Compact Sand Grading and Washing Apparatus with Integrated Hydrocyclones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sand grading and washing plants are large, inefficient, and not portable, requiring significant installation time and large volumes of water, making them difficult to move and adapt between sites.
Innovation Solution
A compact, portable apparatus with a combination of grading and dewatering screens and hydrocyclones, where oversize material is conveyed over the screens and undersize material is washed and dewatered, with a system for recycling overflow to maintain efficient operation and produce specific grain-sized sand products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional multiple-stage grading and dewatering screens with hydrocyclones are used, then sand grading and washing can be achieved, but the apparatus becomes very large and requires considerable installation time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple screening stages and dewatering functions into a single integrated apparatus. The first and second grading screens are mounted side-by-side on a common chassis, with their downstream ends facing each other, allowing oversize material from both screens to be conveyed together. The hydrocyclone washing stage is integrated into the same compact unit, eliminating the need for separate large-scale installations.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus performs multiple functions within a single compact unit: the first grading screen separates oversized material, the second grading screen further grades sand to specific grain sizes, the hydrocyclones wash and remove fine contaminants, and the dewatering screen removes excess water. This multi-functional integration achieves the grain size specifications of traditional multi-stage plants while minimizing apparatus volume.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional washing plants with multiple pumps and conveyors are used, then sand can be washed and transferred between stages, but the system becomes complex and not readily moveable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the washing and dewatering functions into a unified system. The hydrocyclones receive slurry from the second grading screen and separate washed sand, which then flows directly onto the dewatering screen mounted beneath the hydrocyclones. This integrated arrangement eliminates the need for multiple separate pumps and conveyors required in traditional plants, reducing complexity while maintaining product quality.
3Productivity
If traditional plants requiring large volumes of water are used, then material can be fluidised and transferred between stages, but water consumption becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a water recycling system where the overflow from the hydrocyclones, containing fine contaminants and water, is fed back to the first grading screen. This feedback loop allows water to be reused in the grading process, significantly reducing overall water consumption while maintaining the fluidisation and processing efficiency needed for effective sand grading and washing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus efficiently produces highly specific grain-sized sand products, such as frac sand or glass sand, in a compact and adaptable manner, reducing installation time and water usage, and allowing for easy relocation.
Implementation Method 1
a first grading screen at a first end of the chassis for receiving a feed material thereon
Implementation Method 2
a second grading screen at a second end of the chassis, opposite the first end, for receiving undersize material from the first screen and for separating sand by grain size therein
Implementation Method 3
a washing stage, comprising one or more hydrocyclones receiving undersize material and water from the sump of the second screen
Implementation Method 4
the underflow from said one or more hydrocyclones is dewatered on a deck of a dewatering screen
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
A method of grading and washing sand comprising the steps of removing oversize material from a feed material to which water is added on a first grading screen (10), whereby said oversize material passes over a downstream end of an apertured deck of said first grading screen (10), undersize material and water passing through said apertured deck being collected in a sump (18) of the first grading screen (10) before being passed onto an apertured deck of a second grading screen (30) having apertures of a smaller size than those of the deck of the first grading screen (10), oversize material passing over a downstream end of the second grading screen (30), pumping water and undersize material from a sump (38) of the second grading screen (30) to a washing stage to remove fine contaminants therefrom.