Mining is considered one of the world’s oldest industries, tracing its roots back to those prehistoric days when someone grabbed a digging instrument and started burrowing into the ground. In the many millennia since, mining has grown into one of many world’s most necessary and widespread industrial enterprises, with operations spread throughout the globe whereas tasked with recovering an nearly inexhaustible record of valuable commodities.
In reality, based on the World Mining Congress’s World Mining Data 2020 report, 17.7 billion metric tons of mined merchandise were recovered in 2018, up from 11.three billion metric tons in 2000 and nearly double the 9.6 billion metric tons in 1985. Asian nations accounted for 58 p.c of the 2018 manufacturing, with North America second at 15.1 %, followed by Europe (8 percent), Oceania (6.8 percent), Latin America (6.three percent), and Africa (5.three percent). Individually, China (23 percent), the United States (12.1 percent), Russia (9.2 percent), and Australia (7.2 percent) were the most prolific producers, with their total 51.1 p.c of production greater than the relaxation of the world combined.
This implies that the mining trade is a powerful one, with stable development expected to proceed in the coming years in lots of areas of the world. It additionally signifies that mining operations will proceed to rely on pumping technologies that offer robust, dependable, and protected service in a selection of important liquid-handling operations. This white paper will illustrate why positive displacement air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pumps can be the solely option for so much of of those applications.
THE CHALLENGE
While mining may seem like nothing greater than a rough-and-tumble operation—holes are dug by heavy machinery or with explosives, opening the hidden ode to access from above—there are, in reality, many complex and sometimes delicate operations that have to be performed properly if the mining operation is to carry out at its highest stage of efficiency.
From a macro standpoint, this requires a pumping technology that may operate reliably in harsh and distant areas, even when submerged, or when tasked with handling particulate-laden liquids or toxic/corrosive products, and likewise one that is able to be maintained and repaired simply so downtime is lessened. The pumps must also be gentle sufficient to be manually moved from location to location within the mine itself.
For a few years, a preferred alternative for use in these situations was centrifugal pumps. While centrifugal pumps are able to create the excessive move rates which would possibly be required, they’ve numerous operational “pain points” that hamper their use in mining purposes: an inability to self-prime or run dry; special seals needed to prevent leaks; special linings wanted to deal with solids; high motor speeds of up to 1,800 rpm; and relatively excessive upkeep necessities and prices, especially when charged with transferring solid-heavy liquids.
Another popular alternative has been the progressive cavity pump, however, like centrifugal pumps, they have a number of operational shortcomings. These include an inability to constantly handle liquids with high levels of abrasives, which results in increased upkeep prices, wear on expensive stators and rotors that may eventually have to be replaced, and total larger buy, working, and repair/replacement costs.
Here are some of the particular liquid-transfer operations that happen in a mine and the ways in which some pump applied sciences can fall brief in satisfying them:
Mine dewatering: Removing extra produced water from the mine is a critical 24/7/365 operation and the water that’s recovered is commonly filled with particulates that could be as large as 0.12 to zero.16 inches in size. If used on this utility, centrifugal pumps require special supplies of construction, which can be value prohibitive, to guard towards impeller wear caused by the abrasive particles. Centrifugal pumps are also not dry-run succesful, which adversely impacts their degree of efficiency on this software.
General service: For common liquid-handling applications, you want an easy-to-operate pump that reliably can run dry, strip lines, operate at low speeds while still delivering excessive move rates, and be simple to take care of and restore. Centrifugal pumps merely don’t possess these capabilities.
Corrosive liquids: Much like solid-laden liquids, corrosive ones can wreak havoc on the wetted elements of centrifugal and progressive cavity pumps. This typically demands a necessity to make use of particular mechanical seals, which can lead to exorbitant maintenance, restore, and alternative prices.
Press filter: Press filters are used to wash the liquids which are produced within the mines and, once more, centrifugal pumps can fall quick on this software as a outcome of the solid-laden liquid can harm the pump’s internals until special, more expensive materials of construction or linings are used. Also, the nature of press-filter operation creates a powerful discharge-pressure variation that can force the centrifugal pump to operate away from its best effectivity level (BEP), resulting in excessive vibration and radial masses that can lead to shortened service life. A answer to this is the incorporation of variable frequency drives (VFDs) and controllers, however these are costly and may negatively have an result on the cost-effectiveness of the operation.
Product switch: This is available in all varieties in a mining operation, from loading and unloading from transport vans with new and used oil for the heavy equipment, contemporary and fouled water, and any chemical compounds which are required. In every instance, there might be the risk that the pump will be compelled to run dry because the truck or storage vessel is emptied, whereas discharge-pressure variation also can generate excessive vibration and radial masses. As previously illustrated, centrifugal pumps can not run dry, in order that they need protection from this condition or the addition of special seals. However, all of those upgrades still can’t completely shield in opposition to a catastrophic failure.
THE SOLUTION
While centrifugal pumps—despite their popularity—have proven to not be the simplest solution in many liquid-handling applications in mining, one pump know-how that has confirmed to be an optimum selection is AODD—in terms of maximizing reliability, cost-effectiveness, ease of operation and upkeep, and security for mining personnel and the surroundings.
AODD pumps are able to perform effectively in mining functions because their method of operation permits them to easily deal with variable flow rates and pressures, whereas being dry-run and line-stripping capable, and nimble enough to switch liquids which are shear-sensitive or high-viscosity, in addition to slurries laden with rocks, pebbles, and other particulates.
