Polyurethane Screen Sidewall for Leaching Tank Screening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional screen baskets used in metal extraction processes, such as CIP and CIL, suffer from low open screening area, leading to inefficient screening and clogging, which increases wear and reduces the lifespan of the screens due to the use of wedge wire screens.
Innovation Solution
A screen basket with a high open-area polyurethane screen sidewall, featuring a flexible molded polyurethane body with reinforcement members and a corrugated design, is affixed to a cylindrical frame, providing increased surface area and resistance to wear and clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If wedge wire screens are used in conventional screen baskets, then structural strength is maintained, but open screening area is reduced leading to clogging and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid wedge wire screens with flexible polyurethane screen elements that can conform to the cylindrical basket shape. These thin film elements provide high open area while maintaining durability through flexibility, preventing clogging by allowing particles to pass through without getting trapped in rigid wire intersections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite construction combining polyurethane screen material with cylindrical basket structure. The polyurethane elements are attached to the rigid basket frame, creating a composite system that provides both structural strength and high open area screening surface, resolving the contradiction between strength and open area.
2Productivity
If conventional screen baskets are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but screening efficiency is reduced due to low open area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from flat screen surfaces to three-dimensional corrugated screen elements that extend radially outward from the basket. This dimensional change increases the effective screening surface area without increasing the basket footprint, thereby improving screening efficiency while maintaining high open area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs cylindrical and curved screen elements that follow the circular basket geometry. The curved surfaces provide continuous screening action and maximize the use of available basket surface area, improving screening efficiency compared to flat conventional screens.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If polyurethane screen with corrugated design is used, then surface area and durability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the screen basket into multiple modular polyurethane elements that can be independently attached to the basket. Each element is a discrete component with standardized attachment mechanisms, making replacement and maintenance simpler despite the corrugated design. The segmentation allows complex durable structures to be assembled from simple modular units.
Data Source
AI summary
A leaching tank that can be used in an interstage screening process includes a draft tube with an impeller that extracts slurry or liquid from an interior of a screen basket mounted in the leaching tank. The impeller is driven by a motor, and the speed at which the motor rotates can be selectively varied to vary a flow rate of fluid or slurry being removed from the leaching tank. A position of the input end of the draft tube can be selectively varied within the leaching tank to vary a position within the leaching tank from which fluid or slurry is withdrawn from the leaching tank.