Western Metals

WESTERN METALS TELEMETRY SYSTEM ADDS MORE VALUE TO LEAKY FEEDER SYSTEM

MINE: MT GORDON
OWNER: WESTERN METALS
TYPE: UNDERGROUND COPPER
LOCATION: QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

BACKGROUND

Mt Gordon Mine in Queensland required better control of their fans to optimize performance in two key areas:

• Energy efficiency (electricity power savings) through the ability to turn fans off, or to operate at reduced speed, when not required or where the ventilation flow can be adjusted to suit requirements.
• Ventilation control for short term requirements (such as before, during and after blasting); or in an emergency (such as a fire) controlling ventilation to manage the spread of fumes.

COMPOSITION

Mine Site Technologies has experience in a range of telemetry applications at a number mines over the last few years. The picture to the left shows the Miri unit, which is program with the relevant ladder logic to control the various inputs and outputs. The telemetry system can be designed and installed on typical single or dual fan starters to undertake straight forward stop-start functions as well as feed back on fan faults, individual stage running or stopped, etc (basically any digital input or output). Analogue inputs, such as temperature, can be incorporated where required.

DESCRIPTION

MST was commissioned to design & supply a complete telemetry system operating through the existing leaky feeder radio system. Being a VDV Leaky Feeder System meant that the available bandwidth was more than enough to support a telemetry based fan control system. The top, left picture shows the fan starter unit built up for Mt Gordon Mine. This particular telemetry unit includes an existing timer for “soft” fan start up. Where new starter panels were required they were built up without timers, as the pulsed startup is programmed into the telemetry logic.

JUSTIFICATION

Mt Gordon was looking to improve efficiencies and hence gain cost benefits. Already using BlastPED to remotely initiate their blasts underground the control of fans was the next step to add to the cost benefits gained from the BlastPED installation. By using MST’s telemetry to control fans meant that there was no hard wire cabling link required back to any leaky feeder antenna interface boxes (inline controller). A small aerial on the starter panel allows radio communication directly to the leaky feeder system. Hence re-locating fans, which happens routinely, is much simpler as there is no hard wired control cabling required to be set up at the new location. Hence, once power is re-connnecetd to the fan starter, it is ready for immediate use.