XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 257
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
What Is Available Now?
Microwave generators of 100 kW power at 896, 915 or
922 MHz are available off the shelf with service and sup-
port packages available for use around the world. The gen-
erators are robust enough for mining environments and
require no further specialist development. All of the ancil-
lary components of the system are widely available from
different OEMs.
A single-mode microwave treatment system with up to
200 kW of microwave power that can process up to 150
t/h of up to 50 mm material has existing detailed design
and could be built rapidly. The battery limits of the micro-
wave system range from the mass flow hopper feeding the
applicator to the discharge feeder and includes all of the
required instrumentation equipment. Microwave contain-
ment systems have been designed to exceed all international
regulations on microwave emissions, for example, emissions
have less power than a mobile phone signal. Materials trans-
port systems can be designed independently and integrated
depending on what is available and appropriate at site.
In a recent unpublished study by Batchelor et al.
(2022), draft designs for a 400 mm diameter system were
developed, shown in Figure 13. The system comprises a
multimode applicator with three 100 kW microwave gen-
erator inputs. This arrangement provided high power den-
sity and high treatment uniformity across the flow path.
The system was designed for a 300 t/h application at 1
kWh/t specific microwave energy input and for an 80 mm
Figure 13. Draft design for 300 kW and up to 900 t/h gravity fed packed bed mass flow
microwave treatment system
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
What Is Available Now?
Microwave generators of 100 kW power at 896, 915 or
922 MHz are available off the shelf with service and sup-
port packages available for use around the world. The gen-
erators are robust enough for mining environments and
require no further specialist development. All of the ancil-
lary components of the system are widely available from
different OEMs.
A single-mode microwave treatment system with up to
200 kW of microwave power that can process up to 150
t/h of up to 50 mm material has existing detailed design
and could be built rapidly. The battery limits of the micro-
wave system range from the mass flow hopper feeding the
applicator to the discharge feeder and includes all of the
required instrumentation equipment. Microwave contain-
ment systems have been designed to exceed all international
regulations on microwave emissions, for example, emissions
have less power than a mobile phone signal. Materials trans-
port systems can be designed independently and integrated
depending on what is available and appropriate at site.
In a recent unpublished study by Batchelor et al.
(2022), draft designs for a 400 mm diameter system were
developed, shown in Figure 13. The system comprises a
multimode applicator with three 100 kW microwave gen-
erator inputs. This arrangement provided high power den-
sity and high treatment uniformity across the flow path.
The system was designed for a 300 t/h application at 1
kWh/t specific microwave energy input and for an 80 mm
Figure 13. Draft design for 300 kW and up to 900 t/h gravity fed packed bed mass flow
microwave treatment system