Tag Archives: ventilation

Sandvik trialling Stage V engine technology at Boliden’s Tara mine

Sandvik is continuing its sustainability drive, announcing that it is trialling its first Stage V compliant underground truck at the Boliden-owned Tara zinc mine in Ireland.

The company, in December 2019, launched its first Stage V compliant underground LHDs for hard-rock mining applications following extensive testing. Back then, it said its newest intelligent loaders, the Sandvik LH517i and Sandvik LH621i, would receive the Stage V treatment in early 2020.

Now, Sandvik’s flagship truck, the TH663i, equipped with brand new Stage V Volvo Penta engine technology, is undergoing an extensive field trial period at Tara, allowing the company to obtain first-hand customer feedback on its technical and operational performance. Sandvik said this was “an integral part of Sandvik’s way of working and customer-focused mindset”.

The Stage V engine in the 63 t truck is expected to deliver lower emissions, contributing to reduced mine ventilation rates.

“Designed to fit seamlessly together with the truck and to perform specifically in underground use, the engine system includes built-in fire prevention solutions, increased wiring protection with shrink mesh wiring harness and electric hardware that is specifically designed for demanding conditions, with corrosion, heat and water resistance,” it said. “The new Stage V, requiring ultra-low sulphur fuel and low-ash engine oil to operate, will be an optional engine for the TH663i.”

To reduce particle emissions in the lower Stages/Tiers, standard engines on both the TH663i and TH551i trucks can be equipped with a diesel particulate filter (DPF), according to Sandvik. The company explained: “Based on studies conducted, the optional sintered metal DPF reduces particle mass by approximately 99%. From a reliability and maintenance viewpoint, the DPF is well protected but still designed for easy cleaning to reduce downtime and operating costs. The DPF is also available as retrofit kit.”

Pia Sundberg, Product Line Manager for Trucks at Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, says thorough field tests are valuable to both the OEM and customer: “We want to allow enough time for sufficient testing of new technology, since it is of benefit to both sides.

“Possible hiccups that can often occur when developing something new are identified prior to the product being fully commercialised, which enables us to serve our customers better in the long run.

“Based on the feedback that we receive, we are still able to do some modifications if necessary and thereby make sure that the TH663i meets expectations when it is released to the market with the latest engine technology at a later stage. Of course, there is also some additional new technology on the test truck that we are testing at the same time.”

The TH663i also benefits from the recent improvements in Sandvik’s AutoMine® offering, as AutoMine for Trucks now enables autonomous truck haulage not only underground but also on the surface.

Sandvik said interesting glimpses into the company’s future truck offering have also been seen in Australia, where the Artisan Z50 battery truck from Sandvik carried out an extensive tour in early 2020 and gathered customer feedback for the new upcoming battery generation.

The company has also recently deployed a Z50 into Barrick Gold’s Turquoise Ridge underground gold mine, in Nevada.

Howden’s Eleonore ventilation on demand solution wins award

Newmont Goldcorp’s Eleonore gold mine was recently awarded the “Eureka Prize” from Écotech Québec, for a ventilation on demand solution that reflects the Quebec mine’s strive towards leveraging clean technologies.

Nearly 250 stakeholders in the cleantech ecosystem were present at the event.

Éléonore produced some 360,000 oz of gold in 2018 from the underground Roberto deposit. Ore is mined from four horizons using sill and stope techniques, then processed onsite using a conventional circuit that includes crushing, grinding, gravity, flotation and cyanidation.

The award received was for the Ventilation on Demand (VOD) system from Howden VentSimTM CONTROL implemented in the Newmont Goldcorp – Eleonore mine. The benefits of this solution are the energy efficiency and air treatment, according to Howden.

“Newmont Goldcorp – Eleonore is proud to recognise the teamwork that has enabled a project such as VOD to continually improve our energy efficiency performance, while maintaining the health and safety of our workers,” Sophie Bergeron, Executive Director Newmont Goldcorp – Eleonore, says.

