Integrated system for supplying clean water and clean energy to the mining industry

Abstract

Embodiments of this invention provide an integrated system for processing ore feedstock and RO treatment utilizing the principals of pumped storage hydroelectric technology including the use of an upper reservoir and lower reservoir. The integrated system includes a first subsystem that generates waste associated with processing the ore feedstock. In the integrated system, the waste includes the treatment of contaminated water. The integrated system further includes a second subsystem that treats the contaminated water included in the waste to generate recycled water and transmits the recycled water to the first subsystem. The integrated subsystem may also incorporate solar and/or wind power generation plants as a power source for the integrated system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An integrated system for processing ore feedstock and reverse osmosis (RO) treatment, the integrated system comprising:
 a first subsystem that generates waste associated with processing the ore feedstock,
 wherein the waste includes contaminated water; and 
   a second subsystem that:
 treats the contaminated water included in the waste to generate recycled water, and 
 transmits the recycled water to the first subsystem. 
   
     
     
         2 . The integrated system of  claim 1 , further comprising a third subsystem that provides clean energy to at least one of the first subsystem and the second subsystem. 
     
     
         3 . The integrated system of  claim 1 , wherein the first subsystem comprises an ore processing plant that processes ore feedstock to produce mineral-bearing concentrate. 
     
     
         4 . The integrated system of  claim 1 , wherein the first subsystem comprises one or more of a thickener and a tailings storage that store waste and separate contaminated water in the waste from spent ore. 
     
     
         5 . The integrated system of  claim 1 , wherein the contaminated water from the first subsystem is transmitted from the first subsystem to the second subsystem. 
     
     
         6 . The integrated system of  claim 1 , wherein the second subsystem includes a filter module that removes particulates from the contaminated water to produce filtered water. 
     
     
         7 . The integrated system of  claim 6 , wherein an energy recovery turbocharger pressurizes filtered water from the filter module and released the pressurized water to a RO unit. 
     
     
         8 . The integrated system of  claim 7 , wherein the RO unit passes the pressurized water through one or more ion selective filters to produce the recycled water. 
     
     
         9 . The integrated system of  claim 8 , wherein the RO unit further produces pressurized waste, and wherein the pressurized waste from the RO unit is released to the energy recovery turbocharger. 
     
     
         10 . The integrated system of  claim 9 , wherein the energy recovery turbocharger comprises a pressure exchanger, wherein the pressurized waste is depressurized by passing the pressurized waste through a first rotor of the pressure exchanger. 
     
     
         11 . The integrated system of  claim 10 , wherein the depressurized waste and the particulates from the filter module are processed to capture mineral-bearing concentrate. 
     
     
         12 . The integrated system of  claim 10 , wherein the filtered water from the filter module passes through a second rotor of the pressure exchanger that is connected to the first rotor by a shaft, wherein the filtered water is pressurized by the second rotor. 
     
     
         13 . The integrated system of  claim 2 , wherein the third subsystem further provides water to the first subsystem, wherein the first subsystem, during the processing of the ore feedstock, converts the water to the contaminated water. 
     
     
         14 . The integrated system of  claim 2 , wherein the third subsystem comprises at least one of a wind farm and a solar farm that generates electricity that is transmitted to at least one of the first subsystem, the second subsystem, and a grid. 
     
     
         15 . The integrated system of  claim 14 , wherein the third subsystem further provides pressurized water to the second subsystem, wherein the pressurized water enters a second energy recovery turbocharger that depressurizes the pressurized water and pressurizes filtered water from the filter module. 
     
     
         16 . The integrated system of  claim 15 , wherein the third subsystem further comprises:
 a first reservoir that stores water;   a second reservoir located above the first reservoir that also stores water;   a penstock that connects the first reservoir to the second reservoir; and   a pump-turbine that pumps water through the penstock from the first reservoir to the second reservoir.   
     
     
         17 . The integrated system of  claim 16 , wherein the pump-turbine is coupled to a motor-generator. 
     
     
         18 . The integrated system of  claim 17 , wherein, when water flows from the second reservoir to the first reservoir via the penstock, the water rotates the pump-turbine causing the motor-generator to generate electricity. 
     
     
         19 . The integrated system of  claim 18 , wherein the electricity generated by the motor-generator is released to a grid. 
     
     
         20 . The integrated system of  claim 19 , wherein a water supply provides water to the third subsystem. 
     
     
         21 . The integrated system of  claim 20 , wherein the third subsystem further comprises a clean energy source.