METHOD AND DEVICE FOR FRAGMENTING AND/OR WEAKENING POURABLE MATERIAL BY MEANS OF HIGH-VOLTAGE DISCHARGE

Abstract

A method for fragmenting and/or weakening of pourable material by means of high-voltage discharges is disclosed. Thereby, a material flow of the pourable material is, immersed in a process liquid, guided past a high-voltage electrode assembly with one or more high-voltage electrodes, while high-voltage punctures through the material are produced by means of charging of the high-voltage electrodes with high-voltage pulses. The zone of the material flow in which the high-voltage punctures through the material are produced is delimited laterally by substantially unmoved zones of the same material as viewed in a guiding-past direction. With the disclosed method, it becomes possible to fragment and/or weaken pourable material in a continuous process by means of high-voltage punctures in a low-wear and low-contamination manner.

Claims

1. Method for fragmenting and/or weakening of pourable material by means of high-voltage discharges, comprising the steps of: a) providing a high-voltage electrode assembly, which is assigned to a high-voltage generator by means of which it is chargeable with high-voltage pulses; b) guiding of a material flow of pourable material, immersed in a process liquid, past the high-voltage electrode assembly; and c) producing of high-voltage punctures through the material flow during the guiding thereof past the high-voltage electrode assembly by means of charging of the high-voltage electrode assembly with high-voltage pulses, wherein the zone of the material flow in which high-voltage punctures through the material of the material flow are produced as viewed in a guiding-past direction (S) is laterally delimited by substantially unmoved zones of the same material.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the substantially unmoved zones are produced in that the boundary zones of the material flow are piled up downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the material flow and the substantially unmoved zones are produced in that the material is provided in a trough-like or tank-like device, the bottom of which is formed in a central zone by a conveyor belt or a conveyor chain and is fixed in the boundary zones.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein material which is carried away from the material flow from the substantially unmoved zones, is replaced by material from the material flow.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein material which is carried away from the material flow from the substantially unmoved zones, is replaced by separately supplied material.

6. Method for fragmenting and/or weakening of pourable material by means of high-voltage discharges, comprising the steps of: a) providing a high-voltage electrode assembly which is assigned to a high-voltage generator by means of which it is chargeable with high-voltage pulses; b) guiding of a material flow of pourable material, immersed in a process liquid, past the high-voltage electrode assembly; and c) producing of high-voltage punctures through the material flow during the guiding thereof past the high-voltage electrode assembly by means of charging of the high-voltage electrode assembly with high-voltage pulses, wherein the high-voltage punctures are produced in such a way that the central zone of the material flow is charged with high-voltage punctures while the boundary zones of the material flow remain unaffected by high-voltage punctures, and wherein the material of the central zone of the material flow is separated from the material of the boundary zones downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly after the charging with high-voltage punctures.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the material from the boundary zones which is separated from the material from the central zones is fed back into the material flow completely or partially upstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly, in particular into the central zone of the material flow.

8. Method according to claim 6, wherein an annular-shaped material flow is guided past the high-voltage electrode assembly, wherein the material of the boundary zones remains in the material flow downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly, and again passes the high-voltage electrode assembly at each cycle of the material flow, while the material in the central zone of the material flow is removed from the material flow downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly and is at least partially replaced by new material, before the material flow is again guided past the high-voltage electrode assembly and charged with high-voltage punctures.

9. Method according to claim 6, wherein an annular-shaped material flow is guided past the high-voltage electrode assembly, wherein the material in the central zone of the material flow is removed from the material flow downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly, the material of the outer and/or the inner boundary zone is then at least partially guided into the center of the material flow and then new material is introduced into the outer and/or inner boundary zone of the material flow, before it is again guided past the high-voltage electrode assembly and charged with high-voltage punctures.

10. Method according to claim 8, wherein the material flow is formed in that the material is provided on a carousel-like device, and by rotation of this device around a central, substantially vertical axis is guided past the high-voltage electrode assembly.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the high-voltage electrode assembly comprises a matrix of several high-voltage electrodes, each of which are charged with high-voltage pulses.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein a specific high-voltage generator is assigned to each high-voltage electrode, with which it is charged with high-voltage pulses independently of the other high-voltage electrodes.

