Water is present in all places in mining and its control varies according to its position in the mining processes. In a latest in-depth article by pumps major KSB, the company outlines how this in flip influences the selection of applied sciences used in pumping water. “Alongside the safe supply and restoration of process water is the challenge of removing ground water. Process water and groundwater contain abrasive and corrosive components in various quantities which have an antagonistic have an effect on on pump performance and life. Working situations, remote places, varying temperature ranges and the dearth of electrical energy are also extremely influential elements.”
The copper mines in Chile and the iron ore mines in Western Australia could additionally be many thousands of miles aside, but these mining operations still require dewatering and the safe disposal of potentially contaminated water. “The similar could 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 environment friendly and efficient water and slurry pumps. Well-matched options assist to maximise the longevity and efficiency of the system and likewise optimise cost-performance ratios, all attributes fulfilled by KSB’s Hard Rock Mining Division.”
The changing face of mining
The seek for more uncommon and valuable minerals and metals has opened up mining in nations and places where beforehand the industry was small scale or non-existent. Consequently, mining firms and equipment producers have needed to develop new techniques and products. And with the major mining firms having operations in plenty of international locations, changing into a most well-liked tools supplier is crucial. “The dewatering market is slowly shifting from a pure CAPEX point of view to an more and more OPEX perspective,” stories Brett Lewis, Mining Manager at KSB Australia. “This is especially true for the large mines that notice that poorly designed equipment that frequently fails, causes a major increase in substitute and servicing value. Some mining corporations are now committing to a carbon neutral goal in the subsequent 20 to 30 years, so are focussing on high efficiency tools. They wish to phase out diesel reliance by connecting most bores to their native electrical grid.”
KSB says it’s conscious that mining firms are recording pump efficiency and are accumulating information to check brands and higher rank their qualities or deficiencies. “This is nice information for KSB as the corporate is committed to delivering excessive reliability and efficiency pumps, so helping to minimize back the carbon footprint of mining dewatering operations.
Is there a ‘one-fits-all’ pump solution?
KSB says the reply to it is a resounding ‘no’, however “by sharing experiences between workplaces and likewise incessantly working with the same worldwide 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 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 manufacturing water needs to be pumped to a dewatering lake which has a dynamic water stage that should be raised two or thrice 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 changes within the water stage so there is no want for the pumps to be repositioned. This results in cost-savings to the customer. After 20 profitable 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 move price requested by the shopper,” explains Jardel Ribeiro, Sales Manager, KSB Brazil. “Sometimes the pumps, high power motors and associated gear ends in the size of the floating station being increased. Stabilizing gear that weighs greater than 200 t requires a lot of planning, along with the challenge of constructing a system in such a distant area.”
Boreholes in Australia
In the Pilbara Region of Western Australia iron ore is mined in several areas across the Chichester hub zone, an space between 5 and 9 km wide and 80 km long. The mineral deposit sits between 90 m and 117 m under the surface. With the groundwater and water table regularly replenished in wet seasons and cyclones including 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 turns into low grade and unsuitable for export, which leads to large income losses. Also, surface dewatering processes are extremely expensive if the water is very excessive.
The accepted dewatering course of within the region is to pump the water out through boreholes. However, this is not with out its challenges. High water temperatures and high salinity lead to extreme corrosion, while iron micro organism can grow on motors which forestall efficient motor cooling. The presence of fuel is a continuing menace in some areas as this causes gas lock on the impellers leading to heavy vibrations, which places a great pressure on the motor, loss of circulate price and motor failure.
This signifies that standard off-the-shelf merchandise are not always suitable and the incidence of failures is high. Typically, most bore pumps fail inside 12 months, and sometimes 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 website situations. Although a costlier product than its opponents, the UPA has been shown to deliver a considerably longer working life and reduced costs of possession. KSB’s proprietary expertise that inhibits the growth of iron bacteria makes the UPA a winner.
Trailer mounted units
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 a quantity of open cut and underground copper mines rainy seasons wreak flooding havoc. Here, KSB is delivering several completely 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 provide Omega pumps mounted on rough terrain trailers. We provide an entire bundle made up of the pump, engine/motor, couplings, gearbox, hydraulic drives and auxiliary tools including vacuum pump, control panels, screens and so forth that delivers high head pumping.”
A related solution can be provided for the open cast Moatize coal mine in Mozambique where the water ranges should stay low for steady manufacturing reliability. Whilst borehole pumps supply good reliability on a continuing foundation, when the wet season starts, extra resources are in demand KSB SA provides skid-mounted Omega items. To date, KSB SA has equipped 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 accommodates stable particles so the high pressure encapsulated UPA borehole pumps should be wear-resistant for long run efficiency. Because the dewatering pumps work at a excessive speed, the impellers and the wear ring can suffer from premature put on. Using Multitec horizontal multistage pumps with KSB’s C6 normal chrome coating, put on is greatly minimised. “We have had pumps running in this mine for over two years without the impellers being changed,” says Roberto Valenzuela. “It is a solution that no competitor offers, and provides worth for the client through decreased maintenance, spare elements 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 sites, mine depths and the unavailability of electricity needed to drive excessive capacity pumps complicate dewatering. High volumes of water contaminated by minerals can delay drilling and blasting and lead to environmental pollution. KSB Chile has met these challenges by supplying encapsulated borehole pumps and cantilevered Etanorm pumps, pushed by diesel motors.
“ pressure gauge หน้าปัด 2 นิ้ว require high-pressure pumps in a modular configuration that could be moved with the expansion of the open pit,” feedback Patricio Araya, Mining Head KSB Chile. “The solution is to use horizontally positioned borehole pumps with a special configuration for sand filters encased in a strain shroud. This provides the customer flexibility and flexibility as a result of the tools is compact, develops excessive pressures and is easy to move around the site.
To accommodate growing flows and discharge pressure pumps are configured in series and in parallel particularly 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 with out refuelling. Vertical Etanorm pumps and cantilever-type UPA pumps installed on a raft enabling them to deal with the accumulation of water contained in the mine, eliminating components similar to adverse suction head at excessive altitudes. KSB equipment for mine drainage is equipped in standard versions, with variations for rafts or nicely pumps installed in stress jackets. Having viable solutions for dewatering provides worth to the customers operations and is also essential because every year minerals are found at deeper levels.
Innovation in Indonesia
Indonesia is probably certainly 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 carry out in severe open pit mine sites. Its development of dewatering and dredge pump sets (DnD), as an answer for mining purposes, especially for open-pit mine sites is one instance of KSB’ commitment to steady product improvement and growth. To date, greater than 260 DnD pumps with GWI® LCC and LSA pumps have been installed in mines across Indonesia and South East Asia. In 2013, KSB Indonesia launched a model new model, the DnD Cruiser with enhancements requested by customers.
KSB builds the complete diesel driven pump unit on a barge, full with gas tank, vacuum pump, management panel etc, and ships them on trailers for simple commissioning at web site. Because monsoon rains are seasonal dewatering can be a seasonal activity and this implies pumps can stand idle for a number of months during the dry periods. Recognising this example, KSB has launched a rental programme, whereby the pumps are provided fully-kitted out in accordance with the customer’s necessities. By not having to purchase the pump sets, prospects are relieved of the prices of ownership and know that once they require models they come ready for operation.
Summary
KSB’s mine dewatering techniques allow the protected and environment friendly decreasing 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 handling applied sciences that can fit all eventualities. This situation has come about by way of the cross-fertilisation of ideas, technologies and experiences gained over many a long time by our corporations around the world, supported by intensive investment in research and improvement. Wherever a pumping answer is required, we can convey a co-ordinated response to the desk.
Share