To date, there has been a 43% reduction in mine heating costs, a drop of 56% in underground ventilation electricity costs and a remarkable 73% decrease in the cost of surface ventilation electricity, as detailed in the full case study, Howden said.

”While these figures are impressive, the full potential savings will grow even greater when the mine reaches full capacity,” Howden added.

TLT-Turbo breathes new life into ventilation fans

TLT-Turbo GmbH has launched a new range of mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) fans with ceramic hybrid bearings that, it says, provide an exceptionally long operational lifespan.

Integrating the latest ventilation technologies, this fan offers numerous advantages regarding performance efficiency, maintenance and reliability, according to the ventilation fans and systems manufacturer.

The TLT-Turbo fan for MVR has been in development since 2012 since the first case studies were carried out, the company says.

“Following intensive discussions with clients, TLT-Turbo established that a need existed for low maintenance MVR fans,” TLT-Turbo says. “This was followed by four years of intensive research, product testing and consultations with clients. The first MVR fans were rolled out in 2016 while continual product improvement has remained a focus area for TLT-Turbo.”

Mario Schmidt, Head of TLT-Turbo Global Vapor Fans business segment, said: “MVR fans have been available on the market for some time but instead of just following the trend, TLT-Turbo took time to ensure that we came to the market with a completely new, state of the art MVR solution. And we continue to have ongoing discussions and feedback exchanges with our clients worldwide in order to continuously adapt and improve our MVR offering to their requirements.”

According to Schmidt, the features of TLT-Turbo’s MVR fan, such as the lower maintenance requirements and the introduction of hybrid ceramic bearings, underscores the company’s commitment to developing products in close alignment with clients. “It also speaks to TLT-Turbo’s key objective for continual innovation,” the company said.

The hybrid ceramic bearings are one of the key differentiators of the TLT-Turbo MVR fan, according to Schmidt.

“Our clients are amazed by the possibility of a hybrid bearing operating at high speed without circulating oil,” he said. “Conventional roller bearings do not provide the required support for operating the fan in a broad operational speed range without running into harmful resonance frequencies (under critical operation).

“Thanks to continuous enhancement in recent years, especially through the use of ceramic materials, more effective roller bearings are available today. The use of hybrid bearings with steel rings combined with ceramic rollers has been established in many industrial applications and, in the case of the TLT-Turbo MVR fan, hybrid ceramic bearings mean significantly lower maintenance requirements and better operational performance.”

The hybrid ceramic bearings used in TLT-Turbo MVR fans are lifetime greased and can be operated for up to 10 years without requiring maintenance, according to the company. “To enhance this benefit for clients, TLT-Turbo introduced an additional device to the fan’s design that allows for the bearing to be re-greased from the outside in order to further simplify maintenance and to increase the fans’ service life.”

High motor speeds, a wide range of optimised impellers and the ability to work under high temperature are some of the other traits of the MVR fans. “These factors allow for operation of the fan below critical speed which ensures both reliability and safe operation,” the company said.

Schmidt added: “Reliability and safety are key concerns for our clients and TLT-Turbo has addressed this in the MVR fan by using high-quality components. Thanks to the use of the hybrid bearings, no oil supply or oil pump is necessary which means that no oil can contaminate the product. In addition to this, the fan also features temperature and vibration monitoring and remote monitoring of the bearing is possible as well. Our entire manufacturing process is carried out according to all major quality standards, including DIN ISO 9001.”

The TLT-Turbo MVR fan is suited to numerous applications in the chemical, pharmaceutical, waste water treatment, and the organic natural product production industries as well as in the food and beverage process and manufacturing sectors.

“Since 2018, we have received 35 orders for MVR fans across the globe with one installation completed. Thus far, the feedback from clients has been very positive. We have received reports that the bearing temperature is considerable lower than that of other comparable MVR fans and that our fan runs with less vibration than other MVR fans,” Schmidt said.

“Overall, TLT-Turbo’s objective was to offer our clients a MVR solution that would outperform what was currently available on the market. We have delivered a fan that requires less maintenance while providing high efficiency and reliability. This is exactly what clients would expect from TLT-Turbo as a world class fan manufacturer and global service organisation.”

