separation device for a flotation machine according to the present invention.
[0028] In the diagram: 1-Tailings regulating device; 101-Actuator; 102-Actuator base; 103-Tailings chamber flange; 104-Valve stem; 105-Valve plug; 106-Tailings chamber; 107-Tailings outlet; 108-Tailings chamber base; 109-Tailings connecting pipe; 2-Flushing pipe; 201-Annular inlet pipe; 202-Nozzle; 3-Concentrate trough; 301-Outer cylinder; 302-Concentrate outlet; 4-Flotation cell; 401-Flow stabilizer plate; 402-Inner cylinder; 403-Bottom plate; 404-Guide channel; 5-Feed cylinder; 501-Stator blade; 502-Cylinder wall; 503-Feed inlet; 6-Air inlet device. Detailed Implementation
[0029] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates exemplary embodiments of the present invention, including various details to aid understanding. These details should be considered merely exemplary. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Similarly, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.
[0030] Example 1 This embodiment provides a two-stage separation device for a flotation machine, including a base plate 403, a concentrate tank 3, a flotation tank 4, a flushing pipe 2, a tailings regulating device 1, a feed cylinder 5, and an air intake device 6. The concentrate tank 3 and the flotation tank 4 are coaxially arranged above the base plate 403. The flushing pipe 2 is located above the concentrate tank 3. The height and diameter of the flotation tank 4 are smaller than those of the concentrate tank 3. The flotation tank 4 is connected to the tailings regulating device 1, and its bottom is connected to the feed cylinder 5. The air intake device 6 is located inside the feed cylinder 5. The base plate 403 serves as the load-bearing foundation of the device, supporting and fixing the core components such as the concentrate tank 3 and the flotation tank 4, ensuring the precise and stable relative positions of each component. The concentrate tank 3 receives and discharges the concentrate foam overflowing after flotation separation. The flotation tank 4 is the core separation area that separates the concentrate foam from the tailings, achieving concentrate flotation and tailings settling. Both are coaxially mounted on the base plate 403, forming a compact annular layout. A flushing pipe 2 is installed above the concentrate tank 3 to provide flushing water to the foam in the overflow area, accelerating the discharge of concentrate foam. The tailings regulating device 1 is connected to the flotation tank 4, precisely adjusting the slurry level in the flotation tank 4 by controlling the tailings discharge rate, thereby achieving coordinated control of the indicators of clean coal and tailings. The feed cylinder 5 is located below the bottom of the flotation tank 4, serving as the inlet channel for the slurry and gas. Simultaneously, an air intake device 6 is installed inside it to introduce compressed air into the slurry to generate the bubbles required for flotation. During operation, the slurry enters the device through the feed cylinder 5, while compressed air is simultaneously introduced into the slurry through the air intake device 6. The mixture of slurry, reagents, and gas undergoes a high-turbulence shear environment within the feed cylinder 5, resulting in collision mineralization of bubbles, reagents, and coal particles. This is the first stage of high-turbulence mineralization slurry conditioning. Subsequently, the mineralized bubbles and slurry rise into the flotation cell 4, where the flow becomes more stable. The mineralized coal particles float to the surface with the bubbles, forming a foam layer, while the unmineralized tailings particles settle towards the bottom of the tank, completing the second stage of steady-flow static separation. The concentrate foam overflows from the inner cylinder of the flotation cell 4 into the concentrate tank 3, is accelerated by water spraying through the flushing pipe 2, flows into the bottom of the concentrate tank 3, and is discharged. The tailings are discharged from the bottom of the flotation cell 4 through the tailings regulating device 1. By adjusting the tailings discharge rate, the liquid level in the flotation cell 4 can be controlled, maintaining the stability of the overflow process. This device employs a two-stage configuration design, consisting of a first stage of turbulent high-shear mineralization and a second stage of static steady-flow separation. This allows mineralization and separation to occur in their respective optimal flow environments, effectively overcoming the problems of low separation efficiency and concentrate tailing caused by full-tank turbulence in traditional flotation machines. It boasts advantages such as compact structure, large processing capacity, and high separation accuracy.
