Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1065369
This invention relates to a method and apparatus
for hydraulically transmitting coal, oil shale, mineral
ores, etc. from the mine face to the surface of underground
mines via a pipeline.
Generally the underground mining of materials
such as coal, oil shale, or mineral ores involves machinery
for freeing the material from the face of the seam. This
machinery may or may not be continuous. After the material
is freed from the seam, current practice is to load the
material on to shuttle cars or belt conveyors for conveyance
to the surface. In some cases a combination of shuttle
cars and conveyors is used; whereby the shuttle cars provide
C mobility at the face moving the mined material a short
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1065369
( distance to fixed belt conveyors. Recent innovations
have produced flexible conveyors that provide some mobility
near the face. These types of conveyors have taken the
form of either rectractable/extending belts or belts
mounted on serpen~-like spines providing flexibility.
Although these conveyor belts improve mining efficiency,
improvement of mining safety has not been simultaneously
achieved. Two major hazards continue to exist, namely,
injury due to the moving parts and health or fire hazards
due to dust accumulation in the mine. The conveyor belts
produce dust while conveying material from the mine.
Normally a distance in the range of 5 to 10 feet exists
between the belt support rollers. The weighed down belt
sags between the rollers and as the belt passes over the
roller a rapid change of belt direction occurs, causing
a slight bounce of the conveyed material at the roller.
This slight bounce causes dust to be liberated at each
roller. A totally enclosed hydraulic piping system would
serve to eliminate these hazards. The advantages are no
moving parts exist in the pipe and no dust would be
liberated.
Several methods and apparatus have been pursued
to provide for transport of mined materials via a pipeline.
S.A. Jones, U.S. patent 2,672,371 and 2,672,370, uses a
plurality of pipes with associated pump and switching valves.
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1065~69
( The pump provided the motive force for pushing coal out
of one pipe while simultaneously sucking coal into an
adjacent pipe. When one pipe was filled and the other
emptied the procedure was reversed by the switching valves.
The pipes for switching could be quite long from 100 yards
to a mile. The switching system required check valves
which could become difficult to close on large particle
slurries. This transfer system is more suitable for a
fixed operation than for the mobility required at a
mining face. Very precise control is required to pre-
vent coal from entering the pump.
~ F. W. Wanzenberg, U.S. patent 3,485,534, uses a
rotation drum containing two or more axially through-going
chambers; the rotating drum having fixed end plates con-
nected to a drum chamber filling circulation loop and drumchamber emptying circulation loop. The end plates contained
seals against the rotating drum to prevent leakage to the
surroundings. The drum device could be made more continuous
by providing a plurality of chambers in the drum. Also the
device could be used in stages to obtain greater
pressures. A disadvantage of the invention is the
pressure encountered on the end plates and seals. The
end plates must be forced tightly against the seals.
~arge axial thrust loads are then applied to the end plates.
Additionally any leakage that occurs at the seal drains into
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10~5~}69
the mine and most hazardly when a seal is blown. Another
disadvantage is that each chamber fills and empties only
once during each revolution of the drum.
R.L. Buchberger et al., U.S. patent 3,411,986,
uses a device of similar but different characteristics of
Wanzenberg, above. The constructional difference is that
the rotating drum of Wanzenberg is a housing encased rotor
~ith the chambers for filling and emptying coming in and
out of the ends of the rotor periphery. The housing pre-
vents leakage from entering the surroundings. This deviceis basically balanced and provides for filling and empty-
ing twice each revolution. The device is for wood chip
injection and does not lend itself to operation in the low
head requirements of a mine seam because of its construc-
tional form. The vertical shaft with a need for havingpairs of two filling and emptying ports together would
make this device too tall for most low head seams of 4 to
6 feed head room.
J.O. Richter, Swedish patent 324,949, is another
device for injecting wood chips into a hydraulic piping
system for digester processes. Additionally, U.S. Patent NO.
3 982 789 issued SePtember 28,1976 of Funk is for the use
of this device for pipelining of coal, oil shale, or ores.
This injection device, because of its constructional form,
C 25 also does not allow the necessary mobility in mines of
10~;5369
( low head seams. This device is more suited to fixed
operation where large injection pressures are encountered
which is the subject of U.S. Patent 3 982 789 issued
~eptember 28, 1976.
E.H. Reichl, U.S. patent 3,260,548, presents
method and apparatus for continuously transporting mined
coal from a continuously advancing mobile mining machine
which uses a pump to suck in a mixture of coal and water
and boosts the pressure for transport through the pipeline.
