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PUMPS & PIPING 62 E&MJ; • APRIL 2016 www.e-mj.com Getting to the Bottom of It Diesel-powered pumps and a remote pump control station improve a mine operator's pit dewatering effciency and safety Xylem has been a major player in the diesel/electric dewatering pump market since it acquired Godwin Pumps in 2010. Recently, the water-handling solutions provider reported on a successful pit-de- watering project for one of its customers in Latin America. A mining company in Peru needed to drain water from a large open-pit op- eration that reached as deep as 1,200 ft (365 m) to pit foor. The discovery of additional copper mineralization in the mine, as well as the large amount of precipitation that falls during the rainy summer months, prompted the compa- ny to seek a solution that would allow its workers to remotely monitor and control pumps at the pit bottom. After analyzing the problem, pump experts from Xylem's Peru offce determined that the best solu- tion called for Godwin surface-mounted, diesel-driven pumps controlled by a re- mote monitoring system. "The operation had found more cop- per and was digging deeper, so the equip- ment had to pump water from further dis- tances," said Carlos Coll, sales manager for Xylem Water Solutions Peru. "It can rain at any time, day or night, so they had to be ready to go and switch the pump on at any moment." With the existing pump switch locat- ed deep in the mine, the company had to employ contract workers to travel down into the pit and physically set the control, said Coll. The situation became increas- ingly risky as the pit was extended deep- er, and danger from blasting was another potential hazard. "They were really look- ing to perform [the pump control] opera- tions remotely," said Coll. Xylem's Flygt electric submersible pumps were initially considered for the job, but after analyzing the site's elec- trical limitations, engineers specifed three Godwin HL130M Dri-Prime pumps instead. Mounted on trailers, the die- sel-powered Godwin pumps eliminated the need to run power cables into the mine, according to Coll. "Those cables were constantly at risk, and the deeper into the operation the company went, the longer they needed to be," he said. "With a fuel-driven solution, they didn't need electricity." The HL130M Dri-Prime pump is de- scribed as a powerful yet compact unit By replacing a mine's electric pit-dewatering pumps with Godwin diesel-powered units, Xylem was able to reduce the mine's labor requirements for tending the pumps and their cables deep in the pit. One Source for Selection Last year, Xylem launched a new website that offers a wide range of information on the company's dewatering product brands, Flygt and Godwin, on a unifed Web platform. Xylem said the new site (xylem.com/dewatering) presents highly useful content including product, service, parts and ap- plication information. It features blogs, site search and mobile compatibility for easy access in the feld, and provides coun- try-relevant content based on where the customer is located. Colin Sabol, senior vice president and president of Xylem's dewatering business, said, "We know that our customers want an informative self-serve environment to research and explore their options. Based on that premise, the site represents our broad range of products and deep expertise in solving complex challenges. For example, our new 'Pump Finder' tool allows cus- tomers to quickly narrow to the most appropriate products for specifc applications. Customers can also fnd information on our foodwater drainage to slurry pumping capabilities, as well as the benefts of our rental solutions." Additionally, the new online dewatering site features case studies, white papers, 'how to' videos and manuals to provide customers with a wide array of engaging reference information relevant to their industry and application. A blog section hosted by Xylem subject matter experts contains educational articles on important regulations such as the U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency's (EPA) Tier 4 diesel-emission standards, as well as repair and maintenance best practice tips.