13. Method according to claim 1, wherein as a counter-electrode for the high-voltage electrodes of the high-voltage electrode assembly an element delimiting the bottom side of the material flow in the region of the high-voltage electrode assembly is used, and in particular, wherein this element is a conveyor belt or a conveyor chain, with which the material flow is guided past the high-voltage electrode assembly.

14. Method according to claim 1, wherein each of the high-voltage electrodes of the high-voltage electrode assembly has at least one specific counter-electrode which is arranged laterally beside and/or below it in such a way that by means of charging of the respective high-voltage electrode with high-voltage pulses, high-voltage punctures between the high-voltage electrode and the counter-electrode through the material flow guided past these are produced.

15. Device for fragmenting and/or weakening of pourable material by means of high-voltage discharges, the device comprising: a) a high-voltage electrode assembly, which is assigned to a high-voltage generator, with which it is chargeable with high-voltage pulses; and b) a conveying device, in particular in the form of a conveyor belt or a conveyor chain, arranged in a basin which is filled or fillable with a process liquid, with which in the intended operation a material flow of a pourable, to be fragmented and/or weakened material, immersed in a process liquid, can be guided past the high-voltage electrode assembly while high-voltage punctures through the material flow are produced by means of charging of the high-voltage electrode assembly with high-voltage pulses, wherein the device is structured such that, in the intended operation, during the guiding past of the material flow, in the lateral zones of the zone in which the high-voltage punctures through the material of the material flow are produced, the material of the material flow each is piled up to a substantially unmoved material zone, which is essentially unaffected by the high-voltage punctures.

16. Device according to claim 15, wherein the device comprises damming devices, in particular baffles, or lateral delimiting walls for the material flow with recesses therein, for piling up of the material flow to the substantially unmoved material zones.

17. Device for fragmenting and/or weakening of pourable material by means of high-voltage discharges, the device comprising: c) a high-voltage electrode assembly, which is assigned to a high-voltage generator, with which it is chargeable with high-voltage pulses; and d) a conveying device, in particular in the form of a conveyor belt or a conveyor chain, arranged in a basin which is filled or fillable with a process liquid, with which in the intended operation a material flow of a pourable, to be fragmented and/or to be weakened material, immersed in a process liquid, can be guided past the high-voltage electrode assembly while high-voltage punctures through the material flow are produced by means of charging of the high-voltage electrode assembly with high-voltage pulses, wherein the device is structured such that, in the intended operation, during the guiding past of the material flow, the central zone of the material flow is charged with high-voltage punctures, while the boundary zones of the material flow remain substantially unaffected by the high-voltage punctures, and wherein the device comprises a separation device, by means of which in an intended operation the material of the boundary zones of the material flow is separated from the material of the central zone of the material flow downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly.

18. Device according to claim 17, further comprising a refeeding device for refeeding the by means of the separation device separated material of the boundary zones of the material flow back into the material flow upstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly.

19. Device for fragmenting and/or weakening of pourable material by means of high-voltage discharges, the device comprising: a) a high-voltage electrode assembly, which is assigned to a high-voltage generator, with which it is chargeable with high-voltage pulses; b) a conveying device in the form of a carousel-like device, with which in the intended operation a material flow of a pourable, to be fragmented and/or to be weakened material, immersed in a process liquid, can be guided past the high-voltage electrode assembly while high-voltage punctures through the material flow are produced by means of charging of the high-voltage electrode assembly with high-voltage pulses; c) a material removal device with which, in the intended operation, material can be removed from the material flow from the central zone of the material flow downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly; and d) a material feeding device with which, in the intended operation, pourable, to be fragmented and/or to be weakened material can be fed into the material flow in a region downstream of the material removal device and upstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly.

20. Device according to claim 19, wherein one or more guiding devices are present, by means of which, in the intended operation, the material of the outer and/or the inner boundary zone of the material flow downstream of the material removal device is guided at least partially into the center of the material flow, and wherein the material feeding device is structured such that with it, in the intended operation, downstream of the guiding devices, to be fragmented and/or weakened material is fed into the outer and/or inner boundary zone of the material flow, before it is again guided past the high-voltage electrode assembly and charged with high-voltage punctures.

