A proprietary testing procedure developed specifically for local coal samples by WMP Consultants for the Telligent Dry Separator (TDS) has been trialled successfully at the Dadi Engineering Development Group sister company Meiteng Technology by consultant Tony Weatherby on behalf of Aury Africa.
Tony has refined the procedure to test coal samples in the TDS, characterising all of the components of the sample prior to a full test. “I changed the sample procedure in such a way that we can actually characterise the various elements of the coal seam before we apply the necessary algorithm, thereby giving a much better calibration curve.”
Samples sent for validation
As a result, Aury Africa is in the process of sending a 20 ton bulk sample to China for validation of the test initial results, followed by a further six run-of-mine (ROM) samples of discard and coal-recovery samples from various customers.
A particularly exciting development has been the successful testing of a sample from a discard dump in KwaZulu-Natal, containing a mixture of bituminous and anthracite coal from two separate mining streams. The TDS was able to clearly differentiate the two materials in the sample, which means that discard dumps can be turned into potential sources of additional revenue for mining operations.
The fact that the TDS is not water-based not only reduces the footprint of mineral-processing plants due to the downscaling of the dense medium separation (DMS) circuit as a result, it also means that slurry material is reduced drastically, thereby offering an environmental benefit, in addition to overall cost-savings.
Intelligent technology
The TDS constitutes intelligent dry separation technology. Essentially coal is conveyed on an enclosed, single-layered conveying system that incorporates dual X-ray technology.
The system features image-identification technology with the separator accurately identifying and separating coal and its components, without using water or any other medium. There is also no slime generation, with the TDS subsequently producing a higher yield of coarse coal at low operational cost at an increased return-on-investment, compared to conventional process systems.
The technology can process 300mm to 50mm and 150mm to 25mm raw coal, with an upper throughput of about 400 tph. The higher tonnage output makes the TDS more efficient compared to competitor dry sorter technology.
Aury Africa
Sydney Parkhouse
Tel: (011) 026-6642
Email: syd@auryafrica.co.za
www.auryafrica.co.za
