IM just lately caught up with Nalco Water, an Ecolab firm, on three digital options it has developed slicing throughout three mining utility areas – flotation evaluation, course of water monitoring, and flocculant dosing optimisation.
Flotation is a essential course of in lots of minerals and metals mining operations. A standard problem for these operations is variability within the ore composition and the plant operational circumstances, typically leading to decreased mineral restoration and/or focus grade. Nalco Water and Stone Three Digital developed a state-of-the-art program known as Flotation 360™. This program is described as a complete providing that mixes highly effective chemistry, technical service, and actionable suggestions powered by progressive digital expertise.
“Flotation 360 offers us a window into the flotation course of we’ve by no means had earlier than,” says Chris Greulich, Vice President Flotation. “By combining cutting-edge sensor inputs with mineralogy, course of information and a proprietary algorithm, we’re in a position to dynamically optimise flotation hydrodynamics. The result’s a step-change in our potential to maximise reagent efficiency and drive total flotation efficiency to new ranges.”
It begins with deciding on the best collectors and frothers to maximise restoration and grade to satisfy plant-specific necessities. The following step is Good Sensor expertise from Stone Three Digital that allows a collection of measurements used to observe plant efficiency. The in-situ pulp sensor gives a groundbreaking view contained in the flotation cell – Nalco Water says offering the first-ever feed-forward visualisation of bubble era and mineral loading, in addition to monitoring parameters corresponding to bubble dimension, Jg, and fuel holdup.
Automated digital analytics and diagnostics monitor the chemical, mechanical and operational impacts on flotation efficiency in actual time. Machine learning-based choices present predictive and contextual insights into the flotation circuit to deal with challenges and optimise flotation productiveness.
A world community of technical consultants and labs guarantee continued help with native data of every buyer’s operational and environmental wants. When there are ore modifications within the mine, this staff of consultants is accessible to conduct testing and assist mitigate the impression of ore modifications earlier than they happen. By combining all of those instruments and assets into one providing, Flotation 360 gives real-time and forward-looking optimisation of buyer operations.
Shifting on to course of water, whose high quality performs an enormous function in mineral processing. If these waters are usually not handled correctly, scaling occasions can cut back throughput, trigger extra downtime and enhance labor prices to scrub piping, warmth exchangers, and different tools. It might additionally cut back the tools lifespan. To assist deal with water high quality challenges, Nalco Water has developed the Mining Optimizer, a proprietary scale management modelling software program software.
Water analyses are performed from samples pulled at a number of areas within the course of. These analyses are utilized by the Mining Optimizer to find out the best product and dosing, to troubleshoot operational issues, and to guage water administration practices to scale back the danger of scaling.
Nalco Water informed IM: “What units the Mining Optimizer other than different predictive packages used for cooling water and different utility-based processes is its potential to accurately deal with alkalinity for methods with a pH above 10. The Mining Optimizer can mannequin the impression of reagent additions corresponding to cyanide, lime, and caustic. It fashions residence occasions primarily based on mining processes as a substitute of cooling water circuits. It additionally has the facility to analyse and mannequin the mixing of course of waters from varied sources.
A big American copper mine recognized a brand new water supply. The Mining Optimizer recognized scale attributable to magnesium precipitation within the excessive pH flotation cells. The alternate water supply and mix ratios had been evaluated. The Optimizer recognized how the danger of scaling may very well be considerably decreased. The positioning accredited CAPEX to route the brand new water supply to the plant. Consequently, the antiscalant dosage was decreased by 33% or roughly US$400,000 in annual financial savings whereas additionally lowering the danger of scaling.
Lastly, reusing and recycling course of water again into the plant is turning into much more essential as particular areas of the world face water shortage issues and corporations more and more establish particular water discount targets as a part of their sustainability targets. The thickeners in a plant assist separate the high-quality particles from the used course of water to permit this water to be reused within the plant. As a result of plant circumstances change repeatedly, reagents used to assist strong/liquid separation should be adjusted regularly to keep away from upsets or shutdowns. As a result of guide dosing is completed reactively by operators, the thickener will underperform in periods the place reagents are overfed or underfed.
The Nalco Water STORM unit makes use of a proprietary automation system to optimise flocculant and coagulant dosages. A pattern is drawn from the centre effectively of the thickener right into a cylinder throughout the STORM unit. As soon as the cylinder is full, the solids start to settle as they’d within the thickener. Sensors measure the settling fee and turbidity and use these key parameters to continuously alter and monitor the reagent dosages. This may have a tendency to scale back the typical chemical dosage utilization. Extra importantly it gives extra constant and cleaner water again to the method for improved plant effectivity.