Strata enhances North America roof support, ventilation offering with Burrell Mining pact

Strata Worldwide says it has signed a distribution agreement with Burrell Mining International for the promotion and distribution of the Burrell CAN® and Burrell Omega Block coal mining products to the North America mining market.

These products will be added to Strata’s line of secondary roof supports and ventilation product offerings, available immediately, the company said.

The CAN is a “yieldable secondary roof support” made from a confined core of cementitious composite encased in a cylindrical steel canister, Strata said. “When installed correctly, the CAN has never failed. Its flexible design can be engineered to meet mine-specific load conditions regardless of adverse roof or floor conditions, while the smooth steel skin of the CAN also improves ventilation by reducing air resistance in the mine entry,” the company added.

Omega Blocks for ventilation are specifically formulated building block, three times the size of regular concrete blocks, but significantly lighter in weight to help reduce labour and the installation process, according to Strata. The Omega Blocks are composed of non-toxic, incombustible materials that are fire resistant and impermeable to air. The blocks are fully MSHA approved and ideal for quick construction of underground ventilation stoppings, Strata said.

Bob Weil, President & CEO of Burrell Mining International, said: “Burrell’s reputation as an industry innovator with a history of quality products and excellent customer service makes our partnership with Strata Worldwide a great strategic fit. Working together, we can provide customers throughout North America with efficient and safer secondary roof support products for the mining industry.”

Mike Berube, President and CEO at Strata Worldwide, said: “We are very excited to enter this agreement with Burrell Mining. They are a premier supplier of secondary roof support for coal mining and have an excellent reputation in the industry. The CAN will be a strong addition to Strata’s line of roof support systems and with this agreement we will offer the most complete portfolio of roof support products on the market.”

Strata Worldwide has grown from a company focused on roof supports in underground coal operations, to service mines of all types, all sizes, all commodities and all locations. It says it develops advanced safety solutions for mines all over the world.

Burrell Mining International, meanwhile, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Burrell Group Inc, a family-owned company with business interests in mining products, insurance, real estate and technology. Burrell Mining International operates three plants in the US and two in Australia.

CHRYSO Vent Block Sealer helps coal miners close the gap

Developed to assist coal mines to seal their ventilation walls and air-crossings, the CHRYSO® Vent Block Sealer can, in fact, seal any porous substrate quickly and cost-effectively, the company says.

The styrene acrylic copolymer sealer efficiently addresses the challenge of hollow blocks and joints in the walls, according to CHRYSO.

With its continuous product development of value-added solutions, CHRYSO responded to the coal mining industry’s need to address ventilation wall leakage, according to the company’s new Business Manager, Frans Bakselerowicz.

“The conventional use of a bitumen emulsion paint-on application product had proved to be very labour-intensive and costly,” Bakselerowicz said. “By contrast, the CHRYSO Vent Block Sealer is an easy spray-on product, using a knapsack pump which does not need any compressed air to spray. This allows its application even in back areas of a mine, where there are no electrical and compressed air services available.”

The ventilation walls in a mine are usually made of concrete hollow blocks, clay bricks and corrugated iron sheets. However, he emphasised any porous substrate can be sealed, as it can bridge gaps of up to 1 mm in magnitude.

Any larger crack or hole can be repaired with a.b.e. paintable flashing tape and then sprayed over, according to the company. In high-leakage areas, a second coat can be applied if required.

“Among the advantages of CHRYSO Vent Block Sealer is that it is easy to use, and does not require specialist skills,” Bakselerowicz said. “As a non-flammable product – in other words it does not sustain flames – it is ideal for use in coal mines and other potentially hazardous areas.”

The sealer is non-toxic, requiring only minimal PPE – goggles, gloves and overalls. Adhesion properties are excellent, according to the company, and it dries quickly in 30-45 minutes, above ground, and two hours, underground.

“Being water soluble makes for easy cleaning of equipment, and its cream colour allows users to immediately identify which areas of the grey ventilation walls have been treated,” the company concluded.