Mining operations require dewatering and the safe disposal of potentially contaminated water. KSB’s systems offer the efficient lowering of groundwater in open pit dewatering, underground drainage and borehole drainage applications regardless of a mine’s location.

Water is present everywhere in mining and its control varies according to its role in the mining processes. This in turn influences the selection of technologies used in pumping water. Alongside the safe supply and recovery of process water is the challenge of removing ground water. Process water and groundwater contain abrasive and corrosive elements in varying quantities which have an adverse affect on pump performance and life.

Working conditions, remote locations, varying temperature ranges and the lack of electric power are also highly influential factors. The copper mines in Chile and the iron ore mines in Western Australia may be many thousands of miles apart, but these mining operations still require dewatering and the safe disposal of potentially contaminated water. The same can be said of the coal mines of Mozambique and the silver mines of Mexico.

What they all have in common is a requirement for efficient and effective water and slurry pumps. Well-matched solutions help to maximise the longevity and efficiency of the system and also optimise cost-performance ratios, all attributes fulfilled by KSB’s Hard Rock Mining Division.

New techniques The search for more rare and precious minerals and metals has opened up mining in countries and locations where previously the industry was small scale or non-existent. Consequently, mining companies and equipment manufacturers have had to develop new techniques and products. And with the major mining companies having operations in many global locations, becoming a preferred equipment supplier is essential.

“The dewatering market is slowly shifting from a pure CAPEX point of view to an increasingly OPEX perspective,” reports Brett Lewis, Mining Manager at KSB Australia. “This is especially true for the large mines that realise that poorly designed equipment that regularly fails, causes a significant increase in replacement and servicing cost. Some mining companies are now committing to a carbon neutral target in the next 20 to 30 years, so are focussing on high efficiency equipment. They want to phase out diesel reliance by connecting most bores to their local electrical grid.”

KSB is aware that mining companies are recording pump performance and are accumulating data to compare brands and better rank their qualities or deficiencies. This is good news for KSB as the company is committed to delivering high reliability and efficiency pumps, so helping to reduce the carbon footprint of mining dewatering operations.

 ‘A one-fits-all’ pump solution? The answer to this is a resounding ‘no’, but by sharing experiences between offices and also frequently working with the same international mining companies, KSB has been able to develop appropriate solutions. KSB’s involvement in the iron ore industries in Brazil and Australia demonstrates two different approaches to dewatering, both employing vertical multi-stage pumps.

In Brazil’s Minas Gerais State open pit iron ore mines excessive ground water, monsoons and underground lakes are problems. To maintain continuous production water has to be pumped to a dewatering lake which has a dynamic water level that must be raised two or three times a year. KSB Brazil’s solution is a floating station fitted with KSB vertical turbine B pumps positioned over a pontoon (Figure 1). The pontoon rises and falls with changes in the water level so there is no need for the pumps to be repositioned. This results in cost-savings to the customer. After 20 successful years it has become the standard for this type of equipment in South America.

“The floating station supporting the pumps over the pontoon delivers the flow rate requested by the customer,” explains Jardel Ribeiro, sales manager, KSB Brazil. “Sometimes the pumps, high power motors and associated equipment results in the size of the floating station being increased. Stabilising equipment that weighs more than 200 tonnes requires a lot of planning, in addition to the challenge of building a system in such a remote area.”

Boreholes in Australia In the Pilbara Region of Western Australia iron ore is mined in several locations around the Chichester hub zone, an area between 5 and 9 km wide and 80 km long. The mineral deposit sits between 90 m and 117 m below the surface. With the ground water and water table regularly replenished in wet seasons and cyclones adding to the inundation, more than 75% of the iron ore is below the water table. If too much water mixes with iron ore, it becomes low grade and unsuitable for export, which results in massive revenue losses. Also, surface dewatering processes are extremely costly if the water is very high.

The accepted dewatering process within the region is to pump the water out through boreholes. However, this is not without its challenges. High water temperatures and high salinity result in excessive corrosion, whilst iron bacteria can grow on motors which prevent efficient motor cooling. The presence of gas is a constant threat in some areas as this causes gas lock on the impellers resulting in heavy vibrations, which places a great strain on the motor, loss of flow rate and motor failure.

This means that standard off-the-shelf products are not always suitable and the incidence of failures is high. Typically, most bore pumps fail within 12 months, and sometimes only a few weeks. At its Hope Valley facility in Western Australia, KSB provides mine operators with its UPA multistage borehole pump (Figure 2), customized to withstand site conditions. Although a more expensive product than its competitors, the UPA has been shown to deliver a significantly longer working life and reduced costs of ownership. KSB’s proprietary technology that inhibits the growth of iron bacteria makes the UPA a winner.

