Water is current all over the place in mining and its management varies based on its function within the mining processes. In a latest in-depth article by pumps major KSB, the company outlines how this in turn influences the choice of applied sciences used in pumping water. “Alongside the protected supply and recovery of process water is the problem of eradicating floor water. Process water and groundwater include abrasive and corrosive parts in varying portions which have an adverse have an effect on on pump performance and life. Working conditions, remote places, varying temperature ranges and the shortage of electrical energy are also highly influential components.”
The copper mines in Chile and the iron ore mines in Western Australia could also be many 1000’s of miles apart, but these mining operations nonetheless require dewatering and the protected disposal of probably contaminated water. “The similar can be stated of the coal mines of Mozambique and the silver mines of Mexico. What all of them have in common is a requirement for efficient and effective water and slurry pumps. Well-matched solutions 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 changing face of mining
The search for extra rare and precious minerals and metals has opened up mining in nations and areas the place previously the trade was small scale or non-existent. Consequently, mining companies and tools producers have needed to develop new strategies and merchandise. And with the main mining corporations having operations in many global places, becoming a most popular equipment supplier is essential. “The dewatering market is slowly shifting from a pure CAPEX point of view to an more and more OPEX perspective,” reports Brett Lewis, Mining Manager at KSB Australia. “This is particularly true for the big mines that understand that poorly designed gear that often fails, causes a big increase in alternative and servicing price. Some mining companies are actually committing to a carbon impartial target in the next 20 to 30 years, so are focussing on excessive effectivity gear. They need to phase 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 information to compare brands and better rank their qualities or deficiencies. “This is nice news for KSB as the corporate is committed to delivering excessive reliability and efficiency pumps, so helping to reduce back the carbon footprint of mining dewatering operations.
Is there a ‘one-fits-all’ pump solution?
KSB says the reply to this can be a resounding ‘no’, however “by sharing experiences between places of work and in addition incessantly working with the identical worldwide mining companies, KSB has been able to develop applicable options. KSB’s involvement in the iron ore industries in Brazil and Australia show two completely different approaches to dewatering, both employing 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 continuous production water must be pumped to a dewatering lake which has a dynamic water degree that should be raised two or 3 times a year. 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 adjustments within the water level so there isn’t a need for the pumps to be repositioned. This leads to cost-savings to the client. After 20 successful 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 power motors and related equipment leads to the scale of the floating station being elevated. Stabilizing gear that weighs greater than 200 t requires lots of planning, in addition to the challenge of constructing a system in such a remote area.”
Boreholes in Australia
In the Pilbara Region of Western Australia iron ore is mined in a quantity of locations around the Chichester hub zone, an space between 5 and 9 km wide and 80 km lengthy. The mineral deposit sits between 90 m and 117 m beneath the floor. With the groundwater and water desk often replenished in wet seasons and cyclones adding to the inundation, greater than 75% of the iron ore is below the water desk. If an excessive quantity of water mixes with iron ore, it becomes low grade and unsuitable for export, which leads to large revenue losses. Also, floor dewatering processes are extraordinarily pricey if the water could be very high.
The accepted dewatering process inside the area is to pump the water out through boreholes. However, this isn’t with out its challenges. High water temperatures and excessive salinity end in extreme corrosion, whilst iron bacteria can grow on motors which prevent environment friendly motor cooling. The presence of fuel is a constant threat in some areas as this causes gasoline lock on the impellers leading to heavy vibrations, which places a great strain on the motor, lack of flow price and motor failure.
This implies that normal off-the-shelf merchandise are not all the time suitable and the incidence of failures is high. Typically, most bore pumps fail inside 12 months, and generally just a few weeks. At its Hope Valley facility in Western Australia, KSB offers mine operators with its UPA multistage borehole pump, customised to resist web site situations. Although a dearer product than its competitors, the UPA has been shown to ship a considerably longer working life and lowered prices of possession. KSB’s proprietary technology that inhibits the expansion of iron bacteria makes the UPA a winner.
