MINE WATER

How to Quintuple the Service Life in Pumping Mine Water Rich in Sediments

Reducing energy consumption while maintaining the same flow and pressure

One of the main problems in mining is pumping mine water that is rich in sediments. Stones and sludge in the penetrating rainwater and groundwater pose significant challenges for the pumps.

As a global specialist in handling complex media, NETZSCH Pumps & Systems has the optimum solution in its portfolio to pump mine water rich in sediments effectively. We will show you how to increase your pump's service life and save energy simultaneously without reducing the flow rate and pressure.

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Pumping mine water rich in sediments: Risks & challenges

Incoming water can destabilize the mine walls and may be toxic, which poses a massive threat to workers' safety and the production and functioning of complex systems. Although effective pumping systems are now available for dewatering, the high solids loading of up to five percent, the varying pH of the mine water, and the considerable energy consumption of the pumps still pose numerous challenges.

Reducing maintenance and repair costs when pumping mine water

The dewatering is one of the oldest but most ubiquitous issues in mining and is still underestimated today. “Many companies use conventional water pumps to pump the mine water, which is rich in sediments. Due to the high solids content of up to five percent and the abrasive properties, these pumps are damaged to the point of becoming inoperable within weeks, sometimes even a few days”, says Monica Mitterstein, Global Manager Mining & Explosives at NETZSCH. This results in unnecessary production downtime and high maintenance and repair costs for you as the operator. However, suitable but permanently installed systems for pumping mine water rich in sediments require a high system density and a lot of maintenance work underground.

18

bar pressure pose no problem to the pump

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With the NEMO® BY in FSIP® design, you can reduce your maintenance time by up to 66 percent.

Increase your efficiency when pumping mine water rich in sediment content

The NEMO® SY progressing cavity pumps with bearing housing and free shaft end are mounted on a flexible dewatering skid. This allows the positioning to be adapted to the dewatering requirements as the mine progresses. Therefore, you need fewer pumping stations on site to pump the mine water, which is rich in sediments. This saves you long-term costs right from the planning stage of the system. You can move the dewatering carriage in two directions and roll it using a forklift. The most extensive part of the design, however, is a collection tank, the volume of which is designed for the capacity of the respective pump, which is mounted underneath or next to it as required. It is already equipped with a metal screen mesh at the factory. This prevents larger solids, such as stones and lumps of mine water, rich in sediments, from entering the suction housing. “However, filtering in the tank alone is not enough to completely prevent blockages and damage in the unit”, explains Mitterstein. “That’s why the coupling rod of the progressing cavity pump also has paddles.” These special mixing blades keep the pumped solids in suspension through their movement and thus prevent them from sticking in the suction housing. Our dewatering system can achieve flow rates of up to 72 m³/h with a pressure of 18 bar at a speed of 320 rpm, for example. This reduces energy consumption. In addition to the large proportion of stones and sludge, the mine water can also be contaminated with chemically reactive substances and have very acidic or alkaline pH values, depending on the type of mine. For this reason, all components of the dewatering system are available in different materials to ensure the best possible resistance to wear and corrosion.

“The optimum design of the progressing cavity pumps in combination with the screen in the collection tank and the paddles on the coupling rod enables a four to five times longer service life for the entire dewatering system”, summarises Mitterstein. What are you waiting for? Upgrade your system to pump sediment-rich mine water to a system with a NETZSCH pump and increase your efficiency in the long term.