Water is current in all places in mining and its management varies according to its function in the mining processes. In a latest in-depth article by pumps major KSB, the company outlines how this in flip influences the number of applied sciences used in pumping water. “Alongside the safe supply and recovery of process water is the challenge of eradicating ground water. Process water and groundwater include abrasive and corrosive elements in varying quantities which have an opposed affect on pump performance and life. Working เกจวัดแรงดัน , distant locations, varying temperature ranges and the lack of electrical energy are additionally extremely influential factors.”
The copper mines in Chile and the iron ore mines in Western Australia could also be many hundreds of miles apart, but these mining operations still require dewatering and the safe disposal of doubtless contaminated water. “The same could be said of the coal mines of Mozambique and the silver mines of Mexico. What all of them have in widespread is a requirement for environment friendly and efficient water and slurry pumps. Well-matched options assist to maximise the longevity and efficiency of the system and also optimise cost-performance ratios, all attributes fulfilled by KSB’s Hard Rock Mining Division.”
The altering face of mining
The seek for extra rare and treasured minerals and metals has opened up mining in nations and areas where previously the industry was small scale or non-existent. Consequently, mining firms and tools producers have had to develop new strategies and products. And with the major mining companies having operations in many international areas, changing into a most well-liked equipment provider is essential. “The dewatering market is slowly shifting from a pure CAPEX viewpoint to an more and more OPEX perspective,” reports Brett Lewis, Mining Manager at KSB Australia. “This is particularly true for the large mines that realize that poorly designed tools that frequently fails, causes a big increase in alternative and servicing price. Some mining firms are now committing to a carbon impartial goal in the subsequent 20 to 30 years, so are focussing on high effectivity tools. They wish to phase out diesel reliance by connecting most bores to their local electrical grid.”
KSB says it is aware that mining corporations are recording pump performance and are accumulating knowledge to check brands and higher rank their qualities or deficiencies. “This is nice news for KSB as the corporate is dedicated to delivering high reliability and efficiency 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 reply to this is a resounding ‘no’, but “by sharing experiences between places of work and likewise regularly working with the same international mining corporations, KSB has been capable of develop applicable solutions. KSB’s involvement within the iron ore industries in Brazil and Australia show two completely different approaches to dewatering, each using vertical multi-stage pumps.”
In Brazil’s Minas Gerais State open pit iron ore mines extreme floor water, monsoons and underground lakes are problems. To preserve steady production water has to be pumped to a dewatering lake which has a dynamic water level that have to be raised two or three times a 12 months. KSB Brazil’s solution is a floating station fitted with KSB vertical turbine B pumps positioned over a pontoon (Fig.1). The pontoon rises and falls with modifications in the water stage so there is not a want for the pumps to be repositioned. This ends in cost-savings to the shopper. After 20 profitable years it has turn out to be the usual for this type of gear in South America.
“The floating station supporting the pumps over the pontoon delivers the circulate fee requested by the client,” explains Jardel Ribeiro, Sales Manager, KSB Brazil. “Sometimes the pumps, high energy motors and related tools leads to the scale of the floating station being elevated. Stabilizing gear that weighs more than 200 t requires a lot of planning, in addition to the problem of building a system in such a remote space.”
Boreholes in Australia
In the Pilbara Region of Western Australia iron ore is mined in a number of locations across the Chichester hub zone, an space between 5 and 9 km extensive and eighty km long. The mineral deposit sits between ninety m and 117 m under the floor. With the groundwater and water desk frequently replenished in moist seasons and cyclones adding to the inundation, more than 75% of the iron ore is below the water desk. If an excessive quantity of water mixes with iron ore, it turns into low grade and unsuitable for export, which leads to huge income losses. Also, surface dewatering processes are extraordinarily expensive if the water is very excessive.
The accepted dewatering course of within the region is to pump the water out by way of boreholes. However, this is not with out its challenges. High water temperatures and high salinity lead to excessive corrosion, while iron micro organism can develop on motors which prevent environment friendly motor cooling. The presence of gas is a constant threat in some areas as this causes gasoline lock on the impellers resulting in heavy vibrations, which locations a great pressure on the motor, lack of flow fee and motor failure.
This implies that standard off-the-shelf products are not all the time suitable and the incidence of failures is high. Typically, most bore pumps fail inside 12 months, and generally only a few weeks. At its Hope Valley facility in Western Australia, KSB supplies mine operators with its UPA multistage borehole pump, customised to resist site conditions. Although a dearer product than its competitors, the UPA has been shown to ship a considerably longer working life and decreased costs of ownership. KSB’s proprietary expertise that inhibits the expansion of iron bacteria makes the UPA a winner.
