Water is current in all places in mining and its control varies according to its role within the mining processes. In a latest in-depth article by pumps main KSB, the company outlines how this in flip influences the choice of applied sciences utilized in pumping water. “Alongside the safe supply and restoration of process water is the challenge of removing ground water. Process water and groundwater comprise abrasive and corrosive components in varying quantities which have an adverse have an effect on on pump performance and life. Working circumstances, distant areas, various temperature ranges and the lack of electric energy are also highly influential components.”
The copper mines in Chile and the iron ore mines in Western Australia may be many 1000’s of miles aside, however these mining operations still require dewatering and the safe disposal of potentially contaminated water. “The identical can be mentioned 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 efficient water and slurry pumps. Well-matched solutions help to maximize the longevity and effectivity of the system and in addition optimise cost-performance ratios, all attributes fulfilled by KSB’s Hard Rock Mining Division.”
The changing face of mining
The seek for extra uncommon and valuable minerals and metals has opened up mining in nations and places the place beforehand the trade was small scale or non-existent. Consequently, mining corporations and gear manufacturers have had to develop new techniques and products. And with the most important mining corporations having operations in lots of global locations, changing into a most popular tools supplier is important. “The dewatering market is slowly shifting from a pure CAPEX viewpoint to an increasingly OPEX perspective,” stories Brett Lewis, Mining Manager at KSB Australia. “This is particularly true for the massive mines that understand that poorly designed tools that regularly fails, causes a significant increase in replacement and servicing price. Some mining companies at the moment are committing to a carbon neutral target within the next 20 to 30 years, so are focussing on excessive efficiency equipment. They want to section out diesel reliance by connecting most bores to their native electrical grid.”
KSB says it’s conscious that mining companies are recording pump efficiency and are accumulating knowledge to match brands and higher rank their qualities or deficiencies. “This is nice information for KSB as the corporate 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 reply to this is a resounding ‘no’, but “by sharing experiences between places of work and in addition incessantly working with the same international mining corporations, KSB has been able to develop acceptable options. KSB’s involvement within the iron ore industries in Brazil and Australia reveal 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 issues. To preserve continuous manufacturing water needs to be pumped to a dewatering lake which has a dynamic water stage that should be raised two or thrice 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 changes within the water level so there isn’t any need for the pumps to be repositioned. This ends in cost-savings to the customer. After 20 successful years it has turn into the standard for this type of equipment in South America.
“The floating station supporting the pumps over the pontoon delivers the circulate rate requested by the customer,” explains Jardel Ribeiro, Sales Manager, KSB Brazil. “Sometimes the pumps, high energy motors and associated equipment results in the dimensions of the floating station being increased. Stabilizing gear that weighs greater than 200 t requires a lot of planning, along with the challenge of building 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 places across the Chichester hub zone, an space between 5 and 9 km wide and eighty km lengthy. The mineral deposit sits between ninety m and 117 m beneath the surface. With the groundwater and water desk frequently replenished in moist seasons and cyclones including to the inundation, more than 75% of the iron ore is below the water table. If too much water mixes with iron ore, it turns into low grade and unsuitable for export, which leads to huge income losses. Also, floor dewatering processes are extremely costly if the water could be very excessive.
The accepted dewatering course of throughout the area is to pump the water out via boreholes. However, this isn’t without its challenges. High water temperatures and excessive salinity lead to excessive corrosion, while iron micro organism can develop 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 locations an excellent pressure on the motor, lack of circulate rate and motor failure.
This implies that standard off-the-shelf products usually are not all the time suitable and the incidence of failures is excessive. Typically, most bore pumps fail inside 12 months, and sometimes only some weeks. At its Hope Valley facility in Western Australia, KSB offers mine operators with its UPA multistage borehole pump, customised to face up to web site situations. Although a costlier product than its competitors, the UPA has been shown to deliver a significantly longer working life and decreased costs of ownership. KSB’s proprietary know-how that inhibits the growth of iron bacteria makes the UPA a winner.
