Mining or in situ disintegration of hard material – Processes – Breaking down by direct contact with fluid
Patent
1975-03-10
1976-08-31
Purser, Ernest R.
Mining or in situ disintegration of hard material
Processes
Breaking down by direct contact with fluid
37195, 299 18, E21C 4500
Patent
active
RE0289450
ABSTRACT:
Method and apparatus for excavating and removing a settled body of discrete mineral solids (e.g., a tailings pond from a mining operation) by procedures which progress downwardly from the surface of the body. High pressure streams of liquid are traversed along a path in a pulping zone lowermost in first region of the body. The liquid forms a pumpable slurry with the mineral solids in the zone, and the slurry is then pumped from the zone leaving an undercut cavity sufficient to cause collapse of the overburden of solids. The collapsed overburden is then formed into additional pumpable slurry which is removed by pumping. Successive stages of excavation are carried out by moving the streams of liquid downwardly to a second region where the foregoing steps are repeated. In the apparatus a caisson is disposed vertically in the body and stabilized by means of a plurality of circumferentially positioned pilings. A plurality of high velocity nozzles are mounted in the caisson to direct liquid streams into a pulping zone surrounding the caisson. The slurry which is formed in the pulping zone flows through portals in the caisson into a slurry sump in the lower end of the caisson where a pump removes the slurry through a discharge line leading from the caisson. In one embodiment the caisson is fixedly secured to the caisson and jets are provided to direct liquid streams into regions below the lower ends of the caisson and pilings to sink the apparatus downwardly to the next lower region for additional stages of excavation. In another embodiment, the caisson is mounted for relative vertical movement with respect to stationary pilings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 552856 (1896-01-01), Roach
patent: 931057 (1909-08-01), Goldsmith
patent: 1851565 (1932-03-01), Claytor
patent: 3311414 (1967-03-01), Cannon et al.
patent: 3439953 (1969-04-01), Pfefferle
Gilbert John J.
Miscovich John A.
Marcona Corporation
Purser Ernest R.
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