[0031] Specifically, the tailings regulating device 1 includes a tailings chamber 106, a tailings outlet 107 is provided on the side wall of the tailings chamber 106, the bottom of the tailings chamber 106 is connected to the bottom of the flotation cell 4 through a tailings connecting pipe 109, and an opening control component is provided at the opening of the tailings connecting pipe 109 near the opening of the tailings chamber 106. The tailings chamber 106 serves as a cavity for collecting and temporarily storing tailings, providing a buffer space for centralized tailings discharge and allowing observation of tailings level changes. The tailings outlet 107, located on the side wall of the tailings chamber 106, is used to guide the tailings slurry to subsequent processing stages. The tailings connecting pipe 109 connects the bottom of the flotation cell 4 to the tailings chamber 106, forming a communicating vessel structure, allowing real-time reflection of tailings level changes within the flotation cell 4 to the tailings chamber 106. An opening control component is located near the opening of the tailings connecting pipe 109 in the tailings chamber 106, precisely adjusting the flow area at the outlet of the tailings connecting pipe 109 to alter the tailings discharge resistance. The tailings regulating device 1 operates as follows: tailings at the bottom edge of the flotation cell 4 flow into the tailings chamber 106 through the tailings connecting pipe 109 under the influence of the liquid level pressure difference, and are then discharged through the tailings outlet 107. By adjusting the opening of the tailings connecting pipe 109 using the opening control component, the tailings discharge flow rate can be adjusted. When the opening decreases, the tailings discharge resistance increases, the liquid level in flotation cell 4 rises, and the overflow increases; conversely, when the opening increases, the liquid level drops, and the overflow decreases. This achieves precise, rapid, and automatic control of the liquid level in flotation cell 4, solving the problems of difficult tailings control in multi-cell series, slow response speed of each cell, and low precision and lag in response of manual gate adjustment. It can also coordinately adjust the ash content of clean coal and tailings in real time according to changes in feed properties.
[0032] Specifically, the flotation cell 4 includes an inner cylinder 402, which is mounted on the bottom plate 403. A guide channel 404 is provided on the upper surface of the bottom plate 403 inside the inner cylinder 402, and several flow stabilizing plates 401 are vertically mounted on the inner wall of the inner cylinder 402. The inner cylinder 402 is the core separation chamber of the flotation cell 4, providing a cylindrical space for the separation of concentrate and tailings. The guide channel 404 is located on the upper surface of the bottom plate 403 and inside the inner cylinder 402, used to guide the slurry entering the flotation cell 4 from the feed cylinder 5 radially and axially, ensuring that the rising slurry is evenly distributed across the cross-section of the inner cylinder 402. The flow stabilizing plates 401 are vertically installed on the inner wall of the inner cylinder 402, damping and rectifying the circumferential rotation and turbulence of the slurry. During operation, the mixture of slurry, reagents, and gas flowing upwards from the feed cylinder 5 first contacts the guide channel 404 on the bottom plate 403. The guide channel 404 guides the slurry evenly from the center outwards radially and axially, making the slurry distribution more uniform across the cross-section of the flotation cell 4. Subsequently, as the slurry flows upwards, it is continuously damped by the flow stabilizing plate 401 on the inner wall of the inner cylinder 402, gradually dissipating the fluid kinetic energy and significantly reducing the turbulence intensity, ultimately forming a low-disturbance, near-static flow field environment in the upper part of the inner cylinder 402. In this static separation environment, mineralized coal particles float smoothly to the liquid surface under the buoyancy drive of air bubbles, forming a foam layer, while unmineralized tailings particles settle to the tailings area at the bottom edge of the tank. The tailings area at the bottom edge of the tank is the bottom area between the inner cylinder 402 and the guide channel 404, achieving efficient and selective separation of coal particles and gangue, avoiding the problems of mineralized air bubbles being destroyed and fine coal particles being desorbed due to continuous stirring in traditional flotation machines.
