Engineering & Mining Journal

JUN 2013

Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr

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O P E R AT I N G S T R AT E G I E S Soitec's CPV solar energy technology uses an efficient design and dual-axis tracking for high performance. with high direct normal irradiation (DNI). On May 22, MET and Soitec signed a memorandum of understanding to leverage the experience gained from this pilot plant to facilitate their respective plans of devel- oping additional projects with CPV technology in Chile—which has the world's highest rate of solar irradiation and is expected to be the site of some of the world's first large-scale solar projects. Fabio Mondini, vice president, geographical expansion with Soitec's Solar Division, said, "This demonstration site is an important step in our commercial efforts in a region where we have high ambition. Chile's energy demand is growing and should lead to a doubling of the installed capacity in the next few years, particularly in the northern part of the country, which has the highest DNI and strong mining-sector electricity demand." "Considering our location within the Atacama desert, one of the highest irradiation regions on earth, we are very pleased to be working with one of the CPV leaders on this pilot installation and to have the opportunity to use Soitec's CPV technology in real-world conditions, generating clean and sustainable power to our mining operations," said Martin Brown, environmental superintendent at Minera El Tesoro. "As the demo units feed energy to our mine's internal grid, we are testing Soitec's technology in the harshest conditions, and at the same time, assessing the possibility of incorporating renewable and clean energy on a larger scale in the future." Soitec claims its CPV system is the most efficient technology in the photovoltaic industry, achieving current module efficiencies of 30%, or approximately twice that of conventional photovoltaic technologies. Soitec's CPV modules use a durable glass-glass design and Fresnel lenses to concentrate sunlight 500 times onto small, highly efficient multi junction solar cells. By using dual-axis tracking, Soitec's systems provide high, constant power output throughout daylight hours. In addition, the company's systems are resistant to energy losses in high temperatures and achieve passive cooling without water consumption, offering competitive advantages in regions with high DNI such as northern Chile. Soitec has installed its CPV technology in 18 countries to date. Minera El Tesoro is part of Antofagasta Minerals, a Chilean-based copper mining group that owns and operates four copper mines with 2012 total production of 709,600 metric tons (mt) of copper, 299,900 oz of gold and 12,200 mt of molybdenum. COMPANY PROFILE- PAID ADVERTISEMENT Hilliard Corp In 1905,William J. Hilliard obtained a patent for a new type of friction clutch he had designed. The same year he founded The Hilliard Clutch and Machinery Company in Elmira, New York. Friction clutches were sold primarily to machine shops where they were used to connect and disconnect machine tools such as lathes and drills from a primary power source. The company began to find new applications, and soon the clutch was being used in fire trucks and carousels. These applications carried the company into the early 1920s. By 1925, the company changed its name to The Hilliard Corporation, to reflect the diversity of its product line. 150 E&MJ; • JUNE 2013 In 1952, Hilliard began a partnership with Twiflex Engineering of Twickenham, England, to manufacture centrifugal clutches for them. The relationship continues to this day, as Hilliard remains the U.S. distributor for the Twiflex industrial braking systems The company continued its growth in the 1980s by developing a bi-directional overrunning clutch used in 4-wheel drive systems on ATVs. Hilliard has continued to grow by purchasing surrounding manufacturing space, as well as constructing new space. Hilliard has expanded over the years to 500,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities and office space and employs more than 500 people. The Hilliard Corporation's com- mitment to engineering and product development as well as its investment in the latest machining, processing and welding equipment is what has kept the company going strong for more than a century. Hilliard produces a braking systems for the mining industry as well a full line of products for the power generation industry under the HILCO brand name. Products include filter housings, filter cartridges, transfer valves, reclaimers and reclamation systems, fluid filtration and conditioning systems, vent mist eliminators to control emissions, and starter products. Hilliard also manufactures products for wastewater applications such as plate and frame filters, and ceramic membrane filters. www.hilliardcorp.com www.e-mj.com

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