Patents Assigned to Outotec Oy
  • Patent number: 9534844
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and equipment for the continuous sintering of mineral material in a sintering furnace (S). In the method, a material bed (2) is formed on a conveyor base (1), the material bed (2) is conveyed by the conveyor base (1) through the process zones (I-VII) of the sintering furnace that have different temperatures, the zones including at least one drying zone (I), at least one cooling zone (VII), and at least one other process zone (II, III, IV, V, VI) between the said drying zone and cooling zone, and gas is conducted through the conveyor base and the material bed (2), when the material bed travels through the process zones (I-VII), and gas is circulated in a circulation gas duct (3) from the last cooling zone (VII) to the drying zone (I). Part of the gas flow that is conducted to the drying zone (I) in the circulation gas duct (3) is removed as an exhaust gas flow (B) by the exhaust gas blower (5) of an exhaust gas duct (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Outotec Oy
    Inventor: Päivi Oikarinen
  • Patent number: 9182264
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method, apparatus and computer program for detecting the locations of boundaries between different materials in a desired measurement volume. The apparatus uses at least one measuring probe, the electrodes of which are characterized in that they together form an assembly that differs from a straight line. In addition, a volume at a further distance from the assembly can also be observed by the assembly, so that measurements can be conducted remotely and, on the other hand, the apparatus stays unbroken in diverse measurement situations. By using the EIT-measurement and applying for example a so-called 1D-?-method or methods of machine learning, electrical conductivity distributions in the measured volume are detected. As a result, the locations of the possible boundaries between different materials or for example thicknesses of different material layers are detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Outotec Oy
    Inventors: Jari Kaipio, Marko Vauhkonen, Juha Reunanen, Anssi Lehikoinen
  • Patent number: 9079192
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of using a flotation machine that is used in metallurgical processes and to a flotation machine. The flotation machine foams hydrophobic particles from an aqueous slurry that contains these particles. The flotation machine includes a flotation cell (1), and a rotor (2) that is inside the flotation cell. The rotor (2) is rotated at a mixing power, which maintains the suspension in the slurry and mixing of air with the slurry to form the foam, and the mixing power is controlled by adjusting the rotation speed of the rotor. The amount of solid matter S accumulated on the bottom of the cell (1) is determined, and the rotation speed of the rotor (2) is adjusted on the basis of the determined amount of solid matter. The flotation machine includes a measuring device (5) for determining the amount of solid matter accumulated on the bottom of the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Outotec Oy
    Inventors: Antti Rinne, Kari Saloheimo
  • Patent number: 8496839
    Abstract: A filter device including at least one filter chamber between a filter plate and a counter plate when the device is closed, into which chamber a suspension can be inducted on a cake side of a filter cloth through at least one filling shoe anchored in the filter plate and clamping the cloth with the filter plate in a sealing manner. The suspension permeates the cloth to the filtrate side, wherein the suspension solid content deposits on the cloth as a filter cake, and the filter and counter plates are offset from each other when the device is open, and the cake is removable from the chamber. In order to simplify the disassembly of the cloth, the shoe is movably anchored in the filter plate, and the shoe is automatically lifted off from the filter plate and the clamping of the filter cloth is released when the device is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Outotec Oy
    Inventor: Heinz Bonn
  • Patent number: 8360246
    Abstract: In a froth flotation method and apparatus an upwardly open circular trough (4) having outlets (5) on the outer periphery of the trough is arranged horizontally above the froth phase (F) so that the trough is coaxial with the flotation vessel (1), and said circular trough is rotated around its center axis. A stationary water pipe (6) is arranged above the trough (4). Fresh water (W) is fed via the water pipe (6) into the trough (4) while the trough is rotating, and the water is let to flow by gravity and centrifugal force from the trough (4) via the outlets (5) into the froth phase (F).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Outotec Oy
    Inventor: Peter Bourke