VENTILATION
seen the company acquired by KPS Capital
Partners.
The company manufactures fans,
compressors, heat exchangers, steam turbines,
and other air and gas handling equipment, and
provides service and support to customers
around the world, with over 5,300 employees,
including more than 650 engineers, and 22
manufacturing facilities in 12 countries.
Last year, Howden added both Advanced
Combustion Inc (ACI) and Advanced Fan Systems
(AFS) to its expanding mine ventilation offering.
At the time, the company said: “This
acquisition is a further continuation of Howden’s
total mine ventilation solutions strategy to
provide the global mining industry with a
portfolio of best-in-class products, controls and
services that gives customers the most efficient
solution to their ventilation needs.”
This followed the purchase of Chasm
Consulting and its Ventsim software, in 2017,
which provided Howden with a suite of solutions
for mine ventilation, from modelling and design
software to full turnkey projects including main
and auxiliary fans, instrumentation, automation
and VoD, via the Simsmart product line.
Asked about any potential gaps in the
company’s portfolio, Howden’s Terkovics said:
“We are now in the position to express with
confidence that Howden no longer has any ‘gaps’
in their mine ventilation portfolio – we are a truly
a full service provider of total mine ventilation
solutions.”
He added that bolting on ACI, AFS and Chasm
has enabled Howden to win more business
through “new technologies, innovative solutions
and trusting relationships”.
“The Ventsim software, specifically, is a world-
class product, and is integral to enabling Howden
to provide total mine ventilation solutions.”
It is this software Terkovics singled out when
talking about the deepening of mines in both
greenfield and brownfield mining operations.
“The Ventsim software allows ventilation
engineers to identify and solve the ventilation
challenges associated with deep mines,” he said,
adding, “Howden’s class-leading ventilation,
heating and cooling products ensure ultra-deep
mines can then focus on mining ore.”
Secondary solution
It is communication with vehicles and personnel
in relation to ventilation that has enabled
Minetek to make, it says, its most significant
move since entering the international mining
supply market.
The Australia-based company recently
revealed its secondary mine ventilation system,
which, “offers power savings and control not yet
seen in the underground mining industry.”
Its High Output Axial Fan system uses a Mine
equipment are moving into the heading, so the
Air Control (MAC) system to maximise return
POD controller can automatically adjust the air
from its Performance on Demand (POD) units.
volumetric flow required to provide enough volume
These components, tailored to the end user,
to disperse the gases and ventilate the area.
automatically sense how much air is needed in a
It will sense the specific truck that has entered
heading at any time.
the tunnel and be aware of the size of its engine
While the secondary underground fans
and the number of people it will be carrying,
optimise air flow, they eliminate much of the
power traditionally wasted in such applications
automatically adjusting to meet the demand for
while performing across a very large operating
sufficient ventilation for the people in accordance
range and meeting broad regulatory compliance
with industry regulation, Minetek says.
parameters, the company said. Compared with
the common standard twin-stage axial fan
Contract wins
TLT-Turbo Africa is gearing up to start work on a
ventilation systems found on the market, the
turnkey solution for underground ventilation and
Minetek High Output Axial Fan system is modular
fume extraction at Ivanhoe Mines’ majority-
and, the company says, provides:
owned Kamoa-Kakula copper project in the
n Vastly reduced energy costs;
Democratic Republic of Congo.
n Adequate air at the face;
The contract was awarded by Kamoa Copper
n High levels of control;
SA, a joint venture between Ivanhoe, Zijin Mining
n Sensor tracking to automatically adjust to
Group and the Government of the DRC, but DRA
real-time demand;
Projects appointed the ventilation specialist as
n High volume compliance;
part of its engineering, procurement, and
n Rapid blast dust removal, and;
construction management project remit.
n Reduced noise output.
As part of this supply and installation contract,
According to Minetek’s Engineering Manager,
TLT-Turbo Africa is designing, manufacturing and
Remy Bourcier, the High Output Axial Fan has
supplying a Bifurcated Axial Flow Fan Station for
been designed with underground mines in mind,
the extraction of mine fumes, as well as auxiliary
with the MAC control system bringing the mine’s
and booster fans for Kamoa’s underground
fan system together with complete automation.
operation. The company will also oversee the
“Until now, the market has limitly used high
installation of the fans and provide assistance
maintenance variable speed drives to provide
with commissioning.
some level of control to the air flow in secondary
ventilation systems,”
Bourcier said. “But our
system works on high
pressure, steel
fabricated impeller
technology allowing
operation at
temperatures and
conditions previously
thought impractical for
an axial fan – and we
achieve this in seriously
harsh environments.”
Key to its cost
efficiency is the POD
system, an electronic
controller that allows the
fan to be regulated from
very low flow
requirements right
through to more than
double the duty point of
a traditional vane axial
fan.
With the use of the
MAC System RFID
trackers, the system
HALVING YOUR VENTILATION COSTS
constantly remains
Minetek PTY LTD
T: +61 2 6578 8600
aware of what items of
www.minetek.com
E: [email protected]
underground mining
PERFORMANCE
ON DEMAND
JULY 2019 | International Mining 17