An apparatus for the wet attrition of particulate material comprising an attrition scrubber; a dewatering screen comprising a deck and a sump beneath the deck, the dewatering screen being mounted upstream of the attrition scrubber whereby oversize material from a downstream end of the deck of the dewatering screen passes into the attrition scrubber; and a hydrocyclone wherein an underflow, containing a coarser fraction of the feed slurry, passes out of a lower outlet of the hydrocylone while an overflow, containing a finer fraction of the feed slurry and most of the water, passes out of an outlet at the upper end of the hydrocyclone, a pump being provided for pumping material from the sump of the dewatering screen to the inlet of the hydrocyclone, wherein the underflow from the hydrocyclone is passed into the attrition scrubber.

A method of making a circular ore separation wheel, for concentration critical stategic rare earths, and preciouse metals, such as gold. The method comprising: 1) forming a base section of the circular ore separation wheel using 3D printing; 2) forming a central hole in the base section being centrally located in the circular ore separation wheel; 3) forming a plurality of teeth, using 3D printing, upon the base section, having a inner end proximate to the central hole and extending therefrom in a circularly radiating direction and having an outer end opposite the inner end with different sizes on the same length of tooth, 4) forming a plurality of micro grooves from about 4.5-0.001 mm partially along outer surfaces of the plurality of teeth extending in a direction from the inner end to the outer end of the plurality of teeth, wherein the plurality of micro grooves are formed by the 3D printing process leaving a small gap located between subsequent extruded layers at the outer surface of the plurality of teeth; and 5) forming a circumferential wall around the ore separation wheel that is proximate to the outer end of the plurality of teeth, and is proximate to the base section. And potentially manufacturing the circular ore separation wheel inside of a pre-made support section with the desired internal concave contours.

Systems and methods for cryogenic separation of plant material are provided. A method of cryogenic separation of plant material, includes placing a sieve into a vessel. Plant material is placed in the sieve. Cryogenic fluid is provided at or below 150 degrees Celsius to the sieve. The plant material is agitated within the sieve and the vessel to separate plant particulates solidified by the cryogenic fluid from the remainder of the plant material. The cryogenic fluid and plant particulates are removed from the vessel.

Systems and methods for cryogenic separation of plant material are provided. A method of cryogenic separation of plant material, includes placing a sieve into a vessel. Plant material is placed in the sieve. Cryogenic fluid is provided at or below 150 degrees Celsius to the sieve. The plant material is agitated within the sieve and the vessel to separate plant particulates solidified by the cryogenic fluid from the remainder of the plant material. The cryogenic fluid and plant particulates are removed from the vessel.

An apparatus for processing aggregate material includes a chassis, a trough mounted on the chassis at an inclined angle, and at least one shaft rotatably mounted within the trough and extending from a lower to an upper end of the trough. The at least one shaft has blades mounted thereon, the blades being angled so that they carry material within the trough towards the upper end of the trough when the at least one shaft is in a normal direction of rotation. A discharge opening is formed in a base of the trough adjacent the upper end of the trough, a weir being provided in the trough upstream of the discharge opening over which processed material must pass to reach the discharge opening.

An apparatus for processing aggregate material includes a chassis, a trough mounted on the chassis at an inclined angle, and at least one shaft rotatably mounted within the trough and extending from a lower to an upper end of the trough. The at least one shaft has blades mounted thereon, the blades being angled so that they carry material within the trough towards the upper end of the trough when the at least one shaft is in a normal direction of rotation. A discharge opening is formed in a base of the trough adjacent the upper end of the trough, a weir being provided in the trough upstream of the discharge opening over which processed material must pass to reach the discharge opening.

Aggregate washing systems are described including mechanisms for slurrying, washing and/or dewatering aggregate material.

A method for controlling a data center, comprising a plurality of server systems, each associated with a cooling system and a thermal constraint, comprising: a concurrent physical condition of a first server system; predicting a future physical condition based on a set of future states of the first server system; dynamically controlling the cooling system in response to at least the input and the predicted future physical condition, to selectively cool the first server system sufficient to meet the predetermined thermal constraint; and controlling an allocation of tasks between the plurality of server systems to selectively load the first server system within the predetermined thermal constraint and selectively idle a second server system, wherein the idle second server system can be recruited to accept tasks when allocated to it, and wherein the cooling system associated with the idle second server system is selectively operated in a low power consumption state.

A method for controlling a data center, comprising a plurality of server systems, each associated with a cooling system and a thermal constraint, comprising: a concurrent physical condition of a first server system; predicting a future physical condition based on a set of future states of the first server system; dynamically controlling the cooling system in response to at least the input and the predicted future physical condition, to selectively cool the first server system sufficient to meet the predetermined thermal constraint; and controlling an allocation of tasks between the plurality of server systems to selectively load the first server system within the predetermined thermal constraint and selectively idle a second server system, wherein the idle second server system can be recruited to accept tasks when allocated to it, and wherein the cooling system associated with the idle second server system is selectively operated in a low power consumption state.

A method for washing and separating pieces of plastics material from contaminating material that also includes metal elements, comprises the steps of: supplying, to a washing container, a washing fluid, having a first specific weight value , and the pieces of plastics material joined to the contaminating material; driving, in the washing container, a stirring arrangement provided with blades for generating in the washing fluid a turbulent stirring action to remove from the plastics material, through mechanical action, the part of contaminating material adhering thereto. The tilt of the blades and the rotation speed of the stirring arrangement are chosen carefully to generate a thrusting action upwards so as to maintain in a floating condition the plastics material with a specific weight that is greater than the specific weight of the fluid; the force of the thrusting action is limited to a value that is such as not to hinder the downward precipitation of the contaminating metal elements that have a further specific weight value that is greater than the aforesaid second value. The plastics material is retained inside the container for sufficient time to obtain a desired degree of purity and decontamination for the plastics material, after which it is evacuated by controlled overflow. The heavy contaminating material, in particular the metal elements that accumulate on the bottom, are periodically evacuated by a device of valve or pump type. The apparatus for implementing the aforesaid method is also disclosed.