A booster pump is installed further downstream for
additional boost of pressure. This method and apparatus
has the disadvantage of having to reduce the pressure of
all transporting water to allow mixing of coal with the
water prior to being introduced into the pump. Another
disadvantage is the necessity of passing the coal particles
through the pump. The pump will turn at sufficient speed
to cause coal particle breakage and significant wear on
the pump impellor. Centrifugal pumps generally have only
the capability to gain pressures up to 200 feet of H2O
(98 psig) when their impellors are not worn. For a 600
foot deep mine it would require three pumps in series just
to overcome the mine hydraulic gradient and most likely
one more pump to overcome pipe frictional losses if the
seam face is over one-half mile from the shaft opening.
Particle attrition becomes serious when this many pumps
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~065369
( are involved.
The present invention contemplates a method and
apparatus for continuous transporting of coal, oil shale,
mineral ores, etc. from the mine face at substantially the
S same rate as that at which it is mined.
An objective of this invention is to provide
method and apparatus with a constructional form and process
configuration to allow mobility within underground mine
seam.
Another objective is to provide a mobile apparatus
for injecting the mined material into a pipeline flowing
water at sufficient pressure to cause transport away from
the mine face, said apparatus eliminating the necessity of
passing large mined particles through the pump providing the
lS pressure, said apparatus being capable of accepting mined
particles from four to six inches in size.
Another objective is to provide a mobile injection
device that fills twice per revolution of its rotor, does
not expose its leakage to the mine, and acts as a shut-off
valve when its rotor stops turning.
Another objective is to provide a method for sub-
stantially maintaining the pressure in the transporting
pipeline while causing the relocation of the particles into
the pipeline. This technique allows a significant reduction
in energy consumption in comparison to a method where the
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pipeline pressure must be let down to allow particle
introduction to a centrifugal pump suction port. When
the pressure in the pipeline is let down, large energy
consumption is required to raise the pressure; oftentimes
requiring many pumps in series.
Another objective of this present inver~tion
is to provide a method whereby state of the art supporting
e~uipment, such as pumps, valves, flexible pipe, and hard
fixed pipe, may be used to accomplish the transporting.
Flexible piping and centrifugal pumps now represent
limitations to deep mining hydraulic transport. Use of
flexible pipe is generally limited to 150 (350 feet H2O)
psig pressures. In most cases this pressure is only
sufficient to overcome piping frictional losses to move
the mined material to the locale of the mine shaft. Centri-
fugal pumps, when pumping large particle slurries, are
generally only capable of creating pressures to 200 feet
H2O; however, when the large particle slurry is not present,
centrifugal pumps can be obtained to pump slightly contam-
inated water to 2000 feet of H2O or more. For deep mines,
the flexible pipe to allow movement of the mobile injection
device will be a limiting factor. To allow for the
hydraulic transport from deep mines this invention contem-
plates the use of a fixed booster device of similar form but
different construction from the mobilç injection device.
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10ti,5369
Another objective of this invention is to provide
a fixed pressure booster device whereby the mined material
does not pass through a centrifugal pump for pressure
increase, said booster device being capable of causing
pressure increases up to 2`00-0 feet of H20, said pressure
rise being created primarily by the depth of the mine shaft
with a U-tube in the shaft and the relocation of the mined
material into the U-tube by the booster device. A pump is
located on the surface to provide the motive force to
overcome frictional losses in the U-tube.
These and other objects of the present invention
will become more apparent during the course of the following
detailed description and appended claims.
The invention may best be understood with refer-
ence to the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative
embodiment is shown.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a
mining machine and mobile pipeline injection module system
embodying the principles of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the mobile
pipeline injection module;
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the mobile pipeline
injection module shown in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the
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106536~
( injection device of the module;
Fi~ure 5 is a schematic diagram of the mobile
injection module and pressure booster station;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the booster
device used in the booster station;
Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of
the booster device liner and rotor; and
Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a preferred
form of a booster station connection.
10653~9
Referring now more particularly to the drawings,
the basic arrangement for hydraulically piping of mined
material from the mine face is shown in Figure 1. A con-
tinuous mining machine 1 removes the material from the
face and moves the material by a conveyor 2 to the mobile
pipeline injection module 3. The mining machine may be of
any type for room and pillar mining or for planing in long
wall mining. The conveyor may be a part of the mining
machine or a part of the injection module. If the conveyor
is to be linked between the mining machine and the injec-
tion module it must be of the flexible type. The conveyor
can be a part of the injection module with no direct linkage
to the mining machine. In this event the mining machine
would discharge the mined material on to the mine floor to
be scooped up by the conveyor. The injection module would
in resemblance be like a conventional shuttle car with
pipeline injection equipment in lieu of the storage hopper.
Shuttle cars currently move to the mined material by
scooping the material from floor by an integral conveyor/
breaker. The breaker keeps the mined particles below a
predetermined size. The shuttle car contains a hopper
which collects the mined material. After loading, the
shuttle car travels to a fixed conveyor to unload. The
fixed conveyor then removes the mined material from the
mine. After unloading, the shuttle car returns for
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1065369
reloading. In the present invention the mobile pipeline
injection module remains behind the continuous mining
machine for continuous acceptance of the mined material.
