Patents Assigned to Technological Resources PTY
  • Patent number: 9771626
    Abstract: A method of starting a molten bath-based process for smelting a metalliferous material is disclosed. The method includes using the heat flux of water-cooled elements in lower parts of a smelting vessel to provide an indication of molten bath temperature during at least an early part of the start-up method and adjusting injection rates of oxygen-containing gas and/or carbonaceous material into the smelting vessel to control the molten bath temperature during start-up without exceeding critical heat flux levels and tripping the start-up method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Carolyn McCarthy, Rodney James Dry
  • Patent number: 9764258
    Abstract: A method of controlling a froth flotation cell in a froth flotation circuit for separating substances comprises periodically carrying out a control routine to maximize froth stability during the operation of the cell. The control routine comprises changing the gas flow rate to the cell in a series of steps and assessing the froth stability at each gas flow rate and continuing the step changes in the gas flow rate until the froth stability is a peak froth stability or is within a predetermined range of the peak froth stability of the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Grant Ashley Wellwood, Damien Harding, Andrew Thornton, Bruce Northway, Kevin Kropf
  • Patent number: 9599399
    Abstract: A material supply apparatus and process for co-injecting heated solid metalliferous material and solid carbonaceous material via a solids injection lance into a direct smelting vessel are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty Limited
    Inventor: Rodney James Dry
  • Patent number: 9551044
    Abstract: A method of starting a molten-bath based melting process includes commencing supplying cold oxygen-containing gas and cold carbonaceous material into a main chamber of a smelting vessel within at most 3 hours after completing a hot metal charge into the vessel and igniting the carbonaceous material and heating the main chamber and molten metal in the main chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Rodney James Dry, Hendrikus Koenraad Albertus Meijer
  • Patent number: 9458518
    Abstract: A method of starting a molten-bath based melting process includes establishing a sufficiently large and stable “hot zone” for ignition of oxygen and coal in a main chamber of a smelting vessel by independent means, i.e. independently of and before supplying cold oxygen and coal into the main chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty, Limited
    Inventors: Jacques Pilote, Rodney James Dry, Hendrikus Koenraad Albertus Meijer
  • Patent number: 9449351
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of characterizing a resource in a block located in an area. The method comprises the step of providing information concerning a property of the resource for a plurality of sample positions in, at or in the environment of the block. The information is obtained from analyzes of samples from the sample positions. The method further comprises modelling a change in the property along a distance at or within the block using the provided information. The method also comprises calculating parameters associated with the modelled change using Bayes' theorem and calculating a property characteristic of the resource for the block using the calculated parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignees: Technological Resources Pty, Limited, The University of Sydney
    Inventors: Arja Jogita Jewbali, Arman Melkumyan, Fabio Ramos
  • Patent number: 9376730
    Abstract: A two stage ironmaking process includes a first stage that includes solid state reduction of iron ore and producing a partially-reduced iron-containing feed material and an off-gas containing CO2 at a location that is in close proximity to a site for sequestering CO2. A second stage of the process includes transporting the feed material to an ironmaking facility iron at another location and producing iron from the feed material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Technological Resources PTY. Limited
    Inventor: Timothy James Evans
  • Patent number: 9375759
    Abstract: A microwave radiation applicator for exposing mined material to microwave radiation is disclosed. The applicator includes side walls 3 and end walls 5 that define a chamber. One end wall has an opening that forms an inlet for mined material to be supplied to the chamber and the other end wall has an opening that defines an outlet for mined material to be discharged from the chamber. The side walls define a pentagon in transverse cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Samuel Kingman, Georgios Dimitrakis, Christopher Dodds
  • Patent number: 9359656
    Abstract: A molten bath-based process for direct smelting metalliferous material and producing molten metal in a direct smelting vessel that contains a molten bath that has a metal layer that is at least 900 mm deep. The process includes selecting operating parameters of the process so that feed material (solid material and carrier gas) is injected from above the metal layer into the metal layer via at least one solids injection lance with sufficient momentum to penetrate to a depth of at least 100 mm below a nominal quiescent surface of the metal layer to cause upward movement of molten material and gas from the metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventor: Rodney James Dry
  • Patent number: 9347306
    Abstract: A system and method for the drilling of ground holes by a track steer drill rig. The system and method include a drilling arrangement that permits the speed of drilling holes to be balanced against the stability of the hole thus formed. The system and method allow for the autonomous drilling of ground holes and, particularly, although not exclusively, for the purposes of exploration, mining, and/or construction. In particular, the system and method relate to the autonomous drilling of ground holes which are used for subsequent blasting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignees: Technological Resources Pty. Limited, University of Sydney
    Inventors: Charles McHugh, Florian Andreas Oppoizer
  • Publication number: 20160130096