[0033] Specifically, the concentrate tank 3 includes an outer cylinder 301 and a concentrate outlet 302. The outer cylinder 301 is located above the bottom plate 403, and the concentrate outlet 302 is located on the side wall of the outer cylinder 301 near the bottom plate 403. An annular space is formed between the outer cylinder 301 and the inner cylinder 402 of the flotation tank 4, serving as a cavity to receive overflow concentrate foam. The concentrate outlet 302 is located on the side wall of the outer cylinder 301 near the bottom plate 403, serving as the outlet for the concentrate foam. During operation, concentrate foam that rises to the liquid surface in the flotation tank 4 continuously accumulates. When the foam layer height exceeds the upper edge of the inner cylinder 402, the foam overflows from the upper edge of the inner cylinder 402 and falls into the annular space formed by the inner cylinder 402 and the outer cylinder 301. Because the concentrate outlet 302 is located on the side wall of the outer cylinder 301 near the bottom plate 403, the concentrate falling into the annular space flows downwards under gravity and can be quickly discharged through the concentrate outlet 302. This structure utilizes the design features of concentric inner and outer cylinders, low inner cylinder height, and short radial stroke to significantly shorten the radial flow path of the concentrate froth layer out of the overflow weir. This overcomes the problems of long distance between the froth layer and the overflow weir in traditional square trough flotation machines, long foam retention time, easy breakage, and concentrate loss, thus achieving immediate and rapid recovery of concentrate.
[0034] Specifically, the feed cylinder 5 includes a cylinder wall 502, the opening of which, away from the bottom plate 403, is the feed inlet 503. The sidewall of the cylinder wall 502 is vertically arranged with several layers of stator blades 501. The cylinder wall 502 forms the main channel of the feed cylinder 5, defining the flow space for the slurry, reagents, and gas. The feed inlet 503 is located at the end of the cylinder wall 502 away from the bottom plate 403 and is the inlet of the slurry feed cylinder 5. The stator blades 501 are arranged in layers vertically on the inner side of the cylinder wall 502, with each layer of stator blades arranged radially, used for repeated shearing and mixing of the slurry, reagents, and gas. During operation, the slurry is fed into the feed cylinder 5 from top to bottom through the feed inlet 503, and comes into counter-current contact with the compressed air introduced below the air intake device 6 within the cylinder wall 502. As the gas-powder slurry mixture flows through the stator blades 501, it is subjected to strong shearing and turbulent disturbances. Large bubbles are broken down and dispersed into microbubble clusters. Coal particles in the slurry collide frequently with and adhere to these microbubbles under the influence of strong turbulence, completing the pre-mineralization process. The stepwise shearing action of the multi-layer stator blades 501 significantly reduces the bubble size and greatly increases the specific surface area, effectively solving the problems of large bubble size, uneven distribution, and low collision probability with fine coal particles in traditional flotation machines. This provides sufficient mineralized material for the subsequent static separation in the flotation cell 4.
[0035] Specifically, the flushing pipe 2 includes an annular inlet pipe 201 and several nozzles 202. The annular inlet pipe 201 is located above the concentrate tank 3, and several nozzles 202 are evenly distributed at the bottom of the annular inlet pipe 201. The annular inlet pipe 201 is the main water distribution pipe of the flushing pipe 2, arranged in a ring above the concentrate tank 3, and is used to evenly distribute flushing water to each nozzle 202. The nozzles 202 are located at the bottom of the annular inlet pipe 201 and are evenly distributed along the circumference, spraying the flushing water to the overflow foam area at a certain angle and speed. During operation, external flushing water enters the annular inlet pipe 201 and is evenly sprayed through each nozzle 202 onto the overflow area on the outer side of the inner cylinder 402 of the flotation cell 4. The water flow at a certain angle formed by the spray continuously washes the overflow foam layer, providing downward thrust for the foam. This allows the more viscous concentrate foam to overcome viscous resistance and quickly detach from the overflow port and slide into the concentrate tank 3 under the thrust. At the same time, the water spray also plays a certain role in defoaming the foam layer. This structure solves the problem of concentrate foam accumulating near the overflow weir due to its high viscosity and poor fluidity, resulting in concentrate falling back into the slurry after the foam bursts, causing losses. It ensures timely recovery and efficient discharge of concentrate foam.