The arrangement of Figure 1 which is for illustrative
purposes shows the conveyor linking the mining machine
and mobile pipeline injection module. After injection
of the mined material into the pipeline, the mined
material is hydraulically conveyed by water through a
flexible section of pipe 4 and then through fixed piping
5 to the mine surface for water separation. After water
is separated from the mined material it is recirculated
to the mobile pipeline injection module. This water
recirculation is motivated by pump 6, located on the mine
surface, which pumps water through fixed pipe 7 and flexible
pipe 8 to the mobile pipeline injection module. As will be
apparent during this description, the piping 4, 5, 7
and 8 and the injection device of module 3 comprise a closed
U-tube in which the pressure due to mine depth is balanced
between pipes 4, 5 and 7, 8. The pump 6 needs only to
overcome piping frictional loss to cause a water flow in
the pipes 4, 5, 7 and 8.
The mobile pipeline injection module contains a
number of components to accomplish the injection; the main
component being the injection device. Figure 3 illustrates
the components of the injection module without a feeding
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1065369
eonveyor which may be a part of the mining machine. The
principle of injection involves the relocation of mined
material from a first low pressure water circulation loop
into a second higher pressure circulation loop. The
injection of minea material into the first circulation
loop is accomplished at atmospheric pressure. The injec-
tion device 13 is common to both the low and high pressure
eireulation loops. The injection device contains a unique
plurality of through-going holes which allow continuous
flow of water in both the low and high pressure circulation
loops during its operation. As illustrated in Figure 2,
the eomponents comprising the low pressure circulation
loop include a receiving and mixing tank 11; a pipe 12
eonneeting the mixing tank to the injection deviee 13; a
low head eentrifugal pump 14 which provides the water circulation
and a pipe lS whieh eompletes the low pressure cireulation loop.
The eomponents comprising the high pressure circulation loop
inelude the motivating pump 6 (as shown in Figure 1 located
on the surface); pipe 7 and flexible pipe 8 (also shown in
Figure l); pipe 21 eonneeting to injection deviee 13; pipe 22;
flexible pipe 4 and pipe 5 (shown in Figure 1) to a water and
solids separation faeility.
The injection device will have some leakage from
the high pressure eirculation loop to the low pressure circu-
lation loop. This leakage will attempt to cause a rise in
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10653~;9
the water level in the mixing tank 11. This rise in
water level will be sensed by level control system 19
which modulates valve 18 to keep the level constant.
The leakage is drawn from the low pressure circulation
loop pipe 15 via pipe 16 and boosted in pressure by
pump 17 to discharge through valve 18 and pipe 20 to the
high pressure circulation loop pipe 21. The injection
device is driven by motor 23. All components are mounted
on ~ase 24 which is motivated by tracks 25. The base and
tracks are of any suitable type to provide mobility to
the injection module components. The drive gears for
the injection device 13 are mounted in or below the
base 24.
~he principle of operation of the injection module
components is more clearly apparent in the module plan view
of Figure 3 and injection device exploded view of Figure 4.
In the plan view of Figure 3 a cross-section of the injec-
tion device 13 is shown. The section is taken through one
rotor pocket 33. The rotor 32 is shown in a completely
mated filling and emptying position within liner 31 and
housing 30. Reference is made to co~monly assigned U.S.
Patent 3 982 789 issued September 28, 1976 where a trans-
mission device is used to relocate mined material into a
pipeline at a fixed location. An important aspect of the
present invention is the construction em~odied in the
- 13 -
1065369
! device 13 and the determination that a construction such
Pa~ ~
as disclosed in the aforesaid _~plL~-e~R~ is not suitable.
The injection device 13 of this invention has
several constructional form and functional differences
U-S.
from the transmission device Of~Patent 3 982 789.
As shown in Figure 2, the injection device 13 has a
low height achieved by the device rotor having a diameter
greater than axial length. To increase the capacity of the
injection device requires only the increase in rotor
diameter without affecting the device height. To achieve
the new constructional form the rotor shaft is vertical and
the pocket openings of the rotor are rectangular with the
longest dimension perlpherally and the shortest dimension
axially. The adjustment of the rotor position in the
housing is performed hydraulically. A functional attribute
of this invention is the ability of the injection device to
act as a tight shutoff valve during a power failure. The
rotor will drop tightly into the housing due to its own weight.
The taper of the rotor will cause a wedging as in a plug
valve when it drops lower into the housing.
In Figure 3 the plan of injection module components
does not represent the only location or arrangement, but is
for illustrative and descriptive purposes. The mined material
drops by gravity into mixing and receiving tank 11. A
turbulence is created in the tank which causes mixing of
, 10~53~;9
the mined material and the water. Water mixed with the
mined material is drawn through pipe 12 by centrifugal
pump 14. Before being drawn into pump 14 the mined
material is drawn into pocket 3~ of injection device 13.