    Abstract: A train loading system for loading material onto cars of a train is disclosed. The system comprises a material bin arranged to receive material to be loaded onto the train, a closure device arranged to facilitate control by an operator of the amount of material loaded into each car from the material bin, and a car mass estimator arranged to estimate the mass of material loaded into each car. The system also comprises a display arranged to communicate to the operator the estimated mass of material loaded into each car. A corresponding method is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicants: Technological Resources Pty. Limited, Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Arthur Shook, Andreas Alexander Kupfer, Brett Hamilton, Chong Yew Ong
  • Patent number: 9309579
    Abstract: A method of starting a smelting process in a smelting vessel includes heating frozen slag and forming molten slag and draining molten slag from a forehearth connection via a forehearth and establishing a clear flow path through the forehearth connection and thereafter hot starting the smelting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty, Limited
    Inventors: Jacques Pilote, Rodney James Dry, Hendrikus Koenraad Albertus Meijer
  • Patent number: 9248701
    Abstract: A method for changing a vehicle wheel held to the vehicle by nuts and retainer cleats comprising: using a mobile robot for removal and replacement of the wheel nuts and retainer cleats in combination with the use of a mobile mechanical wheel handler to grip and remove the wheel and to bring a replacement wheel into position before replacement of the wheel nuts and cleats by the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventor: John Calvi
  • Patent number: 9239302
    Abstract: A method of analyzing particles of a material which include a constituent is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of exposing particles of the material to x radiation having a range of x-radiation energies, detecting x-radiation intensities at two different energy levels transmitted through the particles, and determining the concentration of the constituent in particles from the detected intensities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Andrea Gabrielle Pidcock, Robin Greenwood-Smith, Trevor Heuer
  • Patent number: 9234426
    Abstract: A method of monitoring a mine operation is disclosed. The method comprises collecting map data associated with a mine operation, the map data being indicative of at least one map representation associated with the mine operation, collecting mine equipment location data indicative of the location of at least one item of mine equipment relative to the mine operation, and facilitating selection and display of a map representation associated with a mine operation. When a map representation associated with a mine operation is displayed, a representation of at least one item of mine equipment on the map representation at a representative location relative to the mine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Mark Morrison, John Usher, Chris Green
  • Patent number: 9222144
    Abstract: An apparatus for injecting gas into a vessel is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a gas flow duct from which to discharge gas from the duct, an elongate central structure extending within the gas flow duct, and a plurality of flow directing vanes disposed about the central structure adjacent the forward end of the duct to impart swirl to a gas flow through the forward end of the duct. The apparatus also comprises cooling water flow passages in the vanes that have inlets at the forward ends of the vanes and outlets at the rear ends of the vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventor: Barry Alan Cady
  • Patent number: 9194020
    Abstract: A heap of a material to be leached to recover a valuable metal from the material and a method of constructing the heap are disclosed. The heap comprises sides and a top and a system to control air flow into the heap. The air flow control system comprises a combination of an air impermeable barrier and an aeration system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Lucy Esdaile, Paul Leslie Brown
  • Patent number: 9175907
    Abstract: A process and apparatus for direct smelting metalliferous material is disclosed. The invention concentrates injection of solid feed materials comprising metalliferous material and carbonaceous material into a direct smelting vessel during the course of the process into a relatively small region within a metal layer in a molten bath in the vessel in order to generate a substantial upward movement of molten material and gas from the metal layer into a region in the vessel that is above the molten bath. In particular, the invention injects the solid feed materials with sufficient momentum and/or velocity via an opposed pair of lances that are oriented within the vessel and arranged to form overlapping plumes of injected material in the molten bath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Jacques Pilote, Rodney James Dry
  • Patent number: 9041801
    Abstract: A mine operation monitoring system a plurality of mine equipment interfaces each being located at a mine operation and being associated with at least one item of mine equipment, each mine equipment interface being arranged to monitor operation of the at least one associated item of mine equipment. A plurality of monitoring stations is located remotely to the mine operations and is arranged to communicate with at least one equipment interface associated with a different mine operation so as to monitor operation of at least one item of mine equipment associated with said at least one equipment interface from the remote locations. A plurality of local monitoring stations located at respective mine operations monitors operation of the one time of equipment associated with the one interface. A communications network is arranged to facilitate communications between the equipment interfaces, the local monitoring stations and the remote monitoring stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Technological Resources PTY. Limited
    Inventor: Victor Schweikart
  • Patent number: D738943
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Dodds, Georgios Dimitrakis, Samuel Kingman