Trailer mounted units In Africa the environment and minerals being mined require innovative approaches to dewatering. In the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to several open cut and underground copper mines rainy seasons wreak flooding havoc. Here, KSB is delivering several different pumping solutions involving both UPA Z borehole pumps and surface-mounted Omega pumps.

“To prevent mining operations from being shut down, a fast localised response is required,” says Rob Bond, area manager Mining-Sub-Saharan Africa. “Our solution has been to supply Omega pumps mounted on rough terrain trailers (Figure 3). We supply a complete package made up of the pump, engine/ motor, couplings, gearbox, hydraulic drives and auxiliary equipment including vacuum pump, control panels, monitors etc that delivers high head pumping.”

A similar solution is also provided for the open cast Moatize coal mine in Mozambique where the water levels must remain low for continuous production reliability. Whilst borehole pumps offer good reliability on a constant basis, when the rainy season starts and more resources are in demand KSB SA provides skid-mounted Omega units. To date, KSB SA has supplied 152 units and all are working reliably.

South America In Mexico’s Zacatecas silver mines underground water is a constant problem. According to Roberto Valenzuela, sales manager Mining KSB Mexico, the water contains solid particles so the high pressure encapsulated UPA borehole pumps should be wear-resistant for long term efficiency. Because the dewatering pumps work at a high speed, the impellers and the wear ring can suffer from premature wear.

Using Multitec horizontal multistage pumps with KSB’s C6 standard chrome coating, wear is greatly minimised. “We have had pumps running in this mine for over two years without the impellers being changed, “says Roberto Valenzuela. “It is a solution that no competitor offers, and adds value for the customer through reduced maintenance, spare parts and greater mining uptime.”

In Chile’s Atacama Desert copper and gold is mined at altitudes ranging between 2000 m and 4500 m. Remote sites, mine depths and the unavailability of electricity needed to drive high capacity pumps complicate dewatering. High volumes of water contaminated by minerals can delay drilling and blasting and result in environmental pollution. KSB Chile has met these challenges by supplying encapsulated borehole pumps and cantilevered Etanorm pumps, driven by diesel motors.

“Our customers require high-pressure pumps in a modular configuration that can be moved with the expansion of the open pit,” comments Patricio Araya, mining head KSB Chile. “The solution is to use horizontally positioned borehole pumps with a special configuration for sand filters encased in a pressure shroud. This gives the customer flexibility and versatility because the equipment is compact, develops high pressures and is easy to move around the site.”

To accommodate increasing flows and discharge pressure pumps are configured in series and in parallel specifically for the client’s requirements. Being coupled to diesel engines allows continuous, autonomous operation in places without electricity for between 12 and 24 hours without refuelling (Figure 4). Vertical Etanorm pumps and cantilever-type UPA pumps installed on a raft enabling them to handle the accumulation of water inside the mine, eliminating factors such as negative suction head at high altitudes.

KSB equipment for mine drainage is supplied in standard versions, with variations for rafts or well pumps installed in pressure jackets. Having viable solutions for dewatering adds value to the customers operations and is also important because 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 capacity to perform in severe open pit mine sites. Its development of dewatering and dredge pump sets (DnD), as a solution for mining applications, especially for open-pit mine sites is one example of KSB’s commitment to continuous product improvement and development.

To date, more than 260 DnD pumps with GWI LCC and LSA pumps have been installed 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 entire diesel driven pump unit on a barge, complete with fuel tank, vacuum pump, control panel etc., and ships them on trailers for easy commissioning at site. Because monsoon rains are seasonal, dewatering is also a seasonal activity and this means pumps can stand idle for several months during the dry periods.

Recognising this situation, KSB has introduced a rental programme, whereby the pumps are supplied fully-kitted out according to the customer’s requirements. By not having to purchase the pump sets, customers are relieved of the costs of ownership and know that when they require units, they come ready for operation.

Summary KSB’s mine dewatering systems enable the safe and efficient lowering 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 fit all eventualities.

This situation has come about through the cross-fertilisation of ideas, technologies and experiences gained over many decades by its companies around the world, supported by extensive investment in research and development. Wherever a pumping solution is required, KSB can bring a co-ordinated response to the table.

Close collaboration between Sulzer specialists in Asia, Europe and the USA was key to a complex project that allowed twelve sophisticated pumps from three individual designs to be manufactured at the company’s plant in China for the first time, meeting demanding technical goals.