A screen located in housing port 36 retains mined
~3 particles in the pocket 34 above the size of the screen
opening but allows water to flow through to the pump 14,
such water being pumped through pipe 15 back to tank 11
completing a circulation loop. A great majority of particles
smaller than the screen opening will be retained in
the pocket by virtue of larger particles causing a straining
action. The pocketed rotor of the device 13 basically serve,s
to substantially continuously remove from communication with
the first loop or flow path successive volumes of mined
particles larger than a predetermined size determined by
the screen openings which are entrained in liquid, while
permitting the liquid with mined particles smaller than the
predetermined size to flow along the first flow path down-
stream. At the same time, corresponding successive volumes
of liquid are transferred from the second loop or path to
the first loop.
The physical occurrences in the pocket are that
as rotor 32 is turning, as indicated in a clockwise rotation, a
pocXet begins to open to ports 35 and 36. Mined particles
in low concentration with the water begin to enter the
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,~, 10~;5369
pocket; said pocket containing mostly water having pre-
viously been emptied; said water being drawn out of the
pocket first to allow the low concer.tration mix of mined
particles and water to enter. As the rotor 32 continues
to turn, more open screen area is exposed causing more
low concentration mix to be drawn into the pocket. When
the screen begins to retain the mined particles, the
particles come together increasing the mix concentration
significantly. The water which was contained in the low
concentration mix goes on through the screen. As the rotor
continues to turn an adjacent pocket begins to fill; this
becomes more apparent as the description continues. After
the rotor pocket fills, the turning of the rotor brings a
filled pocket 33 into communication with ports 37 and 38
of the high pressure water circulation loop. As the pocket
first begins to open to these ports the mined particles
begin to sluice out into pipe 22 and this sluicing out con-
tinues as pocket opening continues thus again lowering
the concentration of mined particles to water. By the time
the pocket 33 closes to ports 37 and 38 all mined particles
have been sluiced out leaving only water. The water somes
from the mine surface via pipe 21. The rotor 32 contains four
such through-going pockets arranged in perpendicular pairs;
one pair is shown in Figure 3 by pockets 33. Each
pair of pockets is located diametrically 45 degrees from
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10ti,53~9
., ,
the other pair. In Figure 3 this second pair of pockets is
not visible but is located in directions of ~he centerlines
shown for the injection device 13. This configuration of
pockets insures a constant cross-sectional opening into and
out of the rotor for any rotor position for both the low
pressure circulation loop and the high pressure circulation
loop. Therefore the transmission device 13 is continuously
filling and emptying of mined particles at all times. A
lining 31 is fitted inside housing 30 for purposes of wear.
Since a pressure differential exists between the high
pressure circulation loop and the low pressure circulation
loop, a leakage will occur between rotor 32 and liner 31 to
the low pressure circulation loop. This leakage would cause
a water level rise in mixing tank 11. The water level rise
is prevented by pumping the leakage back into the high
pressure circulation loop. The leakage is extracted from
pipe 15 via pipe 16 by pump 17. Pump 17 discharge rate is
controlled by mixing tank level control valve 18 to flow
into pipe 21 for return to the high pressure circulation loop.
The constructional form of the injection device 13
is shcwn in Figure 4. A description of the device parts
will follow herewith. The major parts are the housing 50,
liner 49, rotor 45, and end bells 40 and 53. The end bells 40
and 53 are bolted to the housing 50. Each end bell contains
reinforcing ribs 41 to sustain the internal pressure of the
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1~53~9
,,
,~! injection device. End bell 40 contains a bearing and
shaft housing 42 into which fits bearing 43 and shaft 4~.
Bearing 43 can be a roller bearing or a solid oil~less
~earing; in either case it must be sealed or continually
purged to prevent entry of small minëd particles. Shafts
44 and 52 are bolted rigidly to the rotor 45. Rotor contains
reinforcing ribs 46 on both the top and bottom ends. Addi-
tionally the rotor is tapered toward the lower end, said
taper allows the rotor to be lowered in relative position
to the housing to make up for wear. Liner 49 contains a
corresponding taper to accept rotor 45. The pocket open-
ings 47 can be clearly seen ln this exploded view. As indi-
cated the pocket width is constructed such as to provide a
constant open area around the periphery o~ the rotor 45,
said constant open area being the key to continuousness.
Although not easily visualized in Figure 4, but more so in
Figure 3, the pocket width increases and height decreases
as it penetrates through the rotor. This pocket dimensional
change is essential in allowing the openings of a pocket
pair to be peripherally in line. The pocket penetrations
must loop over each other to provide these inline openings.
