Patent ID: 7842228

Claim:
A continuous refractory ore bioprocessing apparatus comprising: a tank having a length, end walls, side walls, and a bottom; a conveyer subassembly fixedly positioned along said bottom of said tank and extending lengthwise along said bottom of said tank, said conveyer subassembly comprising a conveyer configured to encourage transportation of solids along said length of said tank; a driver operationally connected to said conveyer and configured to drive said conveyer to transport said solids along said length of said tank; and a shell having an outer shell surface and an inner shell surface, said shell containing said conveyer, said shell connected to low portions of said end walls and said side walls, said shell defining a plurality of feed ports, said feed ports configured to allow passage of said solids from said tank into said conveyer subassembly, said shell defining at least one gas vent port, each of said gas vent ports configured to accommodate venting of gas from within said conveyer subassembly to said tank; and a plurality of gas distribution manifolds, connected to said tank and extending along said length of said tank, each of said gas distribution manifolds defining a plurality of openings, said gas distribution manifolds configured to receive gas from a gas source and each of said openings configured to accommodate passage of gas from said gas distribution manifold through said opening and into said tank and into contact with at least a portion of said outer shell surface so as to discourage fouling of said outer shell surface; whereby said solids and process liquid are fed to said tank and said solids are allowed to sink to a low portion of said tank so as to move through said feed ports in said shell into said conveyer subassembly in which said solids will be processed as said solids are moved along said length of said tank via said conveyer before being deposited in a product hopper and while gas is injected into said tank via said gas distribution manifolds so as to encourage agitation of said solids and process liquids contained within.