Trailer mounted items
In Africa the surroundings and minerals being mined require progressive approaches to dewatering. In the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, residence to a number of open cut and underground copper mines rainy seasons wreak flooding havoc. Here, KSB is delivering several different pumping solutions involving each UPA Z borehole pumps and surface-mounted Omega pumps. “To stop mining operations from being shut down, a fast localised response is required,” says Rob Bond, Area Manager Mining-Sub-Saharan Africa. “Our solution has been to provide Omega pumps mounted on tough terrain trailers. We supply a complete package made up of the pump, engine/motor, couplings, gearbox, hydraulic drives and auxiliary equipment including vacuum pump, control panels, monitors and so forth that delivers high head pumping.”
เกจวัดแรงดันco2 can also be supplied for the open forged Moatize coal mine in Mozambique where the water levels should stay low for steady manufacturing reliability. Whilst borehole pumps provide good reliability on a constant basis, when the wet season starts, extra sources are in demand KSB SA provides skid-mounted Omega units. To date, KSB SA has supplied 152 items and all are working reliably.
Latin America
In Mexico’s Zacatecas silver mines underground water is a constant problem. According to Roberto Valenzuela, Sales Manager Mining KSB Mexico, the water incorporates stable 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 speed, the impellers and the put on and tear ring can undergo from premature wear. Using Multitec horizontal multistage pumps with KSB’s C6 commonplace chrome coating, wear is tremendously minimised. “We have had pumps working in this mine for over two years without the impellers being changed,” says Roberto Valenzuela. “It is an answer that no competitor presents, and provides worth for the customer via lowered maintenance, spare parts 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 electricity wanted to drive high capacity pumps complicate dewatering. High volumes of water contaminated by minerals can delay drilling and blasting and result 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 can be moved with the enlargement of the open pit,” comments Patricio Araya, Mining Head KSB Chile. “The solution is to make use of horizontally positioned borehole pumps with a special configuration for sand filters encased in a strain shroud. This gives the shopper flexibility and versatility because the gear is compact, develops excessive pressures and is easy to maneuver around the web site.
To accommodate rising flows and discharge pressure pumps are configured in sequence and in parallel specifically for the client’s necessities. Being coupled to diesel engines permits steady, autonomous operation in locations with out electrical energy for between 12 and 24 hours without refuelling. Vertical Etanorm pumps and cantilever-type UPA pumps put in on a raft enabling them to handle the buildup of water contained in the mine, eliminating components similar to adverse suction head at excessive altitudes. KSB tools for mine drainage is provided in commonplace versions, with variations for rafts or nicely pumps put in in pressure jackets. Having viable solutions for dewatering provides value to the customers operations and can additionally be necessary because each year minerals are found at deeper levels.
Innovation in Indonesia
Indonesia is considered one of the world’s largest exporters of thermal coal, and in addition a serious player in copper, gold, tin, bauxite, and nickel. Here KSB pumps are acknowledged for his or her outstanding capability to carry out in severe open pit mine websites. Its improvement of dewatering and dredge pump units (DnD), as a solution for mining purposes, particularly for open-pit mine sites is one example of KSB’ dedication to steady product enchancment and development. 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 brand new model, the DnD Cruiser with enhancements requested by clients.
KSB builds the whole diesel driven pump unit on a barge, complete with gasoline tank, vacuum pump, management panel and so on, and ships them on trailers for easy commissioning at site. Because monsoon rains are seasonal dewatering can be a seasonal exercise and this means pumps can stand idle for several months in the course of the dry periods. Recognising this situation, KSB has introduced a rental programme, whereby the pumps are provided fully-kitted out based on the customer’s requirements. By not having to purchase the pump units, customers are relieved of the prices of ownership and know that after they require models they come prepared for operation.
Summary
KSB’s mine dewatering techniques enable the protected and efficient lowering of groundwater in open pit dewatering, underground drainage and borehole drainage functions. 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 handling 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 a long time by our corporations around the globe, supported by intensive investment in research and growth. Wherever a pumping resolution is required, we will convey a co-ordinated response to the desk.
Share