Using equipment manufactured in their own country wherever possible is an important part of a Chinese refinery’s procurement strategy, as it seeks to localise its supply chain and ensure ease of maintenance and support. Sulzer’s ability to bring the new models into production quickly allowed its customer to meet tight project timelines, as well as its technical and commercial goals.

Continuous investment Market demand for fuel and products derived from oil and gas is being met by expanded exploration and the use of new technologies to maximise the potential of existing wells. The introduction of new technology is improving efficiency for the petrochemical sector, which in turn helps to reduce the cost of everyday items, from recycling bins to toothbrushes and the tyres on cars.

China’s hydrocarbon processing industry is the largest and fastest growing in the world. To meet demand and maintain competitiveness, companies across the sector are continually investing in new capacity and advanced technologies. For one refinery, that included a major project to upgrade and optimise its facilities.

Challenging start In 2016, the refinery took the decision to introduce new equipment across its plant, including a new ebullated bed hydroprocessing system using H-OilRC technology from a French process licenser. This system is designed to add value in the refining process by extracting valuable hydrocarbon products from heavy feedstock residues, which may contain high levels of solids and other contaminants.

When it came to the selection of pumps for the new system, the refinery was aware that the nature of the various feedstocks created demanding operating conditions. The internal components can be exposed to high levels of wear and there is a significant potential for flow to be disrupted by large solid particles.

The refinery knew that it was possible to obtain pumps designed specifically to perform well in these conditions, but it was unable to find a local source of supply, an important part of its procurement strategy.

As a global pump specialist, Sulzer already had a significant presence in China, producing pumps in the Dalian factory since 1999 and at a second plant in Suzhou since 2010. Sulzer also has a long-standing relationship with the parent company of the refinery, supplying and supporting pumps at many of its facilities in the country. After discussing the requirements, oil and gas industry experts at Sulzer recommended two proven technologies from the company’s portfolio. Equally as important, they also agreed to manufacture the critical pumps in China.

Like any major facility upgrade project, the ebullated bed system was planned to a tight schedule. So once the agreement was in place, Sulzer moved quickly to bring the new products to life in its China plants.

Maximum performance The first of those products was the CP multistage barrel pump designed to API 610 type BB5 specifications. The Sulzer CP design incorporates an axial-split volute casing, which is less susceptible to wear than alternative designs when a highlevel of abrasive solids is present. Sulzer’s design and manufacturing specialists in China worked closely with their colleagues from the USA, who hold the design responsibility for the CP, to allow for some important design modifications. This particular application required a low flow, high head, high speed solution, so Sulzer had to pay special attention to the surface characteristics of the fluid channels within the pump in order to minimise losses and achieve the target performance.

The second key technology was a solution to the problem of pump performance impairment by large solid particles. For applications like these, Sulzer has developed a range of pumps with a special coke crusher unit at the pump inlet stage. This technology uses a rugged, bladed rotor that will break up solids to ensure they pass smoothly through the rest of the pump. Sulzer in China worked with colleagues in Germany and the USA to integrate the coke crusher technology into two pump types for the project: the BBT, an API 610 type BB2 centrifugal pump, and the ZF, an API 610 type OH2 centrifugal pump.

Delivering under pressure In addition to building up the necessary in-house manufacturing processes, Sulzer in China also had to qualify suitable local suppliers for key components of the new pumps. The company’s sourcing teams conducted detailed supplier audits to ensure that each one met Sulzer’s global quality standards, especially when it came to critical parts such as the inner casing of the CP pump and the coke crusher components for the BBT and ZF units.

During the development and manufacturing process, representatives from the refinery made regular visits to Sulzer’s plants, giving them the confidence that work was proceeding on schedule and to the highest quality level.

They were also present to see all the new pumps successfully meet their performance specifications in testing. In total, 12 of the newly localised pump models were delivered to the customer: three CP units, six BBT units with the coke crusher installed, and three coke crusher-equipped ZF units.

“This project was an important next step for our partnership with the refinery and for our support of China’s petrochemical sector as a whole,” says Zhang Jianfeng, managing director of Sulzer’s Suzhou manufacturing facility. “We have demonstrated that we can provide our customers with all the benefits of local manufacturing combined with Sulzer’s excellence in technology, quality and reliability.”

Chocolate production is a delicate process and it’s easy for the system to become clogged. Desmi’s CHD pump is a version of its Rotan series, designed for pumping anything from standard chocolate to cocoa liquor to caramel.

One of the key issues continuously facing confectioners is heat. Pumping chocolate is a delicate process and it’s easy for production to get clogged up, literally. Pumps that operate too fast or under too much pressure result in turning the heat up on a product that is very sensitive to temperature.