Trailer mounted items
In Africa the setting and minerals being mined require revolutionary approaches to dewatering. In the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to a quantity of open minimize and underground copper mines rainy seasons wreak flooding havoc. Here, KSB is delivering a number of totally different pumping options involving each UPA Z borehole pumps and surface-mounted Omega pumps. “To stop mining operations from being shut down, a quick localised response is required,” says Rob Bond, Area Manager Mining-Sub-Saharan Africa. “Our answer has been to supply Omega pumps mounted on rough terrain trailers. We supply a whole package deal made up of the pump, engine/motor, couplings, gearbox, hydraulic drives and auxiliary gear including vacuum pump, control panels, monitors and so forth that delivers excessive head pumping.”
A comparable answer can additionally be supplied for the open forged Moatize coal mine in Mozambique where the water levels should stay low for steady production reliability. Whilst borehole pumps provide good reliability on a continuing basis, when the rainy season starts, extra assets are in demand KSB SA provides skid-mounted Omega models. To date, KSB SA has provided 152 models and all are working reliably.
Latin America
In Mexico’s Zacatecas silver mines underground water is a constant downside. According to Roberto Valenzuela, Sales Manager Mining KSB Mexico, the water contains strong particles so the high pressure encapsulated UPA borehole pumps should be wear-resistant for long run efficiency. Because the dewatering pumps work at a high velocity, the impellers and the put on and tear ring can endure from premature put on. Using Multitec horizontal multistage pumps with KSB’s C6 normal chrome coating, wear is significantly minimised. “We have had pumps working on this mine for over two years without the impellers being changed,” says Roberto Valenzuela. “It is an answer that no competitor provides, and adds value for the client via reduced upkeep, spare elements and greater mining uptime.”
In Chile’s Atacama Desert copper and gold is mined at altitudes ranging between 2,000 m and four,500 m. Remote sites, mine depths and the unavailability of electricity needed to drive high capability pumps complicate dewatering. High volumes of water contaminated by minerals can delay drilling and blasting and end in environmental air pollution. KSB Chile has met these challenges by supplying encapsulated borehole pumps and cantilevered Etanorm pumps, driven by diesel motors.
“Our clients require high-pressure pumps in a modular configuration that may be moved with the enlargement of the open pit,” comments Patricio Araya, Mining Head KSB Chile. “The resolution is to make use of horizontally positioned borehole pumps with a particular configuration for sand filters encased in a strain shroud. This offers the customer flexibility and versatility as a result of the tools is compact, develops excessive pressures and is straightforward to maneuver around the site.
To accommodate rising flows and discharge pressure pumps are configured in collection and in parallel particularly for the client’s necessities. Being coupled to diesel engines permits continuous, autonomous operation in places with out electrical energy for between 12 and 24 hours with out refuelling. Vertical Etanorm pumps and cantilever-type UPA pumps put in on a raft enabling them to deal with the buildup of water inside the mine, eliminating components corresponding to adverse suction head at excessive altitudes. KSB equipment for mine drainage is provided in commonplace variations, with variations for rafts or well pumps installed in strain jackets. Having viable solutions for dewatering provides worth to the purchasers operations and can be important because annually minerals are found at deeper levels.
Innovation in Indonesia
Indonesia is doubtless considered one of the world’s largest exporters of thermal coal, and likewise a major player in copper, gold, tin, bauxite, and nickel. Here KSB pumps are acknowledged for their excellent capability to perform in severe open pit mine sites. Its growth of dewatering and dredge pump units (DnD), as an answer for mining functions, especially for open-pit mine sites is one instance of KSB’ commitment to steady product enchancment and improvement. To date, more than 260 DnD pumps with GWI® LCC and LSA pumps have been put in in mines throughout Indonesia and South East Asia. In 2013, KSB Indonesia launched a new model, the DnD Cruiser with enhancements requested by clients.
KSB builds the complete diesel pushed pump unit on a barge, full with gas tank, vacuum pump, management panel and so forth, and ships them on trailers for easy commissioning at website. Because monsoon rains are seasonal dewatering can additionally be a seasonal activity and this implies pumps can stand idle for a number of months during the dry periods. Recognising this situation, KSB has introduced a rental programme, whereby the pumps are equipped fully-kitted out according to the customer’s necessities. By not having to buy the pump sets, clients are relieved of the prices of ownership and know that once they require items they come ready for operation.
Summary
KSB’s mine dewatering methods enable the secure and environment friendly decreasing of groundwater in open pit dewatering, underground drainage and borehole drainage purposes. Regardless of a mine’s location, the sort of mining operation being carried out, the geological and the aggressive and corrosive nature of the water, KSB has fluid handling technologies that can fit all eventualities. This situation has come about through the cross-fertilisation of concepts, applied sciences and experiences gained over many a long time by our corporations around the world, supported by in depth funding in research and development. Wherever a pumping resolution is required, we can bring a co-ordinated response to the table.
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