Intermeshing Screening Disks for Bitumen Ore Blockage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Roller screens used in ore processing face blockages due to the viscous nature of bitumen in oil sand ore deposits, making it difficult to separate sized and oversize ore portions, especially in frozen conditions.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates screening disks with protrusions and spacers that intermesh to prevent oversize ore portions from passing through, while allowing sized ore to pass, and includes removable caps and wear-resistant overlays to enhance functionality and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a screen mesh is used to separate sized and oversize ore portions, then separation is achieved, but the screen mesh is prone to blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The screen mesh is replaced by segmented roller screens with multiple adjacently located rollers, each having multiple screening disks mounted on a shaft. The disks intermesh to define interstices for separation, eliminating the continuous mesh structure that is prone to blockage while maintaining separation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller screens are coupled to a rotational drive to cause the rollers to rotate, transforming the static screen mesh into a dynamic system. The rotation clears blockages that may occur during screening, allowing sized ore portions to pass through while preventing oversize portions from passing, thus maintaining both separation reliability and productivity.
2Reliability
If protrusions are added to screening disks to prevent oversize portions from passing, then blockage prevention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Protrusions are added only to specific locations on the screening disks rather than modifying the entire structure. The protrusions extend outwardly into the interstices between adjacent disks, providing localized blockage prevention for oversize ore portions while maintaining the overall simplicity of the roller screen design.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the roller screen is designed to handle viscous bitumen and frozen ore, then processing capability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The roller screen design incorporates features such as protrusions and rotational capability in advance, before the ore processing begins. This preliminary design consideration allows the system to handle viscous bitumen and frozen ore conditions without requiring complex additional equipment or procedures during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A screening disk for use on a roller of a roller screen for screening an ore feed is disclosed, which includes first and second opposing side working surfaces, and provisions for mounting the screening disk on a shaft of the roller. At least one of the first and second side working surfaces has a plurality of protrusions operable to extend outwardly into an interstice between the applicable side working surface and a side working surface of an adjacent mounted screening disk. A spacer may be disposed in the one interstice for confining an extent of the one interstice to a region disposed generally between the third working surface and the shaft. A screening disk may have a keyway configured to receive a key for coupling the body of the screening disk to the shaft for rotation therewith.