Desmi’s business development manager, Charles Womack explains the difficulty in working with chocolate. “Anyone who has ever tried to make chocolate on the stovetop knows that overheating chocolate results in caramelization, or a coarse, flaky end product, not at all conducive to keeping pumps turning smoothly. In a chocolate factory, heat is quite literally the enemy.”

The different varieties of chocolate, dark, milk, white, and other compounds, require different processing, and due to varying sugar contents. The greater the sugar content, the greater its sensitivity to heat and the chances of pumps seizing up.

Dark chocolate is the easiest to move, allowing for the use of smaller pumps that can operate at high rotating speeds. The trickiest is white chocolate, which is entirely sugar and cocoa butter and therefore extremely sensitive to heat. White chocolate pumps at a much lower speed than other varieties, taking care to avoid over caramelization of the sugar.

One pump fits all Desmi first developed the Rotan pumps more than 50 years ago. The innovative design has continuously passed the test of time and its consistent, high reliability has meant only incremental improvements over the years.

Desmi has developed a variety of the Rotan pump, with special configurations for chocolate, called the CHD pump. These pumps are designed for pumping anything from standard chocolate to cocoa liquor to caramel. Equipped with a heating jacket on the front and rear end, components like rotors, idlers and idler bushings are designed with special clearances, enabling them to handle pressures of up to 12 bar, or a PSI equal to 175.

What’s the key to its ability to optimally move any variety of chocolate without seizing up? Delivering one tried-and-true pump, in multiple sizes. While the modular Rotan pumps are nearly identical as they move from small to large, each size variation rotates at a different speed. So, for example, a manufacturer can use a small, high-RPM pump for its dark chocolate production, and a much larger version of the same pump, rotating at a slower speed to accommodate its white chocolate production line.

Better being big “Chocolate confectioners are often, understandably, protective about their specific recipes, so we often need to make recommendations about what will serve customers best, without knowing every detail of the compounds that the Rotan will be moving,” Charles Womack says.

This can make it challenging at times. However, because Desmi offers the Rotan pump in several sizes, it’s often possible to find a solution that can optimally suit the customer needs with few compromises. “When meeting requirements, we believe it’s best to err on the side of delivering a bigger pump than necessary, rather than a smaller one,” says Womack, noting: “It’s always better to have to slow a pump down than to have to speed it up to meet a customer’s need.”

Additionally, the modular nature of the design allows for the efficient replacement of worn components in multiple pumps, no matter what the size, as the pumps share many commonly replaced parts such as, bushings, shaft, O-rings, and ball-bearings etc.

“Recently I toured a well-known confectionary factory to consult for pump replacements and end up walking by a series of our Rotan pumps in a different part of production,” says Womack. “It’s always great to talk with these engineers and be able to point to our pumps in a machine that has been moving chocolate problem-free for ten years.”

Because Desmi often sells CHD pumps through OEMs who ship machines all over the world, this is a common occurrence. Many confectioners don’t even realize the pumps that have been working faithfully for them over the years are Desmi Rotans. And because of this, when Desmi consultants can refer to these pumps during a consultation, they often find that the product has literally sold itself!

Leak-free design Because chocolate is expensive, a leaky pump is quite literally leaking money. Charles explains: “If a pump leaks product, then you’re basically just shoveling up profit from the floor. In the past, many pumps incorporated controlled leakage into their design as a means of keeping heat down between the shaft and the packing. However, the Rotan CHD is designed to be a leak-free pump. When it leaks, if ever, it means that it’s time for maintenance.” And maintenance is easy and quick, thanks to its true back-pull-out design, which allows inspection and repair of the rotating cartridge without disturbing any piping or coupling alignments.

Many confectioners operate factories that have existed for many decades. In many cases, the production setups could almost be considered antiques, with complimenting infrastructure that may be well in need of an update. “Often, customers are looking for us to act as a consultant of the applications, not just sell them pumps. We often advise on how they can set it up to give our pump the best reliability and performance,” Womack says.

The Rotan pump improves production outcomes in most installations, although optimum performance will result from surrounding pipe infrastructure that takes unwanted forces, such as pressure, out of the pump. More pressure, after all, generates more friction. And friction generates heat. And heat is, again, the enemy of chocolate production.

Recession-proof The world loves chocolate, that’s for sure. Chocolate manufactures are running factories 24/7 to meet demand, even during times of economic downturn. This means it is crucial for confectionaries to avoid downtime.

That’s what makes the reliability of the Desmi pumps so important to some of the world’s largest manufacturers. With the hard-working Rotan CHD in place across the globe, no one need worry that the chocolate river will stop flowing anytime soon.