Improving screening efficiency: a novel dual-drive cooperative screening system based on flexible rebound baffle and vibrating flip-flow screen coupling

Screening plays a critical role in particle separation during coal processing. However, the screening efficiency of vibrating flip-flow screens (VFFSs) in processing sticky fine materials remains to be further improved. In this study, an innovative dual-drive cooperative screening system (DDCSS) is presented, which integrates flexible rebound baffles with VFFSs. The influence of the baffle installation height (H value) on the motion characteristics and screening efficiency of the materials on the screen is systematically investigated. Additionally, we explore the potential for reducing screen length through H value optimization. The findings demonstrate that the DDCSS significantly enhances screening performance through two key mechanisms: first, by increasing the utilization rate of the screen plates, and second, by intensifying the jumping motion of the materials on the screen. With the optimization of screening efficiency as the primary objective, the system attains a maximum efficiency gain of 11.01 %. Moreover, when the primary objective is to optimize the screen length, an H value of 120 mm enables the system to achieve the same screening performance as a screen length of 2624 mm without baffles, using only 64.96 % of the original screen length. This discovery offers critical insights for the enhancement of energy utilization efficiency.