Hydro monitor
The hydromonitor is an open-pit mining device that extracts rock with a directed water jet and feeds it into a pipeline.
construction
The device consists of a high-pressure pump that builds up the appropriate water pressure and a nozzle that accelerates or focuses the water jet. A funnel is located between the device and the dismantling front, which collects the emulsion and feeds it to a feed pump at the beginning of the pipeline.
Use and mode of action
The process is mainly used in relatively loose rocks, where precious stones or metal soaps are to be converted into an eligible condition during extraction. When the water jet hits, the rock structure is broken up and the mixture of useful minerals and adjacent rock is converted into an emulsion . The emulsion then flows through a funnel into a pipeline, from where the emulsion can usually be pumped over long distances after compression.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantage of hydromonitors is particularly evident when pre-treatment is already taking place when loosening the rock. This is the case, for example, when hard ores lie in a matrix of soft rock (e.g. sand) and the emulsion is then passed through a separator (e.g. a sieve). In this case, reducing the amount of material to be conveyed leads to savings in the preparation and tipping of the residues.
The disadvantage are the higher costs of pipeline transport compared to other means of transport, which are caused by high pressure losses and high maintenance costs (wear and tear).
Examples
- Titanium soap mining in the Orshonikidze open pit mine ( Ukraine )
- Amber mining in the Primorskoye opencast mine near Jantarny (Kaliningrad Oblast)