PUMPS AND PIPELINES
Upon completion of Howden ’ s Pumpsim modelling process at the mine in Tasmania , Australia , it became obvious that the location of the current pump station was less than ideal
hours , the pumpsets will enable operators to monitor the condition of all levels and pump health from the desk or cab of mobile equipment using 4G connectivity , DXB Pump claims . This improves productivity and reduces pollution on site through optimal operation .
The new pump model uses the patented Cornell Cycloseal™ run dry sealing system and fast 50 cu ft / min ( 0.0236 cu . m / sec ) priming equipment to extend run times and use for quarries and mines , while minimising fuel burn during priming cycles .
Model behaviour
Howden ’ s Pumpsim™ capabilities were recently on show in Tasmania , Australia , where a polymetallic gold mine used the modelling solution to tackle the issue of unstable ground conditions in the level 44K pump station .
This instability had threatened the operation of the main pump station , causing concern that the mine working area could flood for lengthy downtime .
To continue operating , the mine assessed that the pump station had to be completely refurbished , including ground support . This would cost millions of dollars .
The site ventilation engineer , a Ventsim™ user , had heard about Pumpsim and approached management to build a Pumpsim model to analyse alternative solutions . Pumpsim simulation software allows operators to simulate the flow of liquids in pipes over time , simulating the behaviour of fluids inside a mine ’ s network .
The entire mine water reticulation system was modelled and simulated , including water supply , drainage and dewatering pumping throughout the mine . Upon completion of the Pumpsim model , it became obvious that the location of the current pump station was less than ideal – it unnecessarily recirculated 100 % of the operational water through 60 m of additional head .
“ A better solution became clear : moving the pump station to level 46K ,” Howden said . “ This option not only removed the need to refurbish the pump station but also removed 60 m of recirculation .”
Such a solution enabled the existing 5 x 75 kW pumps to be replaced with a single 90 kW pump , saving many thousands of dollars in annual maintenance and power costs . Additionally , bore holes planned from 44K-46K were also no longer required , avoiding costly drilling . The 44K pumps could also be relocated to other sites in the mine when required .
Combined , the new approach represented millions of dollars in savings in refurbishment , drilling , power and pump purchases , Howden said . This was estimated as $ 5 million in capital expenditure and an additional $ 200,000 / y in operating expenses .
Quick Release cuts costs
FLSmidth also recently received validation from the Science Based Targets initiative for its carbon emission reduction targets . The OEM ’ s pledge could see it become carbon-neutral in its own operations by 2030 , have 30 % of its spend with suppliers with similar decarbonisation targets by the same year , and , also by 2030 , cut customer-associated emissions per revenue by 56 %, or 7 % year-on-year .
These goals are on top of its “ MissionZero ” ambition to provide zero-emission technology to the mining and cement industries by 2030 .
Meanwhile , the OEM recently came to the rescue of a mine looking for a solution to improve the performance of its concentrator plant .
Working together , FLSmidth and the mine site improved the plant performance by installing new slurry pumps that run longer between maintenance shutdowns , decrease the time required for maintenance and decrease the risk exposure for site personnel .
The mine in northern Chile needed its critical equipment to be more reliably available to process the required 250,000 t / d of ore . The slurry pumps inside the mine ’ s flotation area were a key cause of shutdowns due to natural wear and maintenance requirements .
FLSmidth discussed the benefits of replacing the pumps with its lined slurryMAX™ pumps and the KREBS ® Quick Release™ system to extend the intervals between maintenance shutdowns and reduce the downtime during maintenance . The company proposed replacing one slurry pump in the flotation area with a KREBS slurryMAX lined pump and the Quick Release system to put these claims to the test .
The customer ’ s goals from the replacement were to increase the equipment availability and reduce maintenance costs and risk exposure .
“ The new pump would allow the customer to quickly , safely and easily disassemble the wet end module off-site , causing more equipment availability and safety , lower maintenance costs and longer pump life ,” the company said . “ In contrast , the previous pump maintenance had to be performed in operating position , causing longer repair times and higher risk to the maintenance personnel .”
In place of a pump with metal wear parts , FLSmidth installed a pump with rubber wear parts in the wet-end module to reduce maintenance costs and extend equipment life . The Quick Release system enabled the customer to move from a maintenance strategy of shutting down every time one wear part needed to be replaced , to replacing the full wet-end module . This new strategy decreased maintenance time and risk exposure .
The first trial module was installed during 2017 and , one year later , the trial was closed after meeting all the objectives and exceeding the customer ’ s expectations .
“ Together with the customer , we reduced maintenance costs by 78 %, reduced the on-site spare parts stock by 100 % and reduced maintenance time and risk exposure time by 66 %,” FLSmidth said . With these results , the company forecasts the solution with slurryMAX pumps could save the customer approximately $ 1 million for a 10 % investment .
Multiflo goes mobile
Weir Minerals , in late 2020 , launched its new mobile Multiflo ® LF pump range featuring trailer and skid-mounted pumps specifically designed to handle liquids ranging from water to sewage and sludge .
The launch follows successful installations across North and South America , South Africa , and Kazakhstan .
54 International Mining | JUNE 2021