Water is current all over the place in mining and its management varies based on its role within the mining processes. In a current in-depth article by pumps main KSB, the company outlines how this in turn influences the selection of applied sciences used in pumping water. “Alongside the safe provide and recovery of process water is the challenge of eradicating ground water. Process water and groundwater include abrasive and corrosive components in varying portions which have an antagonistic have an result on on pump efficiency and life. Working conditions, distant locations, varying temperature ranges and the dearth of electrical energy are also highly influential elements.”
The copper mines in Chile and the iron ore mines in Western Australia could also be many 1000’s of miles aside, but these mining operations still require dewatering and the secure disposal of probably contaminated water. “The similar could be mentioned of the coal mines of Mozambique and the silver mines of Mexico. What they all have in frequent is a requirement for environment friendly and effective water and slurry pumps. Well-matched options assist to maximise the longevity and efficiency of the system and in addition optimise cost-performance ratios, all attributes fulfilled by KSB’s Hard Rock Mining Division.”
The altering face of mining
The search for extra rare and valuable minerals and metals has opened up mining in international locations and areas where beforehand the trade was small scale or non-existent. Consequently, mining firms and gear producers have needed to develop new methods and merchandise. And with the major mining firms having operations in plenty of international places, becoming a most popular equipment supplier is essential. “The dewatering market is slowly shifting from a pure CAPEX point of view to an increasingly OPEX perspective,” stories Brett Lewis, Mining Manager at KSB Australia. “This is particularly true for the big mines that understand that poorly designed equipment that frequently fails, causes a significant increase in alternative and servicing price. Some mining companies are actually committing to a carbon neutral goal within the next 20 to 30 years, so are focussing on excessive effectivity tools. They want to part out diesel reliance by connecting most bores to their native electrical grid.”
KSB says it is conscious that mining corporations are recording pump performance and are accumulating knowledge to check brands and higher rank their qualities or deficiencies. “This is good information for KSB as the company is committed to delivering excessive reliability and effectivity pumps, so serving to to cut back the carbon footprint of mining dewatering operations.
Is there a ‘one-fits-all’ pump solution?
KSB says the answer to it is a resounding ‘no’, however “by sharing experiences between places of work and in addition frequently working with the identical international mining firms, KSB has been in a position to develop appropriate options. KSB’s involvement within the iron ore industries in Brazil and Australia demonstrate two totally different approaches to dewatering, each employing vertical multi-stage pumps.”
In Brazil’s Minas Gerais State open pit iron ore mines excessive floor water, monsoons and underground lakes are issues. To keep steady manufacturing water must be pumped to a dewatering lake which has a dynamic water degree that should be raised two or 3 times a 12 months. KSB Brazil’s answer is a floating station fitted with KSB vertical turbine B pumps positioned over a pontoon (Fig.1). The pontoon rises and falls with changes in the water degree so there is no need for the pumps to be repositioned. This ends in cost-savings to the shopper. After 20 successful years it has turn out to be the usual for this kind of gear in South America.
“The floating station supporting the pumps over the pontoon delivers the circulate rate requested by the client,” explains Jardel Ribeiro, Sales Manager, KSB Brazil. “Sometimes the pumps, excessive energy motors and related equipment results in the dimensions of the floating station being increased. Stabilizing equipment that weighs greater than 200 t requires a lot of planning, along with the problem of building a system in such a distant space.”
Boreholes in Australia
In the Pilbara Region of Western Australia iron ore is mined in several places around the Chichester hub zone, an area between 5 and 9 km wide and 80 km long. The mineral deposit sits between ninety m and 117 m beneath the surface. With the groundwater and water table often replenished in moist seasons and cyclones including to the inundation, greater than 75% of the iron ore is beneath the water table. If too much water mixes with iron ore, it turns into low grade and unsuitable for export, which outcomes in large revenue losses. Also, surface dewatering processes are extremely expensive if the water is very high.
The accepted dewatering process within the area is to pump the water out by way of boreholes. However, this is not with out its challenges. High water temperatures and high salinity result in extreme corrosion, whilst iron micro organism can grow on motors which stop environment friendly motor cooling. The presence of gasoline is a continuing threat in some areas as this causes gasoline lock on the impellers resulting in heavy vibrations, which places a great pressure on the motor, lack of move rate and motor failure.
This implies that commonplace off-the-shelf products are not at all times appropriate and the incidence of failures is excessive. Typically, most bore pumps fail inside 12 months, and generally only some weeks. At its Hope Valley facility in Western Australia, KSB offers mine operators with its UPA multistage borehole pump, customised to resist site conditions. Although a dearer product than its rivals, the UPA has been proven to ship a considerably longer working life and lowered prices of possession. KSB’s proprietary know-how that inhibits the growth of iron bacteria makes the UPA a winner.
