1. A method of controlling a froth flotation cell in a froth flotation circuit for separating substances, the method comprising periodically carrying out a control routine to maximise froth stability during the operation of the cell, the control routine comprising 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.
2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the changes in the gas flow rate in each step are based on the change of the froth stability in previous steps.
3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the predetermined range of the peak froth stability of the cell is within 10% above or below the peak froth stability of the cell.
4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the assessment of froth stability at each flow rate includes assessing any one or more of bubble collapse rate in froth in the cell, bubble coalescence rate in froth in the cell, and gas recovery for the cell
5. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the assessment of bubble collapse rate in froth in the cell includes measuring bubble collapse rate visually or by an instrument in froth in the cell.
6. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the assessment of bubble coalescence rate in froth in the cell includes measuring bubble coalescence rate visually or by an instrument in froth in the cell.
7. The method defined in claim 4 wherein the assessment of gas recovery is via measurement of gas recovery or via measurement of other parameters that are indicative of gas recovery for the cell.
8. The method defined in claim 4, wherein the control routine is carried out to maximise gas recovery by assessing the gas recovery at each gas flow rate and continuing the step changes in the gas flow rate until the gas recovery is a peak gas recovery or is within a predetermined range of the peak gas recovery of the cell.
9. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the control routine is carried out at uniform or variable time intervals during the operation of the cell.
10. The method defined in claim 1 comprises carrying out the control routine after there has been at least a minimum change in a selected input to the cell.
11. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the conditions are any one or more of the following inputs to the cell: feed rate, solids concentration in the feed, particle size distribution, pH, superficial gas velocity, chemical dosage rate, feed grade, feed type, and froth depth.
12. The method defined in claim 1 comprises carrying out the control routine after there has been at least a minimum change in a selected output of the cell.
13. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the series of steps in the control routine comprises the following steps:
(a) assessing the froth stability at a current gas flow rate;
(b) changing the gas flow rate to the cell,
(c) assessing the froth stability at the changed gas flow rate and determining whether the froth stability has increased or decreased at this gas flow rate,
(d) subject to the assessment in step (c), increasing or decreasing the gas flow rate to the cell;
(e) assessing the froth stability at the changed gas flow rate and determining whether the froth stability has increased or decreased at this gas flow rate; and
(f) repeating steps (b) to (d) until it becomes apparent that the froth stability is the peak froth stability or within the predetermined range of the peak froth stability of the cell.
14. A method of controlling a froth flotation circuit comprising a plurality of froth flotation cells for separating substances, the method comprising periodically carrying out a control routine to maximise gas recovery during the operation of at least one cell in the froth flotation circuit, the control routine comprising 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.
15. The method defined in claim 14 comprises periodically carrying out the control routine in a selected cell in the froth flotation circuit to maximise froth stability of the selected cell and thereafter periodically carrying out the control routine in other cells in the froth flotation circuit.
16. The method defined in claim 14 comprises periodically carrying out the control routine in all of the cells in the froth flotation circuit.
17. A method of controlling a froth flotation cell in a froth flotation circuit for separating substances, the method comprising periodically carrying out a control routine to maximise gas recovery during the operation of the cell, the control routine comprising changing the gas flow rate to the cell in a series of steps and assessing the gas recovery at each gas flow rate and continuing the step changes in the gas flow rate until the gas recovery is a peak gas recovery or is within a predetermined range of the peak gas recovery of the cell.
18. The method defined in claim 17, wherein the series of steps in the control routine comprises the following steps:
(a) assessing the gas recovery at a current gas flow rate;
(b) changing the gas flow rate to the cell,
(c) assessing the gas recovery at the changed gas flow rate and determining whether the gas recovery has increased or decreased at this gas flow rate,
(d) subject to the assessment in step (c), increasing or decreasing the gas flow rate to the cell;
(e) assessing the gas recovery at the changed gas flow rate and determining whether the gas recovery has increased or decreased at this gas flow rate; and
(f) repeating steps (b) to (d) until it becomes apparent that the gas recovery is the peak gas recovery stability or within the predetermined range of the peak gas recovery of the cell.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
In the claims:
1. A multiplayer interactive video gaming device, said device comprising:
a plurality of independent player stations, each said player station including at least one data input device configured to output a player input signal responsive to player activation;
an interface assembly in operative communication with more than one of said player stations and including an interface processor device, said interface processor device configured to receive the player input signals and to output interface signals corresponding to particular said data input devices;
a personal computer assembly in communication with said interface assembly, said personal computer assembly including an inputoutput system, at least one data input port, and a game processor device configured to receive, via a said at least one data input port and said inputoutput system, data carried by the interface signals, to execute a video card gaming program responsively to the interface signal data, and to output video display signals responsively to the video card gaming program; and
a video display assembly in communication with said personal computer assembly, said video display assembly configured to receive the video display signals from said personal computer assembly and to display video images responsively to the video display signals.