Trailer mounted models
In Africa the setting and minerals being mined require progressive approaches to dewatering. In the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to a number of open reduce and underground copper mines rainy seasons wreak flooding havoc. Here, KSB is delivering a quantity of different pumping solutions involving both UPA Z borehole pumps and surface-mounted Omega pumps. “To forestall mining operations from being shut down, a quick localised response is required,” says Rob Bond, Area Manager Mining-Sub-Saharan Africa. “Our solution has been to produce Omega pumps mounted on tough terrain trailers. We provide a complete bundle made up of the pump, engine/motor, couplings, gearbox, hydraulic drives and auxiliary gear together with vacuum pump, management panels, screens etc that delivers excessive head pumping.”
A comparable resolution can additionally be offered for the open forged Moatize coal mine in Mozambique the place the water ranges should remain low for continuous manufacturing reliability. เกจวัดแรงดันแก๊สlpgรถยนต์ offer good reliability on a continuing foundation, when the rainy season begins, extra resources are in demand KSB SA supplies 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 continuing drawback. According to Roberto Valenzuela, Sales Manager Mining KSB Mexico, the water contains strong particles so the high strain encapsulated UPA borehole pumps should be wear-resistant for long term effectivity. Because the dewatering pumps work at a high pace, the impellers and the wear ring can undergo from untimely put on. Using Multitec horizontal multistage pumps with KSB’s C6 normal chrome coating, put on is significantly minimised. “We have had pumps operating in this mine for over two years without the impellers being modified,” says Roberto Valenzuela. “It is an answer that no competitor offers, and provides worth for the customer through decreased maintenance, spare parts and greater mining uptime.”
In Chile’s Atacama Desert copper and gold is mined at altitudes ranging between 2,000 m and 4,500 m. Remote sites, mine depths and the unavailability of electricity wanted to drive high capability pumps complicate dewatering. High volumes of water contaminated by minerals can delay drilling and blasting and result in environmental pollution. KSB Chile has met these challenges by supplying encapsulated borehole pumps and cantilevered Etanorm pumps, driven by diesel motors.
“Our prospects require high-pressure pumps in a modular configuration that can be moved with the growth 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 pressure shroud. This gives the customer flexibility and versatility as a result of the tools is compact, develops excessive pressures and is simple to move around the web site.
To accommodate increasing flows and discharge pressure pumps are configured in collection and in parallel specifically for the client’s requirements. Being coupled to diesel engines permits continuous, autonomous operation in places without electricity for between 12 and 24 hours without refuelling. Vertical Etanorm pumps and cantilever-type UPA pumps installed on a raft enabling them to deal with the buildup of water contained in the mine, eliminating factors such as negative suction head at excessive altitudes. KSB tools for mine drainage is supplied in commonplace versions, with variations for rafts or well pumps installed in pressure jackets. Having viable solutions for dewatering provides value to the customers operations and is also essential as a result of annually minerals are found at deeper levels.
Innovation in Indonesia
Indonesia is considered one of the world’s largest exporters of thermal coal, and likewise a significant participant in copper, gold, tin, bauxite, and nickel. Here KSB pumps are acknowledged for his or her outstanding capacity to carry out in extreme open pit mine websites. Its development of dewatering and dredge pump units (DnD), as an answer for mining purposes, especially for open-pit mine websites is one example of KSB’ dedication to continuous product enchancment and growth. To date, more 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 model new model, the DnD Cruiser with enhancements requested by prospects.
KSB builds the complete diesel driven pump unit on a barge, full with fuel tank, vacuum pump, management panel and so forth, and ships them on trailers for simple commissioning at website. Because monsoon rains are seasonal dewatering can additionally be a seasonal activity and this means pumps can stand idle for several months in the course of the dry durations. Recognising this case, KSB has introduced a rental programme, whereby the pumps are equipped fully-kitted out based on the customer’s requirements. By not having to buy the pump units, prospects are relieved of the costs of ownership and know that once they require models they arrive prepared for operation.
Summary
KSB’s mine dewatering techniques allow the safe and environment friendly lowering of groundwater in open pit dewatering, underground drainage and borehole drainage applications. Regardless of a mine’s location, the kind of mining operation being carried out, the geological and the aggressive and corrosive nature of the water, KSB has fluid dealing with applied sciences that can match all eventualities. This situation has come about via the cross-fertilisation of ideas, applied sciences and experiences gained over many many years by our firms around the world, supported by intensive funding in research and growth. Wherever a pumping solution is required, we are able to bring a co-ordinated response to the desk.
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