A rigid membrane exists between the two pockets to allow
this looping over. The dimensional change in the pocket as
it penetrates through the rotor also provides for maintaining
~ constant cross-sectional opening to water flow.
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The liner 49 contains openings 61 to match the
ports in housing 50. The lining also contains grooves 48
which dampen out pressure shocks when a pocket begins to
open to the housing high pressure ports 64 and 65. The
grooves slowly allow water to enter the pocket during the
transition from low to high pressure. Housing 50 contains
four ports 62, 63, 64, and 65, all located 90 degrees from
each other around the housing. The ports 62 and 63 are the
ports associated with the low pressure water circulation
loops and ports 64 and 65 with the high pressure water
circulation loop. A connector piece ?S normally bolted to
each port for making a transition to a round pipe (not shown
in Figure 4). Port 63 has screens 51 mounted in it to retain
the mined particles in the poc~et of the rotor 45 when the
pocket is in communication with the low pressure circulation
loop.
Shaft 52 passes through a packing box 54 which is
rigidly mounted to end bell 53. This packing box prevents
leakage between the rotating shaft and fixed end bell 53.
Attached to shaft 52 is a spline qear 55, or as an alternate
a belt sheave, said spline gear providing a driving means.
The lower end of the shaft is mounted to a thrust and radial
bearing mechanism 56, said bearing mechanism being supported
by a piston mechanism comprising a support plate 57, cylinder
with piston 58, and hydraulic control lines 59. The hydraulic
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mechanism is used to position the rotor in the housing
and to vent on power failure to allow the rotor to drop
tightly into the housing to act as a plug valve. An end
~ell pressure equalizing line 60 provides for balanced
end bell pressures. As previously described, if the mine
is deep or the pipeline from the mobile pipeline injection
module to the surface is long, generally over one mile, it
will be necessary to boost the pipeline pressure in order
to provide sufficient head pressure. A limitation of approx-
Lmately lO0 to 150 psig is placed on the injection device
~rimarily because flexible pipes will become not so flexible
above this pressure. If the pipes are constructed to be
~ore flexible above this pressure they would become more
heavy and difficult to move around. This invention also
provides a method for utilizing the mobile pipeline injec-
tion module with the transmission device of U.S. Patent No.
3 982 789 issued September 28, 1976 for boosting of pipe-
line pressure for pipelining of mined material for longer
aistance and from greater mine depths.
The method for continuous hydraulic transport of
~ine ~aterial from the mine face to the mine surface for
deep mines is schematically represented in Figure 5. The
method involves three water circulation loops; loop l, loop 2
and loop 3. The injection device 81 is common to loops 1 and 2
and the transmission device which will now be named booster
13
- 20 ~
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i device 82 is common to loops 2 and 3. In principle the
mined material is introduced into loop 1 at atmospheric
pressure and transferred to loop 2 by injection device 81.
From loop 2, the mined material is transferred to loop 3
S by booster device 82. The mined material is discharged
from loop 3, at the mine surface at atmospheric pressure,
to a cleaning plant or scme type of facility for separating
the mined material from the water. The water is recycled in
loop 3 by pump 99. In Figure 5 the injection module is
indicated by being enclosed by a dashed and dotted line 80.
In sequence the mined materiai is introduced into mixing
tank 85 and sluiced through pipe 100 and into injection
device 81 to be stopped by screen 83 while water is pumped
by pump 84 back through the mixing tank 85 to continue
entraining new mined material. The mined material captured
in the injection device, rotor pocket is forced by water to
flow into flexible pipe 88 when the rotor comes into communi-
cation with loop 2. The mined material is then hydraulically
transported via pipe 90 and into booster device 82 to be
stopped by screen 96. The water continues on through screen 96
to pump 93 to be raised in pressure to cause water circulation
in loop 2. From pump 93 the water passes through inline
drainer 92, pipe 91, flexible pipe 8g and pipe 101 back to
injection device 81 to complete loop 2. The mined material
captured in the booster device, rotor pocket is forced by
10~53~9
(:
-- water to flow into pipe 97 when the booster device rotor
comes into communication with loop 3. The mined material
is then hydraulically transported via pipe 90 to a separation
facility to retrieve the water. The retrieved water is re-
cycled to booster device 82 by pump 99 via pipe 98.
The water pressure progressively increases from
loop 1 to loop 2 to locp 3. The largest pressure increase
is generally between loop 2 and loop 3,since the booster
device 82 can sustain a larser pressure increase because
of constructional form. Both the injection device 81 and
booster device 82 will experience leakage past their rotor
as previously described for the injection device 81. Leakage
past the rotor of the injection device will tend to result
in a water level rise in the mixing tank 85. This leve~
rise is prevented by pump 86 in conjunction with valve 87
to return the leakage to loop 2. Additionally the mined
material displaces water when entering the injection device
pocket, said displacement would result in a water level rise
in mixing tank 85; however, said displacement is returned
to loop 2 the same as with the leakage.