[0036] Specifically, the opening control component includes a valve plug 105 disposed at the opening of the tailings connecting pipe 109 near the tailings chamber 106. A valve stem 104 is vertically disposed above the valve plug 105. The top end of the valve stem 104 is connected to an actuator 101. The actuator 101 is used to drive the valve stem 104 to move up and down. An actuator base 102 is disposed below the actuator 101. The actuator base 102 is fixedly connected to the tailings chamber 106 through a tailings chamber flange 103. The valve plug 105 is located at the opening of the tailings connecting pipe 109 near the tailings chamber 106. It is the actuator that directly controls the opening degree, adjusting the flow area by changing the gap between it and the opening end face through vertical movement. The valve stem 104 connects the valve plug 105 and the actuator 101, transmitting the driving force of the actuator 101 to the valve plug 105. The actuator 101 is the power source for opening degree control, driving the valve stem 104 to move vertically up and down after receiving the control signal. The actuator base 102 and the tailings chamber flange 103 together achieve the fixed installation of the actuator 101. During operation, the control system sends instructions to the actuator 101 according to the process requirements. The actuator 101 drives the valve plug 105 to precisely position itself vertically through the valve stem 104, continuously changing the flow area at the opening of the tailings connecting pipe 109, thereby steplessly adjusting the tailings discharge rate. This component rapidly adjusts the liquid level, enabling automated and precise control of tailings discharge. It solves the problems of difficult control of tailings in multiple series tanks, slow response speed of each tank, poor accuracy, lag in response, and high labor intensity of manual gate adjustment. It provides a reliable means for stable control of flotation liquid level and fine adjustment of tailings indicators.
[0037] Specifically, a tailings chamber base 108 is provided below the tailings chamber 106, and the tailings chamber base 108 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the concentrate tank 3. The tailings chamber base 108 serves as the mounting foundation for the tailings chamber 106, supporting the tailings chamber 106 and its internal components, and fixing the tailings regulating device 1 as a whole to the outer wall of the concentrate tank 3. Through the rigid connection between the tailings chamber base 108 and the outer wall of the concentrate tank 3, the tailings chamber 106, the tailings regulating device 1, the concentrate tank 3, and the flotation cell 4 form an integrated structure, ensuring the reliability of the connection and sealing of the tailings connecting pipe 109, and making the overall structure more compact and stable.
[0038] Specifically, the air intake device 6 is located between the stator blades 501 and the feed inlet 503, with each layer of stator blades radially arranged on the inner side of the cylinder wall 502. The air intake device 6 is an annular air pipe, and the air intake end of the air intake device 6 is equipped with a solenoid valve to control the air intake volume. The lower surface of the annular air pipe is uniformly provided with several air outlets. The air intake device 6 is located below the stator blades 501 inside the feed cylinder 5, near the feed inlet 503, and is the starting position for bubble generation in the entire device. Each layer of stator blades 501 extends radially from the inner side of the cylinder wall 502 towards the center, forming a multi-stage annular shear zone. The annular air intake device is uniformly provided with several downward-facing air outlets around its circumference, which can prevent coal slime from settling and clogging the air inlet, while increasing the bubble travel. During operation, compressed air is introduced into the bottom of the feed cylinder 5 through the air intake device 6, forming a downward initial bubble group, which then encounters the slurry rising from the feed inlet 503 in the opposite direction. Because the air inlet device 6 is located at the bottom of the device, the bubbles must travel the entire length of the feed cylinder 5 from the moment they begin to rise, significantly extending the mineralization time with the slurry. Simultaneously, during their ascent, the initial bubbles pass sequentially through the shear zone formed by multiple layers of radial stator blades 501, where large bubbles are progressively cut and broken into uniform microbubble clusters. These microbubbles then collide fully with coal particles and reagents in a highly turbulent environment, completing the mineralization process. This structure, utilizing the combined effect of low-position air inlet and multiple layers of stator blades 501, results in uniform and fine bubble generation, a long bubble rising distance, and a long gas-liquid-solid three-phase contact time. This solves the problems of short bubble travel, uneven bubble dispersion, and insufficient mineralization caused by high air inlet positions in traditional flotation machines, laying an important foundation for improving flotation recovery and separation efficiency.
[0039] Specifically, the air intake device 6 and the base plate 403 are connected by a flange or by welding.
