OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
Te combined impact of the reduced losses, along with the reduced cost of equipment and a lower installation footprint, makes water-cooled drives the optimal choice for grinding plant in terms of the total cost of ownership (TCO) throughout a 20-year anticipated service life.
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT Water-cooled drives offer significant environmental benefits compared to air- cooled drives. Not only do they help to reduce the energy required for cooling, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint, but they also minimise the release of heated air into the atmosphere, lessening the impact on local air quality. Tis is particularly important in mining operations where air pollution can have adverse effects on nearby communities and ecosystems. Water-cooled drives tend to produce less noise compared to air-cooled drives, creating a more comfortable environment for operators and maintenance crew. Another comfort factor is the reduced level of airflow since – unlike air-cooled drives – the cooling system does not have to blast several cubic metres of air per second. Sometimes the excess heat generated during the cooling process can be repurposed for various applications within the mining operation, such as heating nearby facilities or powering additional processes. Tis helps to maximise energy efficiency and reduce overall waste.
DEFENCE AGAINST DUST, PARTICLES, AND ELECTRICAL EXPLOSIONS Air-cooled drives don’t usually have strong ingress protection against things such as dust and particles from entering the system, unless they have special ducting. Even then, some air can still get in. So air-cooled drives need filters in the HVAC system, to prevent dust and particles from entering. But in dusty environments such as mining sites, these filters need to be replaced frequently. On the other hand, water-cooled
drives can have a higher level of ingress protection. Te standard rating for water- cooled drives is IP54, which protects against dust and even conductive particles, which is particularly important since it reduces the risk of electrical explosions or arc flash.
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Water-cooled drives deliver more benefits than air-cooled drives
WATER-COOLED DRIVES ARE THE IDEAL COMPANION FOR HGPRS High-pressure grinding rolls (HGPRs), also called roller presses, are fast gaining acceptance in hard-rock processing, mainly because of their energy efficiency when reducing mineral ore to into fragments. With energy, cost and water savings, a smaller installation footprint, and extended availability, it’s no wonder we are seeing a growing number of HGPRs within crushing and grinding circuits. Drives play an important role in
addressing one of their main challenges in the field. Tis is because wear and tear on the rolls may cause feed variance, which affects crushed ore quality. An HPGR with a brand-new set of
rollers starts operation with identical torque and speed. Depending on various operating factors, the rollers experience different wear rates over time. Tese factors include feed size, ore characteristics, and operating pressure. Using a drive enables the grinding
rolls to operate at optimal speed and provide accurate load sharing between the two rolls that can help reduce the impact of wear and tear. Water-cooled drives provide this functionality, and
with their emphasis on efficiency and compactness, they are the perfect partner for HPGRs.
CASE STUDY: INDUSTRY LEADING ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR AUSTRALIAN MINE Te Iron Bridge Magnetite Project in Western Australia aims to produce 22 million wet tons of high-grade magnetite concentrate for use in steel production. To achieve energy efficiency, ABB-supplied drives with external transformers are used in eight switch rooms, reducing heat and room size by half. Tese drives connect to a 33kV network, eliminating the need for an intermediate switchboard and reducing costs.
Compact ABB high-voltage induction motors power equipment such as HPGRs, offering high efficiency in a smaller size. Te project’s innovative dry crushing and grinding circuit enhances operational efficiency in terms of energy and water use, as well as overall cost.
Ata Douzdouzani is with ABB Motion.
https://new.abb.com/ drives/segments/mining
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