Trailer mounted models
In Africa the surroundings and minerals being mined require revolutionary approaches to dewatering. In the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to several open reduce and underground copper mines rainy seasons wreak flooding havoc. Here, KSB is delivering several different pumping solutions involving both UPA Z borehole pumps and surface-mounted Omega pumps. “To prevent mining operations from being shut down, a quick localised response is required,” says Rob Bond, Area Manager Mining-Sub-Saharan Africa. “Our resolution has been to supply Omega pumps mounted on rough terrain trailers. We supply a whole package made up of the pump, engine/motor, couplings, gearbox, hydraulic drives and auxiliary tools together with vacuum pump, management panels, monitors etc that delivers high head pumping.”
A comparable solution can also be provided for the open solid Moatize coal mine in Mozambique the place the water levels should stay low for steady production reliability. Whilst borehole pumps offer good reliability on a continuing basis, when the wet season starts, extra assets are in demand KSB SA provides skid-mounted Omega units. To date, KSB SA has supplied 152 models and all are working reliably.
Latin America
In Mexico’s Zacatecas silver mines underground water is a continuing problem. According to Roberto Valenzuela, Sales Manager Mining KSB Mexico, the water accommodates solid particles so the excessive strain encapsulated UPA borehole pumps must be wear-resistant for long run efficiency. Because the dewatering pumps work at a excessive speed, the impellers and the put on and tear ring can endure from untimely wear. Using Multitec horizontal multistage pumps with KSB’s C6 standard chrome coating, wear is tremendously minimised. “We have had pumps working in this mine for over two years without the impellers being modified,” says Roberto Valenzuela. “It is a solution that no competitor provides, and adds value for the shopper by way of lowered upkeep, spare components and higher mining uptime.”
In Chile’s Atacama Desert copper and gold is mined at altitudes ranging between 2,000 m and four,500 m. Remote websites, mine depths and the unavailability of electrical energy needed to drive excessive capacity pumps complicate dewatering. High volumes of water contaminated by minerals can delay drilling and blasting and lead to environmental air pollution. KSB Chile has met these challenges by supplying encapsulated borehole pumps and cantilevered Etanorm pumps, pushed by diesel motors.
“Our clients require high-pressure pumps in a modular configuration that could be moved with the enlargement of the open pit,” feedback Patricio Araya, Mining Head KSB Chile. “The answer is to make use of horizontally positioned borehole pumps with a special configuration for sand filters encased in a stress shroud. This provides the client flexibility and versatility as a end result of the equipment is compact, develops high pressures and is easy to maneuver around the site.
To accommodate rising flows and discharge strain pumps are configured in sequence and in parallel specifically for the client’s necessities. Being coupled to diesel engines permits steady, autonomous operation in places without electricity for between 12 and 24 hours with out refuelling. Vertical Etanorm pumps and cantilever-type UPA pumps installed on a raft enabling them to handle the accumulation of water contained in the mine, eliminating factors such as negative suction head at excessive altitudes. KSB equipment for mine drainage is equipped in standard versions, with variations for rafts or nicely pumps installed in pressure jackets. Having viable solutions for dewatering adds worth to the purchasers operations and can additionally be essential as a end result of every year minerals are discovered at deeper levels.
Innovation in Indonesia
Indonesia is among the world’s largest exporters of thermal coal, and likewise a serious player in copper, gold, tin, bauxite, and nickel. Here KSB pumps are acknowledged for his or her outstanding capacity to carry out in severe open pit mine websites. Its improvement of dewatering and dredge pump units (DnD), as an answer for mining applications, particularly for open-pit mine websites is one instance of KSB’ commitment to steady product enchancment and development. To date, greater than 260 DnD pumps with GWI® LCC and LSA pumps have been put in in mines across Indonesia and South East Asia. In 2013, KSB Indonesia launched a new mannequin, the DnD Cruiser with enhancements requested by customers.
KSB builds the entire diesel pushed pump unit on a barge, full with fuel tank, vacuum pump, control panel etc, and ships them on trailers for simple commissioning at site. Because monsoon rains are seasonal dewatering can additionally be a seasonal exercise and this means pumps can stand idle for a number of months in the course of the dry periods. Recognising this case, KSB has introduced a rental programme, whereby the pumps are provided fully-kitted out in accordance with the customer’s necessities. By not having to buy เครื่องวัดแรงดันเกจที่นิยมใช้ , clients are relieved of the prices of ownership and know that once they require units they arrive ready for operation.
Summary
KSB’s mine dewatering systems allow the safe and environment friendly decreasing of groundwater in open pit dewatering, underground drainage and borehole drainage purposes. Regardless of a mine’s location, the type of mining operation being carried out, the geological and the aggressive and corrosive nature of the water, KSB has fluid dealing with technologies that will fit all eventualities. This scenario has come about by way of the cross-fertilisation of ideas, applied sciences and experiences gained over many many years by our corporations around the globe, supported by in depth investment in research and development. Wherever a pumping resolution is required, we can bring a co-ordinated response to the table.
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