A separation apparatus and method for separating ore is provided. The separation apparatus (10) includes a separation chamber (12) and is configured to be utilised with a fluid pulsing mechanism (32) for operatively pulsating a fluid through ore deposited in the chamber resulting in the migration of generally lighter ore particles toward an upper region (25) of the chamber and for generally heavier particles to migrate toward a bottom region (14) of the chamber (12). The ore is deposited by means of a chute (38) in the bottom region (14) of the chamber (12) and the lighter ore particles may then be extracted from the chamber through a first chamber outlet (24) while the heavier particles may be extracted through a second chamber outlet (28).

The separator according to the invention comprises: a tank (1) for receiving waste material and containing fluid to separate waste material by density into floating and settled material; automatic feed means (18, 37), for example, a double screen (18) to feed waste material to the tank (1); motorised conveyor belts (3, 4) divided into a floating waste material conveyor (3) and a settled waste material conveyor (4) to extract floating or settled waste material from the tank (1): and a blower-type sorting device (21) comprising: a turbine (22) that provides an airflow; and a branched duct (23) divided into: a riser duct (26) to transport part of the airflow to a diffuser (39) beneath the automatic feed means (18, 37) to raise light-weight waste material; and a discharge duct (27) to transport and horizontally expel another part of the airflow in order to remove previously raised waste material. The separator according to the invention may incorporate bubble-making means, with injectors (2) to facilitate floatability and remove floating waste material.

The sluice box mouth and sifter pan system includes a sluice box mouth and a plurality of stackable sifter pans. The sluice box mouth includes a substantially planar bottom plate with a first upright sidewall extending from a first edge of the plate and an opposing second upright sidewall extending from an opposing, second edge of the plate. One of the sifter pans can be removably positioned on the bottom plate. The first and second sidewalls each include an arcuate portion for engaging a peripheral wall of the pan and securing the pan to the sluice box mouth.

The sluice box mouth and sifter pan system includes a sluice box mouth and a plurality of stackable sifter pans. The sluice box mouth includes a substantially planar bottom plate with a first upright sidewall extending from a first edge of the plate and an opposing second upright sidewall extending from an opposing, second edge of the plate. One of the sifter pans can be removably positioned on the bottom plate. The first and second sidewalls each include an arcuate portion for engaging a peripheral wall of the pan and securing the pan to the sluice box mouth.

A system and method of scheduling tasks, comprising receiving activity and performance data from registers or storage locations maintained by hardware and an operating system; storing calibration coefficients associated with the activity and performance data; computing an energy dissipation rate based on at least the activity and performance data; and scheduling tasks under the operating system based on the computed energy dissipation rate.

Systems and methods for cryogenic separation of plant material are provided. A vessel is filled with cryogenic fluid having a temperature at or less than 150 degrees Celsius. Plant material is placed into the vessel via a basket and agitation is provided to the plant material in the vessel for a predetermined time period. Upon completion of the time period, the basket having at least a portion of the plant material is removed from the vessel. Plant particulates separated from the plant material during the agitation settle to the bottom of the vessel. The vessel is drained of the cryogenic fluid, including plant particulates separated from the plant material.

A non-aqueous process for producing bitumen from oil sands is provided, and includes contacting oil sands and solvent to produce solvent diluted bitumen and solvent diluted tailings. The solvent diluted bitumen is subjected to a first fines separation stage that produces an overflow solvent diluted bitumen stream with residual fines that is subjected to a second fines separation stage to remove residual fines and produce a solvent diluted bitumen stream, which is subjected to solvent recovery. The fines streams are subjected to washing to produce washed tailings and solvent wash liquor comprising solvent and bitumen. Another non-aqueous process for producing bitumen from oil sands is provided, and includes subjecting oil sands to solvent extraction, including displacing the oil sands material and a solbit counter-currently and horizontally, and recovering a bitumen enriched solbit stream which is subjected to fines separation and subjecting the solvent diluted bitumen stream to solvent recovery.

System and method for cryogenic separation of plant material are provided. A vessel is filled with cryogenic fluid having a temperature at or less than 150 degrees Celsius. Plant material is placed into the vessel via a basket and agitation is provided to the plant material in the vessel for a predetermined time period. Upon completion of the time period, the basket having at least a portion of the plant material is removed from the vessel. Plant particulates separated from the plant material during the agitation settle to the bottom of the vessel. The vessel is drained of the cryogenic fluid, including plant particulates separated from the plant material.

A system and method of scheduling tasks, comprising receiving activity and performance data from registers or storage locations maintained by hardware and an operating system; storing calibration coefficients associated with the activity and performance data; computing an energy dissipation rate based on at least the activity and performance data; and scheduling tasks under the operating system based on the computed energy dissipation rate.

A method and apparatus for washing sheets of plastic material originating from industrial and agricultural waste, for subsequent reuse thereof as a raw material. The sheets of plastic material, precut into soiled pieces of large dimensions, and a water flow are supplied to a washing tank containing a water bath; a screw stirrer generates intense stirring of the water bath and recirculation, inside the tank, of the soiled plastic pieces that causes the contaminating material to be detached and separated by sedimentation from the plastic pieces. The cleaned pieces of plastic material of large dimensions, devoid of contaminant, which float in the water bath are removed by dragging, in a floating condition, along a discharging channel by the combined action of a dragging device and of a water flow that exits the washing tank; the dragging device, consisting of an endless belt, extends from one side of the washing tank along the discharging channel, supported in a freely tiltable manner.