2. Understanding the Baleen Filter
(Self Cleaning Micro Screen) with reference to the recovery and upgrade of fine coal from the feed to thickeners.
Author: Steve Evans 2

3. Research & Development
Five year program with the University of Australia in collaboration with industry.
It was conceived by a general need for a cost effective continuous self cleaning micro screen, capable of screening non-filterable contaminants.
Hence the birth of the Baleen Filter
Markets extending across the meat, wood, pulp & paper, wine & beverage, food & dairy, aquaculture, vehicle & manufacturing, sewage and mining industries.

4. Unique Self Cleaning Micro Screen
Feed to header tank
Filtrate/undersize
‘Double act’ of high pressure, low volume spray bar
Screen discharge/ dewatering of oversize solids
Dewatering bin (for batch operations )
The Baleen technology, protected by International patents 4

8. The Baleen Filter in Operation on fine coal in feed to a thickener

9. BALEEN MICRO-SCREENING Physico-Chemical
Technical Performance - Filtration Spectrum
Pollutant
Micron
Rating
10, ,
Treatment
Method
Filtration
Secondary Treatment-Biological & Physico-Chemical
Primary Treatment-Physical
Tertiary Treatment - Physico-Chemical
COARSE SCREENING
FINE SCREENING
BALEEN MICRO-SCREENING Physico-Chemical
Micro-Filtration
Ultra-filtration
Nano Filtration
The Baleen Filter separates both solid & sticky matter to specific micron rating for collection.

10. The use of the Baleen Filter – Self Cleaning Micro Screen for fine coal separation
.Trials have been run on the feed to a thickener
. The objective was to-
Upgrade the coal.
Maximize mass recovery
To sell coal that is presently being discarded.

11. Trial 1 Average Results Thickener Feed Screen Aperture 125 micron
Feed CV Product CV Feed Ash Product Ash Mass Recovery
MJ/Kg Mj/Kg % % % ,
Graph Shows individual sample results on the 125 micron screen.
Increase in CV of 34.48%
Decrease in ash of 45%
Mass recovery of 86.9%

12. Baleen Filter Installation
Screen Aperture micron
Flow Rate m3ph
Feed to plant tph
Mass Recovery %
Product Recovered tph
Saleable coal recovered tons per month
Baleen Filter 60W15 – 304SS – T1
Cost Estimate R ex vat
Coal Price US$45 per ton (Export) or R per ton (Local/ power station)
Additional Income R or R per month
Payback 2 weeks or 2 months (Depending on where the coal is sold) is sold)

13. Trial 2 Thickener Feed Screen Aperture 140 micron Average Results
Feed CV Product CV Feed Ash Product Ash Mass Recovery
MJ/Kg Mj/Kg % % %
Graph Shows individual sample results on the 140 micron screen.
Increase in CV by 24.35%
Decrease in ash by 35,44%
Mass Recovery 53.55%

14. Screen Aperture 90 micron Average results
Feed CV Product CV Feed Ash Product Ash Mass Recovery
MJ/Kg Mj/Kg % % %
Graph Shows individual sample results on the 90 micron screen.
Increase in CV by 29.62%
Decrease in the ash by 44.3%
Mass Recovery of 62.80%

15. Baleen Filter Installation
Screen Aperture 90 micron
Flow Rate m3ph
Feed to plant tph
Mass Recovery %
Product Recovered tph
Saleable coal recovered tons per month
Baleen Filter 80W15 – 304SS – T1
Cost Estimate R ex vat
Coal Price US$45 per ton (Export) or R per ton (Local/ power station)
Additional Income R or R per month
Payback 3 weeks or 3 months (Depending on where the coal is sold)

16. Benefits to Installing a Baleen Filter prior to the Thickener
Recover saleable coal
Take solid load off the thickener
Increase the life of the discard slimes dam
Reduce size of discard slimes dams
Improve washing plant yield
In order to understand the full extent of both equipment scale up and economics it is advisable to run a Baleen Filter on site and quantify all the necessary benefits.