The simple design of the AODD pump options few shifting components and comparably decrease speeds than other pump technologies, which improves reliability and simplifies upkeep, while the pump’s seal-less building leads to fewer leaks, which is a important consideration when handling the many hard-to-seal, corrosive, or hazardous liquids that are prevalent in a mining operation. AODD pumps are available in each metallic (most generally aluminum, ductile iron and forged iron) and plastic (polypropylene and PVDF) housing constructions, whereas a extensive selection of elastomers can be used in the diaphragms, which eliminates many chemical-compatibility issues.
A extensive number of AODD pump configurations present operational flexibility that may also result in optimized performance at many ranges. The capacity to characteristic AODD pumps in a variety of purposes, from basic general use to delicate chemical-handling processes, allows operators to extra cost-effectively outfit their mines. AODD pumps can additionally be more cost effective to operate, especially those fashions which might be outfitted with a next-generation mechanically actuated air distribution system (ADS). At their most basic, AODD pumps excel in the typical rugged and harsh working situations discovered within the world’s mines, which reduces breakdown incidents along with corresponding downtime and repair prices.
Specifically, Wilden, whose founder, Jim Wilden, conceived the AODD pumping precept sixty-five years ago, has been devoted to growing applied sciences that meet the wants of mining operations. Today, Wilden offers three AODD pump fashions which may be constructed to excel in mining purposes, out there in ductile iron, forged iron, aluminum, polypropylene and Kynar supplies of building:
Brahma® Series: The Brahma pumps, which feature a bolted configuration, have been constructed to be used in applications that require the dealing with of liquids featuring massive solids. The Brahma pumps have a novel top-inlet/bottom-discharge move orientation and flap valves that allow the passage of enormous solids with no risk that damage will happen as a end result of product entrapment or the settling of solids within the pump’s inner move paths. Brahma pumps are available in two models—PS810 (2-inch) and PS1510 (3-inch)—that are outfitted with the revolutionary Pro-Flo® SHIFT ADS, which has been designed to cut back air consumption by up to 60 %. The T810 and T1510 fashions are powered by the Turbo-Flo™ ADS, the industry’s first air motor for AODD pumps. The flow-rate vary for the four Brahma pumps is 166 to 258 gallons per minute at pressures as a lot as 125 psi with solids-handling capability ranging from 2 to 3 inches.
Stallion® Series: The Stallion pumps feature a clamped design with carrying handles for lightweight portability. เกจวัดแรงดูด and flow-through paths for simple passage of large solids with no likelihood for clogging. An altered ball/seat check-valve assembly additional enables solids passage, while a polyurethane display base at the inlet increases the pump’s sturdiness. The PS4, PS8, and PS15 (1.5-, 2-, and 3-inch) fashions are powered by a Pro-Flo SHIFT ADS, with the T4, T8, and T15 (1.5-, 2-, and 3-inch) pumps featuring the Turbo-Flo ADS, Wilden’s most strong ADS design for the toughest environments. Flow rates amongst the six models range from 57 gallons per minute to 232 gallons per minute at working pressures as a lot as a hundred twenty five psi. Solids sizes that can be handled range from 1/2 to 1 inch.
Pro-Flo SHIFT Series: Pro-Flo SHIFT pumps feature clamped or bolted configuration. Their design options completely different chamber materials, together with metallic and plastics, even Kynar, which is able to dealing with high levels of abrasive materials. The Pro-Flo SHIFT is also probably the most efficient AODD pump available in the market, capable of decreasing up to 60 percent air consumption. This makes it the finest choice for dealing with corrosive and abrasive merchandise in mining processes. The pumps have a product vary that goes from 1.5 to 3 inches and flows from 2 to 271 gallons per minute.
All of the Brahma, Stallion, and Pro-Flo SHIFT pumps are capable of be outfitted with a broad selection of diaphragm styles—including the newer Chem-Fuse, EZ-Install, and Reduced-Stroke models—in a varying array of supplies, such as Wil-Flex™ (Santoprene®), Geolast®, Polyurethane, Buna-N®, EPDM, Neoprene, FKM, and PTFE. This diaphragm range gives users the widest selection of diaphragms on the market, all of that are able to providing extended imply time between failure (MTBF) for optimized uptime with decreased maintenance, restore, and replacement prices.
All of these capabilities make AODD pumps the perfect selection for the aforementioned frequent liquid-handling functions in mining: dewatering, common service, corrosive-handling, filter press, and every day product switch.
CONCLUSION
In abstract, Wilden AODD pumps are the best suited choice for mining purposes as a outcome of they offer considerable operational advantages, like comparable low-speed operation, dry-run, line-stripping, self-priming, and deadhead functionality, together with increased operational security and a discount in maintenance/repair costs that can be incurred by pumps that are not designed to handle abrasive/corrosive or solid-laden liquids.
Wilden AODD pumps additionally outperform different AODD applied sciences in other important ways: easy design with the bottom number of elements for sooner, less complicated, and safer repairs and the lowest variety of spare elements to stock; current improvements in supplies of construction that enhance the pump’s MTBF; and improved effectivity by way of the use of the Pro-Flo SHIFT ADS, which finally results in quicker product switch with decrease air consumption. Wilden additionally continues to innovate through the development of the next-generation Chem-Fuse and EZ-Install diaphragms, each of which increase service life and security whereas not compromising the handling of difficult liquids.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Fernando Meneses is the regional supervisor North Latin America for Wilden, a leading producer of air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pumps. He can be reached at fernando.meneses@psgdover.com. Wilden is a product model of PSG®, a Dover company. PSG is comprised of several leading pump corporations, including Abaque®, All-Flo™, Almatec®, Blackmer®, Ebsray, em-tec®, Griswold®, Hydro™, Mouvex®, Neptune®, Quantex™, Quattroflow®, RedScrew™, and Wilden®. For more info, visit www.wildenpump.com or www.psgdover.com.
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