The leakage and displacement from booster device 82
would result in a continuously rising pressure in loop 2, said
continuously rising pressure is prevented by controlling the
pressure in loop 2 by returning booster device leakage and
displacement to loop 3. The leakage and displacement is
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returned to loop 3 by pump 94 which extracts from inline
drainer 92 located in loop 2. Pump 93 extraction rate
from loop 2 is controlled by pressure sensing valve 95.
The inline drainer is basically a cylindrical housing
S containing an internal parallel cylindrical screen. The
water of loop 2 flows straight through the cylindrical
screen at sufficient velocity to keep the screen openings
wiped clean. The booster device leakage and displacement
is drawn from the annular space between the screen and housing.
The inline drainer's general purpose is to provide a clarified
water to pump 94. Pump 94 must receive water free of large
particles, greater than one millimeter, in order to be
capable of obtaining the pressure rise necessary to return
water to loop 3. A cyclone can be used in lieu of the inline
drainer 92.
The booster device is shown in Figure 6 in
perspecti~e and its rotor, liner and screens are shown in
exploded view in Figure 7. The booster device includes a
pocketed rotor 150 containing two rows of diametrically
through-going pockets 152, each row containing two through-
going poc~ets perpendicular to each other presenting fouropen ports equally spaced around the periphery of the rotor
for each row. The two rows of pockets are parallel, one
row being 45 degrees displaced peripherally ~rom its
adjacent row as is shown in Figure 7. The pocketed rotor 150
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-` 10~53~9
; is encased by housing 121 and mounted for rotation within
a housing liner 166. As best shown in Figure 7 the liner
166 includes four ports, 170, 171, 172 and 173 equally
spaced around the periphery of the housing which register
respectively with inlet 130, outlet 131, outlet 132 and
inlet 133. Each port is more than twice as wide as the
s~m of two pockets in the pocketed rotor and a divider 162
is located midway in each housing port to separate the
same into two parallel ports, as clearly depicted in
Figures 6 and 7.
The pocketed rotor 150 may be either cylindrical
or tapered; illustration of such being shown in Figures 6
and 7 as tapered with rotor diameter increasing in the
direction of a clearance adjllsting hand wheel 160. Taper-
ing of the rotor 150 provides for adjustment of the clearance
between the rotor 150 and housing liner 166; additionally,
. increase in clearance due to wear can be taken up by turning
hand wheel 160 pushing rotor 150 toward a shaft drive end
161 shown in Figure 6. The pockets 152 through rotor 150,
in a row, loop over each other so as to provide passage
. through the rotor while maintaining inline openings in the
rotor, around the periphery of the rotor. ~hile looping
the pocket becomes narrower but wider, the narrowing being
necessary to accomplish the looping over the passages and
the widening being provided to maintain a nearly constant
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pocket cxoss-sectional area for liquid and coal particle
flow.
Coal particles entering the booster device 120
with liquid through inlet 130 are drawn by gravity and
liquid motion provided by pump 93 through ports 170 and 172.
A screen 151 is disposed within each port 172 so that water
passes through each screen 151 but particles of the prede-
termined size range larger than the screen opening are thus
held in the communicating rotor pocket 152. As the filled
pocket 152 rotates and begins to approach a position nearly
perpendicular to its filling position, water is forced
through port 173 into the pocket causing discharging of coal
particles from the pocket through port 171. Before the
pocket again rotates to the filling position all coal
particles are emptied from the pocket leaving only water in
the pocket. The pocketed rotor 150 rotation is continuous
but the filling and emptying of pockets in a single row of
pockets is intermittent. Since the adjacent parallel row
of pockets is displaced 45 degrees peripherally, intermittent
filling and discharging rows of pockets is continuous. The
continuous operation is in effect of the peripheral dis-
placement of the two parallel rows of pockets, such displace-
ment being shown in Figure 7, for as the pocket is closing
to a housing inlet port a pocket is opening to the same port
thus always maintaining a constant open cross-section through
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- the filling ports 170 and 172 and the discharging ports
171 and 173 ma~ing the filling and discharging systems
continuous.
The booster device 120 is uniquely characterized
by several important internal features. The first of
these is the ability to transfer coal particles from one
flow path to another f~ow path at higher pressure without
the need for positive sealing surfaces. According to
the present invention the rotating pocketed rotor 150
need not come into intimate contact with the housing
liner 166 but may present a clearance therewith. Since
ports 170 and 172 are at a lower pressure than ports 171
and 173 a leakage occurs in the form of water flow from
ports 171 and 173 to ports 170 and 172 through the clearance.
