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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WATER MANAGEMENT JANUARY 2017 • E&MJ; 43 www.e-mj.com PaneLite™, Polydeck's new series of screen panels contain a proprietary composite insert in place of the traditional steel one. This latest innovation reduces panel weight by nearly 2 pounds per square foot while retaining excellent strength. PaneLite™ screen panels have also exhibited extended wear life and increased anti-pegging characteristics in some applications. Contact your Polydeck representative to see if there's a PaneLite™ screen panel to fit your screening needs. Call us at 1-864-579-4594 or visit polydeckscreen.com/mining to find the Polydeck Regional Manager in your area. Insert made of composite material vs. steel reduces panel weight. a lower pressure rating can be as much as 33% cheaper than the equivalent size at a high-pressure rating. Through smart design, this may be the most effective way of reducing costs while confidently main- taining the desired safety factor. As far as operational expenses, the project team has looked to minimize the cost from the fueling and servicing of gen- sets powering the pumps, which is esti- mated at A$4 million per year. The two methods identified are an overall reduc- tion in system run hours and optimization of bore running based on fuel use. The two methods could provide an overall 20% re- duction in service cost and fuel usage. Water management must operate ahead of mining operations. Given the dynamic nature of the mining operations, the project team needs to be in a position to make system alterations at very short notice in response to mine plan changes while retaining overall efficiency and cost effectiveness. Developing a Hydraulic Model The WaterGEMS hydraulic model con- tains all key items, both as construct- ed and to be constructed in the field; including all bores, pump packages, storage tanks and Turkey Nests (water storage ponds for dust suppression), pipework and isolation, and other control valves. Operating scenarios have been created in line with system expansion over time (generally quarterly), allow- ing quick transition between the current and future state. For all chronological steps, a steady state operating scenario and Extended Period Simulation (EPS) are modeled to fully understand system operation. The steady state model al- lows the team to run specific operating scenarios while the EPS simulates day- to-day operations. Together, they give an accurate representation of the likely range of flows and pressure the system will be subject to. By fully modeling the future scenarios within the integrated system, the team can optimize pipeline size and pressure ratings alongside pump duties. The mod - el allows the engineers to better under- stand the flow and pressure combinations over the life of the mine. Often within the mine dewatering industry, systems are de- signed in an isolation building in a level of conservatism to account for unknown scenarios. By looking at the current and future scenarios and running the EPS in the hydraulic model, the team gains a better understanding of the system oper- ation, answering some of the unknowns and removing an element of conservatism from the design process, reducing the overall cost of the project. By planning and designing the entire dewatering network in WaterGEMS, Roy Hill does not need to engage external re- sources when the mine plan changes. The same applies to on-site changes required by mining operations. Having the information immediately available means quick decisions can be made based on a better understanding of the potential im- plications; therefore not delaying mining operations or putting at risk the dewater- ing network. The EPS is developed by creating the on-site system controls within the hydrau- lic model and simulating the running of the system for a period of time (e.g., a week). By analyzing the results, ineffi- ciencies in the running of the system can be identified, for example, bores turning on and off to fill tanks/turkey nests where-