KSB – open pit dewatering in mining demands durable, dependable and environment friendly pumps

Water is current in all places in mining and its management varies in accordance with its position within the mining processes. In a recent in-depth article by pumps main KSB, the corporate outlines how this in flip influences the choice of technologies used in pumping water. “Alongside the safe supply and restoration of process water is the challenge of eradicating ground water. Process water and groundwater include abrasive and corrosive components in varying portions which have an opposed affect on pump performance and life. Working situations, remote areas, varying temperature ranges and the shortage of electric energy are additionally highly influential components.”
The copper mines in Chile and the iron ore mines in Western Australia may be many 1000’s of miles aside, however these mining operations nonetheless require dewatering and the secure disposal of doubtless contaminated water. “The same 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 effective water and slurry pumps. Well-matched options assist to maximise the longevity and effectivity 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 search for more uncommon and precious minerals and metals has opened up mining in international locations and locations where previously the industry was small scale or non-existent. Consequently, mining firms and gear producers have needed to develop new techniques and products. And with the major mining companies having operations in plenty of global places, becoming a most well-liked equipment provider is important. “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 particularly true for the large mines that understand that poorly designed equipment that regularly fails, causes a major improve in alternative and servicing cost. Some mining companies are actually committing to a carbon impartial goal in the next 20 to 30 years, so are focussing on high effectivity equipment. They wish to part out diesel reliance by connecting most bores to their native electrical grid.”
KSB says it’s aware that mining firms are recording pump efficiency and are accumulating knowledge to match manufacturers and better rank their qualities or deficiencies. “This is good news for KSB as the company is dedicated to delivering high reliability and efficiency pumps, so serving to to scale back the carbon footprint of mining dewatering operations.
Is there a ‘one-fits-all’ pump solution?
KSB says the answer to this is a resounding ‘no’, but “by sharing experiences between offices and also regularly working with the identical international mining corporations, KSB has been in a position to develop applicable options. KSB’s involvement in the iron ore industries in Brazil and Australia demonstrate two different approaches to dewatering, each employing vertical multi-stage pumps.”
In Brazil’s Minas Gerais State open pit iron ore mines excessive floor water, monsoons and underground lakes are problems. To keep continuous production water must be pumped to a dewatering lake which has a dynamic water stage that should 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 in the water degree so there isn’t 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 usual for this kind of gear in South America.
“The floating station supporting the pumps over the pontoon delivers the flow price requested by the customer,” explains Jardel Ribeiro, Sales Manager, KSB Brazil. “Sometimes the pumps, excessive power motors and related tools ends in the dimensions of the floating station being increased. Stabilizing equipment that weighs more than 200 t requires a lot of planning, along with the problem of constructing a system in such a remote area.”
Boreholes in Australia
In the Pilbara Region of Western Australia iron ore is mined in a number of places across the Chichester hub zone, an space between 5 and 9 km broad and 80 km long. The mineral deposit sits between ninety m and 117 m below the surface. With the groundwater and water table often replenished in moist seasons and cyclones including to the inundation, greater than 75% of the iron ore is beneath the water table. If an excessive amount of water mixes with iron ore, it becomes low grade and unsuitable for export, which leads to large income losses. Also, surface dewatering processes are extraordinarily costly if the water could be very high.
The accepted dewatering process within the area is to pump the water out through boreholes. However, this isn’t without its challenges. High water temperatures and high salinity result in excessive corrosion, while iron bacteria can develop on motors which forestall environment friendly motor cooling. The presence of gas is a continuing threat in some areas as this causes gas lock on the impellers resulting in heavy vibrations, which places a fantastic pressure on the motor, loss of circulate fee and motor failure.
This implies that normal off-the-shelf products aren’t all the time appropriate and the incidence of failures is high. Typically, most bore pumps fail inside 12 months, and generally only a few weeks. At its Hope Valley facility in Western Australia, KSB offers mine operators with its UPA multistage borehole pump, customised to withstand website situations. Although a costlier product than its rivals, the UPA has been shown to ship a considerably longer working life and lowered costs of possession. KSB’s proprietary know-how that inhibits the growth of iron bacteria makes the UPA a winner.