The water flow through the clearance is maintained small
by maintaining the clearance narrow. The small water flow
provides a lubrication and cleaning function which prevents
binding of rotor 150 with housing liner 166. Secondly
another unique feature of the booster device 120 is the
retaining of coal by screen 151 while allowing a liquid
drawing action. During filling of pocket 152 in the
rotor 150, water is drawn through the peripheral slots in
screen 151. The constructional form of the booster device
120 is such that self-cleaning of the screen 151 is provided,
such cleaning being performed by the edge of the rotor
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10653~;9
~. .
; pocket as the edge passes over the slots. Thirdly, the
liner 166 may be provided with one or more grooves 174
adjacent the port openings 171 and 173, as shown in
Figure 7. The grooves 174 are formed with a peripheral
dimension which is greater than the dimension measured
in the radial direction, so that a water flow at high
pressure into the pocket openings 171 and 173 is exposed
to strong choking action. Consequently, shocks and vibra-
tions originating on pocket-to-port opening are milder,
reducing the tendency of coal particles to break.
A housing equalizing line 163 is provided commun-
icating the housing end bells 164 and 165 for the purpose of
equalizing the pressure in the housing end bells to prevent
end thrust upon bearings. A specific advantage of the
booster device is that the pressure at ports 171 and 173 is
nearly equal and the pressure at ports 170 and 172 is nearly
equal, producing nearly no side thrusts on rotor 79 and
associated bearings. As now apparent, the injection device
and booster device are of similar physical principles of
~0 operation but of different constructional forms, said injec-
tion device being capable of fitting into seams of low head
room, 4 to 6 feet, for a low pressure hydraulic transport
and said booster device of fixed hydraulic transport capa-
bility for imparting high pressure hydraulic transport. The
capabilities of said device will be examined.
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10~53~9
~ The injection device as previously described
is somewhat limited to pressure capability, not by the
device, but by the flexible pipes which connect the
- device to the fixed piping. The rate of mine particle
transfer by the injection device is dependent upon the
volume of the rotor pockets times two because the pockets
fill twice for each revolu~ion. A conventional mining
machine for a material such as coal can mine at rates
of approximately 15 tons per minute, or with coal bulk
density of 50 lbs./cu. ft. at 600 cubit feet per minute.
This means that the mobile injection device must have this
volume transfer capability. For a seam of 48 inches height,
the injection device rotor height should be approximately 2
feet; the remaining 2 feet to be used for the end bells,
wear adjustment and drive gears. A rotor at 3 to 1 diameter
to height ratio would then ha~e a rotor diameter of 6 feet.
The total volume of the rotor envelope is then approximately
55 cubic feet. Of this 55 cubic feet approximately 60%
will be openpocket volume and the reamining 40% will be
steel comprising the rotor. The total poc~et volume of the
rotor is then 33 cubit feet (55 x 0.60). The transfer rate
is then 66 cubit feet per rotor revolution since the
pockets will fill twice on each revolution. Generally
the rotor speed is 7 to 10 RPM. At 10 RPM the rotor trans-
fer rate is 660 cubic feet or slightly more than the mining
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1065369
machine. A mining machine rated at 15 tons per minute
generally cannot maintain this rate on a daily basis
since the machine will normally cut a corridor through the
seam wider than the mining machine. Therefore the mining
S machine consumes time in repositioning and cleanup when
cutting is not taking place. The average coal rate could
be more like 10 to 12 tons per minute; or an approximate
average of 75% pocket filling of the injection device
rotor when turning at 10 RPM. For such a rotor size as
just described a pocket opening dimension on the rotor
periphery would be approximately 8 inches x 28 inches.
The ~ined particles must then be smaller than 4 inches to
insure that jamming does not occur at the pocket opening.
~or mines with seams higher than 4 feet, the rotor height
can be increased which in turn increases the particle size
that can be injected. In a six foot high seam the rotor
height can be increased with a corresponding reduction in
rotor diameter or a diameter to height ratio of 1.5 to 1.
This would present a rotor with a height of 3 feet and a
diameter of 4.~ feet to inject at a rate of 10 to 12 tons
per minute. This rotor size change gives a pocket opening
dimension of approximately 14 inches by 21 inches which
means a particle size of up to 7 inches can be injected.
When particle sizes get larger, the power consumption of
the transporting system increases because greater pipeline
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10t;53~9
,,, ~
1 , water velocities are needed to move the particles. If
the mining machine output contains particles greater than
4 inches a crusher can ~e installed on the mining machine
or on the injection module to control the size. A pipe-
line water velocity in the range of 12 to 14 feet per
second is required to move the coal at slurry concentra-
tions up to 35~ by volume.
The booster device sizing is not critical, since
it is to be of fixed location where the earth can be
hollowed out to accept its constructional form. Generally
the booster device rotor will have a diameter of about half
the r~tor length, with the shaft horizontal, said small
diameter being better for high pressures.