21. Method according to claim 6, wherein the high-voltage electrode assembly comprises a matrix of several high-voltage electrodes, each of which are charged with high-voltage pulses.

22. Method according to claim 21, wherein a specific high-voltage generator is assigned to each high-voltage electrode, with which it is charged with high-voltage pulses independently of the other high-voltage electrodes.

23. Method according to claim 6, wherein as a counter-electrode for the high-voltage electrodes of the high-voltage electrode assembly an element delimiting the bottom side of the material flow in the region of the high-voltage electrode assembly is used, and in particular, wherein this element is a conveyor belt or a conveyor chain, with which the material flow is guided past the high-voltage electrode assembly.

24. Method according to claim 6, wherein each of the high-voltage electrodes of the high-voltage electrode assembly has at least one specific counter-electrode which is arranged laterally beside and/or below it in such a way that by means of charging of the respective high-voltage electrode with high-voltage pulses, high-voltage punctures between the high-voltage electrode and the counter-electrode through the material flow guided past these are produced.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Further embodiments, advantages, and applications of the invention result from the dependent claims and from the following description with reference to the figures. Thereby show:

[0042] FIG. 1 a longitudinal section along the line B-B in FIG. 3 through a first device according to the invention;

[0043] FIG. 2 a top view from above of the device from FIG. 1;

[0044] FIG. 3 a cross-section through the device along the line A-A in FIG. 1;

[0045] FIG. 4 a longitudinal section along the line D-D in FIG. 6 through a second device according to the invention;

[0046] FIG. 5 a top view from above of the device of FIG. 4;

[0047] FIG. 6 a cross-sectional view of the device along the line C-C in FIG. 4; and

[0048] FIG. 7 a side view of one of the high-voltage electrodes of the devices;

[0049] FIG. 8 a side view of a first variant of the high-voltage electrode from FIG. 7; and

[0050] FIG. 9 a side view of a second variant of the high-voltage electrode from FIG. 7.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0051] The FIGS. 1 to 3 show a first device according to the invention for the fragmenting of pourable material 1 by means of high-voltage discharges, once in a longitudinal section along the line B-B in FIG. 3 (FIG. 1), once in a top view from above (FIG. 2) and once in a cross-section along the line A-A in FIG. 1 (FIG. 3).

[0052] As can be seen, the device comprises a high-voltage electrode assembly 2 with a matrix of 16 high-voltage electrodes 7, which as viewed in the material flow direction S are arranged in four successively arranged rows, each with four high-voltage electrodes 7 (only one of the high-voltage electrodes is provided with the reference numeral 7 in the figures for the sake of clarity).

[0053] In the illustrated intended operation, the high-voltage electrodes 7 are each charged with high-voltage pulses by a high-voltage generator 3 arranged directly above them.

[0054] A conveyor belt 6 is arranged below the high-voltage electrode assembly 2, arranged in a basin 5 flooded with water 4 (process liquid), with which a material flow of a pourable, to-be-fragmented material 1, in the present case fragments of noble metal ore, is guided from the feeding side A of the device in the material flow direction S past the high-voltage electrodes 7 of the high-voltage electrode assembly 2, while high-voltage punctures through the material 1 are produced by the charging of the high-voltage electrode assembly 2 with high-voltage pulses. Thereby, the material 1 of the material flow is immersed in the water 4 located in the basin 5, as well as the high-voltage electrodes 7 arranged above.

[0055] The height of the material flow is adjusted before the inlet into the region between the conveyor belt 6 and the high-voltage electrode assembly 2 (process zone) by a passage-limiting plate 12.

[0056] As can be seen from FIG. 3, as viewed in the flow direction S, the conveyor belt 6 does not extend over the entire width of the basin 5, but in the region of the basin center over the width of the process zone in which the high-voltage punctures through the material flow occur. Along the edge regions of the basin 5, supporting sections 13 which are fixedly connected to the side wall of the basin 5 extend at the level of the upper side of the conveyor belt 6, at which ends baffle plates 10 are arranged downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly 2 which lead to a piling up of the material 1 in the edge regions of the basin 5 on the supporting sections 13 and thereby forms substantially unmoved material zones 9 along these edge regions, which laterally delimit the process zone in which the high-voltage punctures through the material 1 of the material flow are produced.