[0040] Example 2 This second embodiment provides a method for using a two-stage separation device for a flotation machine, which is based on the two-stage separation device for a flotation machine described in the first embodiment, and includes the following steps: Step S1: The slurry is fed into the feed cylinder 5, and at the same time, gas is introduced into the feed cylinder 5 through the air inlet device 6, so that the slurry, reagent and gas are mixed in turbulent flow in the feed cylinder 5 and mineralization bubbles are formed. Step S2: Mineralized bubbles and slurry enter the flotation cell 4 from the feed cylinder 5 and are separated by flotation in the flotation cell 4. After the concentrate bubbles float to the surface, they overflow from the upper edge of the flotation cell 4 into the concentrate cell 3. Step S3: Spray water into the overflow area through the flushing pipe 2 to accelerate the entry of foam into the concentrate tank 3; Step S4: Control the liquid level and tailings discharge rate in the flotation cell 4 by adjusting the tailings regulating device 1 connected to the flotation cell 4.
[0041] Specifically, in step S1, the slurry is fed into the feed cylinder 5 through the feed inlet 503, and compressed air is introduced from the bottom of the feed cylinder 5 through the air intake device 6, forming a counter-current contact with the upward-flowing slurry. The mixture of slurry, reagents, and gas passes sequentially through several layers of radially arranged stator blades 501 inside the cylinder wall 502, undergoing repeated shearing and strong turbulent disturbance. The compressed air is broken into uniform microbubbles at each stage, and the coal particles collide with the microbubbles and reagents at high frequency in the turbulent environment and complete adhesion, forming a large number of mineralized bubbles. Step S1 utilizes the staged shearing action of the multiple layers of stator blades 501 inside the feed cylinder 5 to complete bubble microbubbling and coal particle pre-mineralization before the slurry enters the flotation cell 4, solving the problems of large bubble size and insufficient mineralization in traditional flotation machines, and laying the foundation for subsequent separation.
[0042] Specifically, in step S2, mineralized bubbles and slurry enter the flotation cell 4 from the feed cylinder 5. After being radially and axially diverted by the guide channel 404 on the bottom plate 403, they are evenly distributed across the cross section of the inner cylinder 402. Subsequently, under the damping and rectifying effect of the flow stabilizing plate 401 on the inner wall of the inner cylinder 402, the turbulence intensity is significantly reduced, forming a near-static separation environment. The mineralized coal particles float steadily to the liquid surface with the bubbles, forming a foam layer. The tailings particles settle to the bottom of the inner cylinder 402 at the edge. When the foam layer exceeds the upper edge of the inner cylinder 402, it overflows into the concentrate tank 3. Step S2 forms static separation conditions through the flow equalization of the guide channel 404 and the energy dissipation effect of the flow stabilizing plate 401, protecting the mineralized bubbles from disturbance and damage. At the same time, the short axial and radial stroke design of the inner cylinder 402 allows the foam to be discharged quickly, improving the separation selectivity and concentrate recovery rate.
[0043] Specifically, in step S3, flushing water enters the annular inlet pipe 201 and is evenly sprayed onto the overflow area along the upper edge of the inner cylinder 402 through the circumferentially distributed nozzles 202 at its bottom. The axial thrust generated by the water spray causes the highly viscous concentrate foam to quickly detach from the overflow port and slide into the concentrate tank 3. Subsequently, under the action of gravity, it flows to the concentrate outlet 302 near the side wall of the bottom plate 403 for discharge. Step S3, by applying continuous and uniform hydraulic flushing to the overflow area through the annularly distributed nozzles 202, solves the problem of concentrate foam accumulating and stagnating due to high viscosity and concentrate loss due to foam rupture, ensuring timely and efficient recovery of concentrate.
[0044] Specifically, in step S4, the tailings settled at the bottom of the flotation cell 4 flow into the tailings chamber 106 through the tailings connecting pipe 109 and are discharged from the tailings outlet 107. The flotation cell 4 and the tailings chamber 106 form a communicating vessel through the tailings connecting pipe 109, and the changes in the liquid level of the flotation cell 4 are reflected in the tailings chamber 106 in real time. The actuator 101 drives the valve stem 104 to move the valve plug 105 up and down, changing the flow area at the opening of the tailings connecting pipe 109, thereby achieving stepless and precise adjustment of the tailings discharge volume, and thus controlling the liquid level and overflow of the flotation cell 4. Step S4 utilizes the principle of communicating vessels and the precise adjustment of the valve plug 105 opening to achieve rapid, automatic, and stable control of the liquid level, solving the problems of difficult control of tailings in multiple connected cells, slow response speed of each cell, and poor accuracy and lag in manual gate adjustment, thus ensuring stable separation indicators.