Reference is now made to Figure 8 wherein there
is disclosed a preferred circuit for effecting conveyance of
the mine material from a position within the mine (e.g. at or
adjacent the shaft) to a remote position outwardly of the
mine (e.g. a separation plant). It will be apparent that
this preferred arrangement will have applicability in any
situation where conveyance of mine material or similar
material is desired. ~hile the circuit is admirably suited
for conveyance upwardly from a deep mine, it will be apparent
that it is equally applicable for surface-to-surface con-
veyance as well, particularly in strip and auger mining
situations. In the arrangement shown in Figure 8, the coal
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5369
` ) entrained in liquid flowing within the conduit 90, which
constitutes a source pipe as far as the circuit of Figure 8
.is concerned, is directed to a pair of fixed screens 200.
The overflow liquid entrained coal fraction coming from
the screens, which contains most of the coal except for the
fines, is collected in a trough 202 and directed to the upper
end of a coal chute 204 which leads to the transmission
device 82. It will be understood that the coal chute, which
is in the form of a cylindrical member disposed with its axis
upright, has its lower end connected and communicated with
the low pressure inlet of the transmission device 82.
The underflow fines fraction coming from the fixed
screens 200 is separately collected within an outlet flow-
pipe 206. The outlet flowpipe 206 communicates with a
flowpipe 208 leading from the low pressure outlet of the
transmission device 82. Pipes 206 and 208 lead common'y to
the inlet of a chute circulation pump 210, the outlet of
which is directed to a plurality of hydrocyclones 212. As
shown, there are four hydrocyclones 212, three of which are
adapted to be used in operation at all times, while the
fourth constitutes a standby in the event that any one of
the three operative cyclones needs repair or the like. It
will be understood that manual valves are provided for the
purpose of selectively operating which of the three hydro-
cyclones will be operative. The clarified liquid fractions
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1065~9
- coming from the overflow ends of the three operative
hydrocyclones are directed, as by conduit 214, to a level
tank 216. A valve controlled conduit 218 leads from the
bottom of the level tank and extends to the inlet side
of the pump 93 feeding to the return line 91.
In addition, a branch conduit 220 extends from the
conduit 218 to the inlet of a make-up water pump 222. This
make-up water pump feeds to the main high pressure inlet
pipe through a conduit 224. Consequently, the make-up
water pump 222 must be capable of increasing the pressure
of the clarified water coming from the level tank 216 from
a low pressure (virtually atmospheric) to full high line
pressure. The three operative cyclones 212 are provided
primarily for the purpose of protecting this pump against
the abrasive effects of small coal particles. In this
regard, it will be noted that the fine particle fraction
coming from the lower apex of the operative hydrocyclones
212 are recirculated to the coal chute 204 as by a suitable
conduit 226. The coal chute 204 thus receives liquid from
. 20 essentially three sources: first, the funnel member 202
which receives the overflow of the fixed screens 200; second,
the recirculated fine fraction coming from the hydrocyclones
212; and third, the leakage from the high pressure lines
98 and 97.
In order to insure that there will be adequate
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uid within the c~al chute 204 at all times, there is
provided a level sensing system which includes a level
sensing mechanism 228, a control valve 230 which is
mounted in line 214 and a control circuit 232 there-
between. The li~uid level within the tank 216 ismaintained within suitable levels by a similar system
which includes a level sensing mechanism 234, control
valve 236 and a control circuit 238 ~herebetween. It
will be noted that this arrangement serves to cut off flow
of liquid to the high pressure system.
For purposes of by-passing the system in the
event of a malfunction, there is provided within an approximate
location of the transmission device 82 an emergency sump 240.
The inlet line 90 is connected to the emergency sump by
means of a conduit 242 controlled by valve 244. In a like
fashion, a drain valve 246 is provided in the out-put high
pressure line 97. It should be noted that this out-put line
does not tend to plug if the energy drops because the device
82 is self-compensating in that, as the pressure goes down,
less material is sluiced into the out-put pipe. This
compensating effect will take place until a point is reached
that virtually no new coal is sluiced into the out-put
pipe. Consequently, the danger of plugging is materially
reduced, if not entirely eliminated, and in many instances
the emergency sump 240 may be dispensed with entirely.
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~065369
Likewise, where this is the case, it is not necessary to
provide for a feeder purge pump such as the pump 248 having
its suction side connected with a conduit 250 leading
from a source of clarified water and its outlet connected
S to the housing of the transmission device 82 as by the
conduit 252.
It thus will be seen that the objects of this
invention have been fully and effectively accomplished.
It will be realized, however, that the foregoing preferred
specific embodiment has been shown and described for the
purpose of illustrating the functional and structural
principles of this inVentlOn and is subject to change
without departure from such principes. -Therefore, this
invention includes all modifications encompassed within
the spirit and scope of the following claims.
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