MINE VENTILATION
Zitrón ’ s test bench measures in at 100 m in length , with a cross-section of 52 sq . m , making it the largest facility of its type in the world
duty point it is expected to operate at in the mine , but across a range of different resistance points .
“ As a mine evolves , resistance requirements change and impact fan performance ,” van Wyk said . “ With these AN1 tests , we ’ re able to prove
BBE Group is an independent specialist engineering services provider with over 30 years ’ experience with a proven track record in challenging mines and environments .
Breathing life into mines
to the clients how the fan will perform with these changes over the entire fan curve .”
Consultants and ventilation engineers appreciate the results of these tests , providing them with increased confidence that the fans they specify in long-term mine plans will perform over the long term .
Alongside this upcoming delivery to Odyssey
Mine , van Wyk said the company already supplied primary exhaust fans to another gold mine , this time in Ontario , fresh air fans to two mines in Nunavut and vertical fresh air fans , connected to heaters , to a potash mine in Saskatchewan . Another two primary exhaust fans are being installed at a mine close to Sudbury .
Having only been setup to operate in Canada some three years ago , Zitrón North America was experiencing growing demand for its products , he said . The Zitrón subsidiary locally manufactures all static components , with full mechanical and electrical installation and commissioning as well as fan service and maintenance being www . bbe . co . za provided .
Ventilation ‘ partners ’
Another company experiencing global growth for its products is South Africa-based TLT-Turbo Africa .
Following what it says is unprecedented resilience throughout the past 18 COVID-affected months , the company ’ s growth is now accelerating .
It has secured orders from six new major clients in the copper , platinum and gold sectors for the supply of mining ventilation equipment . These include clients based in Australia , the US and Kazakhstan . Closer to home , TLT-Turbo Africa has retained 20 clients in the mining , mineral processing and automotive industries – predominantly based in the sub-Saharan region .
According to Vusi Madlopha , TLT-Turbo Africa Head of Sales and Business Development , the company has managed to maintain and expand its market share despite the challenges presented by the global pandemic .
“ We ’ ve focused on our strategy of increasing sales and maintaining the quality of our product offering ,” Madlopha said . “ Our strategy also included growth into new territories outside Africa using the global network of our parent company , TLT-Turbo GmbH . Twenty-twenty-one posed unique supply chain challenges that affected the whole world . Our internal processes allowed for efficient use of limited resources to produce quality products for our customers throughout the year .”
A major contributing factor to this success was the leadership and vision of TLT-Turbo Africa Managing Director , Christo Gelderblom , according to Madlopha . Gelderblom ’ s vision is to position the company as a global supplier of air movement technology .
Gelderblom said : “ Over the last few years , TLT- Turbo Africa has meaningfully scaled our core portfolio of mining ventilation solutions , invested in the research and development needed to advance our technology , and enhanced our customer consultation and care culture .”
No-cost simulation
Another South Africa-based company , BBE Group , is looking to expand across the globe by offering the recently released version of VUMA-network software to the industry at no cost .
This move , the mine ventilation , refrigeration and cooling engineering consultant says , puts an advanced interactive mine ventilation network simulation tool in the hands of mine and ventilation engineers across the world .
Miguel Coelho , Ventilation Engineer at BBE , said : “ Intense temperatures , humidity , diesel fumes and gases are health hazards for underground miners . This makes good ventilation non-negotiable .
“ However , with so many complex factors impacting environmental conditions , dangerous
62 International Mining | JULY 2022