Smart-VOD is taking its ventilation on-demand service to the next level.
Most underground mining vehicles in use today are powered by diesel motors.
That means forced air ventilation is required to remove diesel exhaust, blast gasses, and reduce the ambient temperature for underground operators.
Mining companies are after a ventilation solution that not only complies with ventilation standards but minimises power usage and associated cost. And this is precisely where Smart-VOD steps in.
Since it was established in 2020, Smart-VOD has great success through its ventilation on-demand solution.
“Smart-VOD has successfully rolled out ventilation on-demand across multiple gold mines in Western Australia,” the company said.
“We have continued to develop and refine our ventilation on-demand offering so we can deliver a better solution for our clients.”
The Smart-VOD ventilation on-demand solution is comprised of three key components:
- A method of controlling the fan output
- A demand control signal
- Monitoring and reporting on the ongoing performance of the system
Fan output can be controlled with a variable speed drive (VSD) or a Smart-Starter. A VSD offers continuous control over fan speed, while a Smart-Starter allows remote control of both stages of a dual fan starter.
Image: Smart-VOD
Operating a dual-speed fan with one stage on and one stage off delivers about 80 per cent of the air volume at half the power.
Smart-VOD’s ventilation on-demand solution uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) to track vehicles entering and exiting a ventilation zone, thereby providing demand control signals based on vehicle movements.
Additionally, Smart-VOD provides a centralised mine dashboard displaying the status of the ventilation zone along with the savings performance.
To further simplify the adoption of ventilation on-demand, Smart-VOD has developed the Smart-Starter core, which can be retrofitted onto existing dual-fan direct online (DOL) starters, transforming an existing fan starter into a Smart-Starter. This enables control of the existing fan starter through Smart-VOD’s ventilation on-demand control system.
“The Smart-Starter core acts as a smart switch that’s remotely controllable, receiving demand control signals from the vehicle tracking systems,” Smart-VOD said.
While dual-motor secondary fans are very common in underground mining, some mine sites find the VSD adoption challenging. Smart-VOD recommends these sites adopt the Smart-Starter.
“The Smart-Starter core is a low-cost entry for sites looking to utilise Smart-VOD’s ventilation on-demand system,” Smart-VOD said.
“The Smart-Starter core is an off-the-shelf product designed to be seamless integrated with an existing dual-fan DOL starter.
“It’s built small to allow for a simple retrofit into an existing dual-fan starter, while being durable and reliable.”
The ventilation on-demand system has delivered 54 per cent in energy savings over its last 100,000 hours of operation, Smart-VOD said, and the company believes a dual-fan DOL starter fitted with the Smart-Starter core can deliver 50 per cent in energy savings.
Image: Smart-VOD
“This represents a significant reduction in ventilation power usage and emissions,” the company said.
“The noticeable reduction in on-site power usage has helped customers reduce their all-in sustaining costs, leading to more profitable mining.”
A Smart-Starter can be upgraded to a VSD by simply unplugging the Smart-Starter and plugging the VSD in. Smart-VOD’s ventilation on-demand system will recognise the type of starter being used and control it appropriately.
Smart-VOD recommends larger sites have a mix of VSDs and Smart-Starters.
“This is because the potential energy savings vary across location and time with the varying mix of mining operations,” Smart-VOD said.
“They are different technologies that provide varying degrees of adjustability.
“To maximise savings,sites can install VSDs where more intensive operations take place and have Smart-Starters located everywhere else.”
Smart-VOD’s ventilation on-demand unit has been designed to operate autonomously, which means it doesn’t require continuous network connectivity.
“Some companies use other mine control functions and technology to adjust ventilation but that requires manual input from people at the surface, whereas ours does not,” the company said.
When network connectivity is available, further features are enabled, including a centralised mine dashboard showing the status of the ventilation zone and the savings performance, as well as reports on vehicles in each ventilation zone and their ventilation flow. This helps demonstrate compliance with legislated ventilation standards.
As mine sites look for ways to be more energy-conscious, Smart-VOD’s ventilation on-demand system is proven to help customers save on energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint.
This feature appeared in the May 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
