Water is present everywhere in mining and its control varies based on its role in the mining processes. In a current in-depth article by pumps major KSB, the company outlines how this in turn influences the choice of applied sciences utilized in pumping water. “Alongside the safe supply and restoration of process water is the problem of removing ground water. Process water and groundwater include abrasive and corrosive elements in various portions which have an adverse affect on pump efficiency and life. Working circumstances, remote areas, various temperature ranges and the lack of electric power are also highly influential components.”
The copper mines in Chile and the iron ore mines in Western Australia could additionally be many thousands of miles aside, however these mining operations nonetheless require dewatering and the safe disposal of potentially contaminated water. “The similar may be mentioned 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 solutions help to maximize the longevity and effectivity 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 beforehand the business was small scale or non-existent. Consequently, mining firms and equipment manufacturers have needed to develop new methods and merchandise. And with the major mining corporations having operations in plenty of global areas, changing into a preferred gear supplier is important. “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 especially true for the big mines that realize that poorly designed equipment that often fails, causes a major enhance in replacement and servicing value. Some mining corporations are now committing to a carbon impartial target in the next 20 to 30 years, so are focussing on high efficiency equipment. They wish to section out diesel reliance by connecting most bores to their native electrical grid.”
KSB says it’s aware that mining companies are recording pump efficiency and are accumulating data to compare manufacturers and higher rank their qualities or deficiencies. “This is sweet information for KSB as the company is dedicated to delivering high reliability and effectivity pumps, so helping to reduce the carbon footprint of mining dewatering operations.
Is there a ‘one-fits-all’ pump solution?
KSB says the reply to this could be a resounding ‘no’, however “by sharing experiences between offices and also frequently 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 reveal 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 maintain continuous production water needs to be pumped to a dewatering lake which has a dynamic water degree that have to be raised two or thrice a year. 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 within the water level so there is not a want 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 standard for this sort of tools 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, along with the challenge 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 areas across the Chichester hub zone, an area between 5 and 9 km broad and eighty km lengthy. The mineral deposit sits between 90 m and 117 m below the floor. With the groundwater and water table regularly replenished in moist seasons and cyclones adding to the inundation, more than 75% of the iron ore is beneath the water table. If an extreme quantity of water mixes with iron ore, it becomes low grade and unsuitable for export, which results in massive income losses. Also, floor dewatering processes are extraordinarily pricey if the water could be very excessive.
The accepted dewatering course of throughout the area is to pump the water out through boreholes. However, this is not with out its challenges. High water temperatures and excessive salinity result in excessive corrosion, while iron micro organism can develop on motors which prevent environment friendly motor cooling. The presence of gasoline is a continuing threat in some areas as this causes fuel lock on the impellers resulting in heavy vibrations, which locations a fantastic pressure on the motor, lack of circulate rate and motor failure.
This implies that standard off-the-shelf products aren’t at all times suitable and the incidence of failures is high. Typically, most bore pumps fail within 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 face up to web site situations. Although a more expensive product than its competitors, the UPA has been shown to ship a considerably longer working life and reduced prices of ownership. KSB’s proprietary technology that inhibits the growth of iron bacteria makes the UPA a winner.
Trailer mounted units
In Africa the surroundings and minerals being mined require progressive approaches to dewatering. In the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to several open cut 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 resolution has been to provide Omega pumps mounted on rough terrain trailers. We provide an entire package made up of the pump, engine/motor, couplings, gearbox, hydraulic drives and auxiliary equipment including vacuum pump, control panels, screens etc that delivers high head pumping.”
A similar resolution can be provided for the open forged Moatize coal mine in Mozambique the place the water ranges must stay low for continuous production reliability. Whilst borehole pumps provide good reliability on a relentless foundation, when the rainy season begins, more sources are in demand KSB SA supplies skid-mounted Omega units. To date, KSB SA has equipped 152 units 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 contains solid particles so the excessive strain encapsulated UPA borehole pumps must be wear-resistant for long run effectivity. Because the dewatering pumps work at a high speed, the impellers and the damage ring can endure from untimely wear. Using Multitec horizontal multistage pumps with KSB’s C6 standard chrome coating, put on is significantly minimised. “We have had pumps running on this mine for over two years with out the impellers being changed,” says Roberto Valenzuela. “It is an answer that no competitor provides, and adds value for the shopper by way of reduced upkeep, spare parts 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 electrical energy wanted to drive excessive capacity pumps complicate dewatering. High volumes of water contaminated by minerals can delay drilling and blasting and result in environmental air pollution. เกวัดแรงดันน้ำ 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 may be moved with the growth of the open pit,” feedback Patricio Araya, Mining Head KSB Chile. “The answer is to make use of horizontally positioned borehole pumps with a particular configuration for sand filters encased in a strain shroud. This provides the client flexibility and flexibility as a outcome of the equipment is compact, develops excessive pressures and is simple to move across the site.
To accommodate increasing flows and discharge stress pumps are configured in series and in parallel specifically for the client’s necessities. Being coupled to diesel engines permits steady, autonomous operation in places with out electrical energy for between 12 and 24 hours without refuelling. Vertical Etanorm pumps and cantilever-type UPA pumps installed on a raft enabling them to handle the buildup of water contained in the mine, eliminating components similar to unfavorable suction head at high altitudes. KSB equipment for mine drainage is equipped in normal versions, with variations for rafts or nicely pumps installed in strain jackets. Having viable solutions for dewatering provides value to the customers operations and can be essential because every year minerals are discovered at deeper ranges.
Innovation in Indonesia
Indonesia is considered one of the world’s largest exporters of thermal coal, and in addition a major player in copper, gold, tin, bauxite, and nickel. Here KSB pumps are acknowledged for their outstanding capacity to carry out in severe open pit mine sites. Its development of dewatering and dredge pump units (DnD), as an answer for mining purposes, especially for open-pit mine websites is one instance of KSB’ commitment 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 throughout Indonesia and South East Asia. In 2013, KSB Indonesia launched a model new mannequin, the DnD Cruiser with enhancements requested by clients.
KSB builds the entire diesel driven pump unit on a barge, complete with gas tank, vacuum pump, management panel etc, and ships them on trailers for straightforward commissioning at web site. Because monsoon rains are seasonal dewatering is also a seasonal activity and this means pumps can stand idle for several months through the dry durations. Recognising this situation, KSB has introduced a rental programme, whereby the pumps are equipped fully-kitted out based on the customer’s necessities. By not having to purchase the pump sets, customers are relieved of the costs of possession and know that after they require items they come prepared for operation.
Summary
KSB’s mine dewatering techniques allow the safe and efficient reducing 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 dealing with applied sciences that may match all eventualities. This scenario has come about through the cross-fertilisation of ideas, technologies and experiences gained over many many years by our companies all over the world, supported by in depth funding in research and improvement. Wherever a pumping answer is required, we are in a position to convey a co-ordinated response to the desk.
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