Coal Preparation » Gravity Separation
Hydraulic classifiers have been in use since 1934, typically employed to sort out and group particles of different specific gravities and different size distributions. Advances in electronic sensing instrumentation and pneumatic and electrical process actuation have seen the development of the modern tank-type hindered settling classifiers employing sophisticated closed loop sorting chamber density control, to beneficiate run of mine coal in the sand size range according to particle density differences. The most prevalent type of hydraulic classifier utilized in the Australian coal industry is the Stokes (MEP) type Hydrosizer marketed by Advanced Separation Engineering Australia Pty Limited (ASE) as the Teetered Bed Separator or TBS.
Usually associated with each TBS installation acceptance testing and/or optimization testing has been undertaken by site or ASE personnel. This handbook serves to compile all acceptance/optimization testing data and operational experience collated since the first TBS installation at Stratford in 1997 and provide a comprehensive resource for the plant designer, site metallurgist and maintenance planners and TBS operator to assist in the following project related activities :
- Fines flowsheet selection
- TBS machine duty selection
- TBS installation and commissioning
- Optimizing the TBS metallurgical efficiency
- Troubleshooting TBS installation
- TBS maintenance requirements
General arrangement drawings of the various TBS machine configurations are included in the handbook as well as original equipment manufacturers manuals for the density control loop pneumatic actuator and density probe.