[0045] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the above-described division of functional units and modules is merely an example. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiments can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. Furthermore, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for easy differentiation and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above system can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.
[0046] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can occur depending on design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.
Claims
1. A two-stage separation device for a flotation machine, characterized in that, The system includes a base plate (403), a concentrate tank (3), a flotation tank (4), a flushing pipe (2), a tailings regulating device (1), a feed cylinder (5), and an air intake device (6). The concentrate tank (3) and the flotation tank (4) are coaxially arranged above the base plate (403). The flushing pipe (2) is arranged above the concentrate tank (3). The height and diameter of the flotation tank (4) are smaller than those of the concentrate tank (3). The flotation tank (4) is connected to the tailings regulating device (1). The bottom of the flotation tank (4) is connected to the feed cylinder (5). The air intake device (6) is arranged inside the feed cylinder (5).
2. A two-stage separation device for a flotation machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tailings regulating device (1) includes a tailings chamber (106), and a tailings outlet (107) is provided on the side wall of the tailings chamber (106). The bottom of the tailings chamber (106) is connected to the bottom of the flotation cell (4) through a tailings connecting pipe (109). An opening control component is provided at the opening of the tailings connecting pipe (109) near the opening of the tailings chamber (106).
3. A two-stage separation device for a flotation machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flotation cell (4) includes an inner cylinder (402), which is disposed on the bottom plate (403). A guide groove (404) is provided on the upper surface of the bottom plate (403) inside the inner cylinder (402), and several flow stabilizing plates (401) are vertically disposed on the inner wall of the inner cylinder (402).
4. A two-stage separation device for a flotation machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The concentrate tank (3) includes an outer cylinder (301) and a concentrate outlet (302). The outer cylinder (301) is located above the bottom plate (403), and the concentrate outlet (302) is located on the side wall of the outer cylinder (301) near the bottom plate (403).
5. A two-stage separation device for a flotation machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feed cylinder (5) includes a cylinder wall (502), the opening of the cylinder wall (502) away from the bottom plate (403) is the feed inlet (503), and the side wall of the cylinder wall (502) is provided with several layers of stator blades (501) in the vertical direction.
6. A two-stage separation device for a flotation machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flushing pipe (2) includes an annular inlet pipe (201) and several nozzles (202). The annular inlet pipe (201) is located above the concentrate tank (3) and the flotation tank (4). Several nozzles (202) are evenly arranged at the bottom of the annular inlet pipe (201).
7. A two-stage separation device for a flotation machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The opening control component includes a valve plug (105) disposed at the opening of the tailings connection pipe (109) near the tailings chamber (106). A valve stem (104) is vertically disposed above the valve plug (105). The top end of the valve stem (104) is connected to an actuator (101). The actuator (101) is used to drive the valve stem (104) to move up and down. An actuator base (102) is disposed below the actuator (101). The actuator base (102) is fixedly connected to the tailings chamber (106) through a tailings chamber flange (103).
8. A two-stage separation device for a flotation machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, A tailings chamber base (108) is provided below the tailings chamber (106), and the tailings chamber base (108) is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the concentrate tank (3).
9. A two-stage separation device for a flotation machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The air intake device (6) is disposed between the stator blade (501) and the feed inlet (503), and each layer of stator blades (501) is radially arranged on the inner side of the cylinder wall (502).
10. A method of using a two-stage separation device for a flotation machine, based on any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step S1: The slurry is fed into the feed cylinder (5), and gas is introduced into the feed cylinder (5) through the air inlet device (6) so that the slurry, reagent and gas are mixed in turbulent flow in the feed cylinder (5) and mineralization bubbles are formed; Step S2: Mineralized bubbles and slurry enter the flotation cell (4) from the feed cylinder (5) and are separated by flotation in the flotation cell (4). After the concentrate bubbles float to the surface, they overflow from the upper edge of the flotation cell (4) into the concentrate cell (3). Step S3: Spray water into the overflow area through the flushing pipe (2) to accelerate the entry of foam into the concentrate tank (3); Step S4: Control the liquid level and tailings discharge in the flotation cell (4) by adjusting the tailings regulating device (1) connected to the flotation cell (4).