The invention relates to a method for operating a high-voltage pulse system (1), preferably a system (1) for the fragmenting and/or weakening of material (2) by means of high-voltage discharges, with an energy store (3) for providing the energy for the high-voltage pulses and a charging device (4) for charging the energy store (3). According to the method, in the intended high-voltage pulse operation, a sequence of high-voltage pulses is generated with the system (1) and thereby the energy store (3) is discharged completely at each high-voltage pulse and is only after the expiry of a charging pause (LP) recharged again for the next high-voltage pulse by means of supplying charging energy with the charging device (4). By means of the operating method according to the invention, a time window is created between two successive high-voltage pulses each, in which the energy store(s) are substantially completely discharged and no charging-voltage is applied. Thereby it becomes possible to short-circuit or earth the energy store (3), respectively, without a short-circuiting or earthing current flowing thereby.

A system for processing compounds having constituent materials of different mechanical characteristics to extract their constituent materials. The system includes (a) a grinder configured to grind a bulk compound material into an initial mixture of tiny particles; (b) a preimpact separator configured to separate the particles into two groups based on their respective mechanical properties, one group being a preimpact mixture comprising the compound particles; (c) a kinetic impactor configured to impact, via an acoustic shockwave, the compound particles of the preimpact mixture, thereby creating a postimpact mixture comprising (i) subparticles of 1.sup.st-constituent-material and (ii) reduced-compound particles comprising a 2nd constituent material; and (d) a postimpact separator configured to separate the reduced compound particles from the postimpact mixture based on a mechanical property.

An electric pulse fragmentation device and method are provided, the device comprising a pulse transformer, one or more buffer capacitors, a plurality of IGBT modules, a storage capacitor, a spark gap, and a fragmentation chamber, the spark gap being defined by spark gap first and second electrodes, the fragmentation chamber comprising fragmentation chamber first and second electrodes. The buffer capacitors are electrically connected to a voltage rectifier. The buffer capacitors are charged by electrical current received from the voltage rectifier. The IGBT modules control partial discharge of the buffer capacitors to permit and restrict current flow from the buffer capacitor to transformer primary windings for a duration of a control pulse. The storage capacitor is charged by electrical current from transformer secondary windings. The storage capacitor is adapted to discharge current across the spark gap to the fragmentation chamber electrodes. Raw material positioned between fragmentation electrodes can be fractured.

The invention provides an integrated separator system for the preconcentration of a material comprising one or more grizzly bars and one or more electrodes which provide a high voltage pulse (HVP) discharge to the material. The invention also provides a process for preconcentration of a material preferably a mineral within a rock which comprises: providing the material into an integrated separator system comprising one or more grizzly bars and one or more electrodes which are capable of providing at least one high voltage pulse discharge(s) to the material; applying one or more high voltage pulse discharge(s) to the material as the material is travelling along the grizzly bar(s) to preferentially disintegrate the particles containing mineral grains of high conductivity/permittivity; separating the disintegrated particles by way of the grizzly bar(s) resulting in the separation of the feed material into low grade (oversize) and high grade (undersize) products; and wherein the disintegrated particles from step b) pass through a screening element for further treatment. The present invention also relates to a process for comminution of a material.

An electrocrushing drill bit comprises a bit body and at least one electrode coupled to a power source and the bit body, wherein the at least one electrode having a distal portion for engaging with a surface of a wellbore. The electrocrushing drill bit comprises a ground structure coupled to the bit body proximate to the at least one electrode and having a distal portion for engaging with the surface of the wellbore, wherein the ground structure comprises a transverse ground structure.

A powder deagglomerator includes a vertical flow chamber, a powder inlet tube, and an ultrasonic horn vibrationally coupled to an ultrasonic transducer. The vertical flow chamber includes an outer wall, powder outlet port, and a mounting port sealably engaging an ultrasonic horn. The powder inlet tube extends through the outer wall and is aligned to dispense agglomerated powder in a gaseous stream downward onto a distal end of the ultrasonic horn. A method of using the powder deagglomerator to deagglomerate a powder is also disclosed.

A silicon rod crushing method relatively moves an application position of high-voltage pulse discharge to a silicon rod in a longitudinal direction thereof while rotating the silicon rod to thereby crush the silicon rod.

A high-voltage electric pulse device for crushing pretreatment of ores includes an ore feeding bin, a pulse insulating barrel body, a supporting frame, a pulsation device, a product collector and a power supply. The pulse insulating barrel body and the pulsation device are assembled together, a pulsation insulating barrel body is connected with an actuating diaphragm, the actuating diaphragm is connected with an ore discharging outlet, a pulsation cone is arranged in the ore discharging outlet, the pulsation cone is hinged to a connecting rod, and the connecting rod is hinged to an eccentric wheel. Expanding and contracting devices are arranged on a cover plate, a copper bar of each expanding and contracting device is connected to a corresponding high-voltage ceramic capacitor through a high-voltage wire in parallel. A high-voltage negative pole is mounted on a screen cloth at the pulse insulating barrel body.

Ore rock is disintegrated into extremely fine rock fraction in a slurry by subjecting the slurry in selective orders of application of excitation forces and energy to cause spontaneous cavitation to occur in the slurry. The excitation forces and energy are provided by electrodynamic discharges, hydrostatic force, hydrodynamic energy, and sonic vibrations.

The invention relates to a method for operating a high-voltage pulse system (1), preferably a system (1) for the fragmenting and/or weakening of material (2) by means of high-voltage discharges, with an energy store (3) for providing the energy for the high-voltage pulses and a charging device (4) for charging the energy store (3). According to the method, in the intended high-voltage pulse operation, a sequence of high-voltage pulses is generated with the system (1) and thereby the energy store (3) is discharged completely at each high-voltage pulse and is only after the expiry of a charging pause (LP) recharged again for the next high-voltage pulse by means of supplying charging energy with the charging device (4).

By means of the operating method according to the invention, a time window is created between two successive high-voltage pulses each, in which the energy store(s) are substantially completely discharged and no charging-voltage is applied. Thereby it becomes possible to short-circuit or earth the energy store (3), respectively, without a short-circuiting or earthing current flowing thereby.