Trailer mounted units
In Africa the setting and minerals being mined require innovative 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 a number of different pumping options involving each UPA Z borehole pumps and surface-mounted Omega pumps. “To prevent mining ที่วัดแรงดันน้ำ from being shut down, a fast localised response is required,” says Rob Bond, Area Manager Mining-Sub-Saharan Africa. “Our answer has been to produce Omega pumps mounted on tough terrain trailers. We supply a complete package deal made up of the pump, engine/motor, couplings, gearbox, hydraulic drives and auxiliary equipment together with vacuum pump, management panels, displays and so forth that delivers high head pumping.”
A comparable solution can also be provided for the open cast Moatize coal mine in Mozambique the place the water levels should remain low for steady manufacturing reliability. Whilst borehole pumps provide good reliability on a continuing foundation, when the rainy season starts, more assets are in demand KSB SA offers skid-mounted Omega items. To date, KSB SA has supplied 152 models and all are working reliably.
Latin America
In Mexico’s Zacatecas silver mines underground water is a continuing downside. According to Roberto Valenzuela, Sales Manager Mining KSB Mexico, the water accommodates solid particles so the excessive strain encapsulated UPA borehole pumps must be wear-resistant for long term efficiency. Because the dewatering pumps work at a high velocity, the impellers and the wear ring can undergo from untimely wear. 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 modified,” says Roberto Valenzuela. “It is a solution that no competitor presents, and adds worth for the customer through lowered upkeep, spare elements and larger 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 capability pumps complicate dewatering. High volumes of water contaminated by minerals can delay drilling and blasting and end in environmental air pollution. KSB Chile has met these challenges by supplying encapsulated borehole pumps and cantilevered Etanorm pumps, driven by diesel motors.
“Our clients require high-pressure pumps in a modular configuration that can be moved with the enlargement of the open pit,” comments Patricio Araya, Mining Head KSB Chile. “The answer is to use horizontally positioned borehole pumps with a particular configuration for sand filters encased in a strain shroud. This gives the client flexibility and flexibility because the gear is compact, develops excessive pressures and is simple to move around the site.
To accommodate increasing flows and discharge strain pumps are configured in series and in parallel particularly for the client’s necessities. Being coupled to diesel engines allows continuous, autonomous operation in locations with out electricity for between 12 and 24 hours with out refuelling. Vertical Etanorm pumps and cantilever-type UPA pumps installed on a raft enabling them to handle the buildup of water inside the mine, eliminating elements similar to adverse suction head at excessive altitudes. KSB equipment for mine drainage is equipped in normal versions, with variations for rafts or nicely pumps put in in stress jackets. Having viable solutions for dewatering provides worth to the customers operations and can be essential as a outcome of each year minerals are found at deeper levels.
Innovation in Indonesia
Indonesia is one of the world’s largest exporters of thermal coal, and also a major player in copper, gold, tin, bauxite, and nickel. Here KSB pumps are acknowledged for their outstanding capability to carry out in severe open pit mine sites. Its growth of dewatering and dredge pump sets (DnD), as a solution for mining purposes, particularly for open-pit mine sites is one instance of KSB’ commitment to steady product improvement and growth. To date, more than 260 DnD pumps with GWI® LCC and LSA pumps have been put in in mines across Indonesia and South East Asia. In 2013, KSB Indonesia launched a new model, the DnD Cruiser with enhancements requested by customers.
KSB builds the whole diesel pushed pump unit on a barge, full with gas tank, vacuum pump, control panel and so on, and ships them on trailers for easy commissioning at site. Because monsoon rains are seasonal dewatering is also a seasonal exercise and this implies pumps can stand idle for a quantity of months through the dry intervals. Recognising this case, KSB has launched a rental programme, whereby the pumps are equipped fully-kitted out in accordance with the customer’s necessities. By not having to buy the pump units, customers are relieved of the prices of ownership and know that when they require units they arrive prepared for operation.
Summary
KSB’s mine dewatering systems enable the protected and efficient decreasing of groundwater in open pit dewatering, underground drainage and borehole drainage applications. Regardless of a mine’s location, the type of mining operation being carried out, the geological and the aggressive and corrosive nature of the water, KSB has fluid handling technologies that will match all eventualities. This situation has come about via the cross-fertilisation of concepts, applied sciences and experiences gained over many many years by our corporations around the world, supported by in depth funding in research and improvement. Wherever a pumping resolution is required, we will bring a co-ordinated response to the desk.
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