[0057] As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 1 and 3, the material 1 transported on the conveyor belt 6 is increasingly fragmented during the passage through the process zone, while the unmoved material 1 in the edge regions 9 of the basin 5 remains substantially unchanged.

[0058] Downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly 2, the fragmented material 1 emerging from the process zone is discharged from the conveyor belt 6 into a collecting funnel 14 at the end of the basin 5, from where it is conveyed by a conveying device (not shown) out of the basin 5.

[0059] The FIGS. 4 to 6 show a second device according to the invention for fragmenting pourable material 1 by means of high-voltage discharges, once in a longitudinal section along the line D-D in FIG. 6 (FIG. 4), once in a top view from above (FIG. 5) and once in a cross-section along the line C-C in FIG. 4 (FIG. 6).

[0060] This device differs from the device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 in that here the conveyor belt 6 as viewed in a flow direction S extends over the entire width of the basin 5 such that the moving material flow covers the entire width of the basin 5.

[0061] As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 4 and 6, the central zone of the material flow is charged with high-voltage punctures during the passage of the process zone, which leads to an increasing fragmenting of the material 1 in this zone, while the boundary zones of the material flow remain virtually unaffected by high-voltage punctures, such that the material 1 guided therein retains its original fragmentation size.

[0062] Downstream of the high-voltage electrode assembly 2, the material flow emerging from the process zone is discharged from the conveyor belt 6 into three collecting funnels 14, 14a, 14b at the end of the basin 5, which are separated from each other by separation walls 11 and extend side by side over the entire width of the conveyor belt 6. Thereby, the separation walls 11 are arranged in such a way that the fragmented material 1 from the central zone of the material flow is discharged into the center collecting funnel 14 while the non-fragmented material 1 from the boundary zones of the material flow is discharged into the outer collection funnels 14a, 14b.

[0063] The fragmented material 1, which is discharged into the center collecting funnel 14, is conveyed out of the basin 5 by means of a conveying device (not shown) and fed to another use. The non-fragmented material 1, which is discharged into the outer collection funnels 14a, 14b, is conveyed out of the basin 5 by means of conveying devices (not shown) and fed into the material flow again on the feeding side A of the device.

[0064] As can be seen from FIG. 7 which shows one of the high-voltage electrodes 7 of the high-voltage electrode assemblies 2 of the devices in the side view, each of the high-voltage electrodes 7 comprises a corresponding counter-electrode 8 lying on ground potential, which is laterally arranged besides the respective high-voltage electrode 7 in such a way that in the illustrated operation, by the charging of the specific high-voltage electrode 7 with high-voltage pulses, high-voltage punctures between the high-voltage electrode 7 and the corresponding counter-electrode 8 are produced through the material 1 of the material flow. Thereby, the counter-electrode 8 is attached to the supporting structure of the high-voltage electrode 7.

[0065] The FIGS. 8 and 9 show side views of two variants of the high-voltage electrode from FIG. 7.

[0066] FIG. 8 shows a high-voltage electrode 7 which differs from the one shown in FIG. 7 essentially in that it comprises two identical counter-electrodes 8 which are mirror-inverted facing. A further difference is that this high-voltage electrode 7 has a straight electrode tip.

[0067] FIG. 9 shows a high-voltage electrode 7 which differs from the one shown in FIG. 8 essentially therein that here shown in FIG. 8 the two mirror-inverted facing counter electrodes 8 are connected to a single, U-shaped counter-electrode 8 below the high-voltage electrode 7.

[0068] In the intended operation, the high-voltage electrodes 7 and the counter-electrodes 8 are preferably immersed in the material flow.

[0069] While there are described preferred embodiments of the invention in the present application, it is to be clearly pointed out that the invention is not limited thereto and can also be carried out in another manner within the scope of the following claims.