2. The device as in claim 1, wherein said interface assembly includes a buffer device configured to receive and store the interface signals from said interface processor device.
3. The device as in claim 2, wherein said inputoutput system is configured to retrieve the interface signals from said buffer device.
4. The device as in claim 1, wherein each said player station includes a currency acceptor configured to accept currency from a player at the corresponding player station for wagering purposes and to output a currency input signal corresponding to an amount of currency accepted.
5. The device as in claim 4, wherein said interface assembly is configured to receive said currency input signals and to output corresponding currency output signals, and wherein said game processor device is configured to receive said currency output signals via a data input port and said inputoutput system.
6. The device as in claim 1, wherein said data input port is a keyboard port.
7. The device as in claim 1, wherein said video display assembly includes a video monitor.
8. The device as in claim 7, wherein said personal computer assembly is configured to execute a video blackjack program in which all players play against a single dealer hand generated by said personal computer assembly, wherein players submit wagers and select game options according to rules that simulate a casino blackjack game, and wherein said personal computer assembly is configured to display the dealer hand and all player hands via said video display assembly on said monitor.
9. The device as in claim 1, including a cabinet housing said plurality of said independent player stations.
10. A multiplayer interactive video blackjack gaming device, said device comprising:
a cabinet;
a plurality of independent player stations housed by said cabinet, each said player station including a plurality of data input switches, each said data input switch configured to output a player input signal responsive to player activation;
a plurality of communication lines, each said communication line connected to a corresponding said data input switch and configured to convey the player input signals thereof;
an interface assembly housed by said cabinet, said interface assembly being in operative communication with said plurality of communication lines and including an interface processor device, said interface processor device configured to receive the player input signals carried by said plurality of communication lines and to output digital interface signals corresponding to particular said data input switches, and a buffer device in communication with said interface processor assembly, said buffer device configured to receive and store the digital interface signals;
a personal computer assembly housed by said cabinet and in communication with said interface assembly, said personal computer assembly including an inputoutput system, at least one data input port, and a game processor device configured to receive, via a data input port and said inputoutput system, data carried by the interface signals, to execute a video card gaming program responsively to the interface signal data, and to output video display signals responsively to the video card gaming program; and
a video display assembly housed by said cabinet and in communication with said personal computer assembly, said video display assembly configured to receive the video display signals from said personal computer assembly and to display video images responsively to the video display signals.
11. The device as in claim 10, wherein each said player station includes a currency acceptor configured to accept currency from a player at the corresponding player station for wagering purposes and to output a currency input signal corresponding to an amount of currency accepted, and wherein said game processor device is configured to execute the video card gaming program responsively to data carried by said currency input signals.
12. A multiplayer interactive video blackjack gaming device, said device comprising:
a cabinet having a player portion and a display portion;
a plurality of independent player stations housed by said player portion, each said player station including a plurality of data input switches, each said data input switch configured to output a player input signal responsive to player activation, and a currency acceptor configured to accept currency from a player at the corresponding player station for wagering purposes and to output a currency input signal corresponding to an amount of currency accepted;
a plurality of communication lines, each said communication line connected to one of a said data input switch and a said currency acceptor;
an interface assembly housed by said player portion, said interface assembly being in operative communication with said plurality of communication lines and including an interface processor device, said interface processor device configured to receive the player input signals and currency input signals carried by said plurality of communication lines and to output digital interface signals corresponding to particular said data input switches and said currency acceptors, and a buffer device in communication with said interface processor assembly, said buffer device configured to receive and store the digital interface signals;
a personal computer assembly, housed by said display portion and in communication with said interface assembly, said personal computer assembly including an inputoutput system, at least one data input port, and a game processor device configured to receive, via a data input port and said inputoutput system, data carried by the interface signals, to execute a video blackjack gaming program responsively to the interface signal data, and to output video display signals responsively to the video blackjack gaming program; and
a video display assembly including at least one monitor housed by said display portion in communication with said personal computer assembly, said video display assembly configured to receive the video display signals from said personal computer assembly and to display video images,
wherein said personal computer assembly is configured to execute a blackjack game wherein all players play against a single dealer hand generated by said game execution assembly, wherein players submit wagers and select card options according to rules that simulate a casino blackjack game, and wherein said personal computer assembly is configured, in conjunction with said video display assembly, to display the dealer hand and player hands on a said monitor.
13. The device as in claim 9, including a ticket dispenser housed by said cabinet proximate said independent player stations and a printing mechanism also housed by said cabinet and configured to print video card game results on tickets for distribution via said ticket dispenser.