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Identifying water wastage in deep-level mines using novel simulation-based zero-waste baselines
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA en_ZA |
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2024
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| _version_ | 1867614139909668864 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Le Roux, Marco |
| author2 | Schutte, Cornelius Stephanus Lodewyk |
| author_browse | Le Roux, Marco Schutte, Cornelius Stephanus Lodewyk |
| author_facet | Schutte, Cornelius Stephanus Lodewyk Le Roux, Marco |
| author_sort | Le Roux, Marco |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130652 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:47:17.937Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130652 Identifying water wastage in deep-level mines using novel simulation-based zero-waste baselines Le Roux, Marco Schutte, Cornelius Stephanus Lodewyk Van Laar, Jean Herman Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering. Mine water Mine ventilation Deep-level mines Water reticulation systems UCTD Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mining in South Africa has seen a downward trend caused by the increasing depth of mining operations. Underground air temperatures increase along with this depth and are regulated using chilled water in integrated chilled service water and ventilation systems. Chilled water reticulation systems are very energy-intensive and prone to wastage. Due to the size and complexity of these systems, this wastage is often not identified. This study aims to develop a simulation-based method capable of identifying and quantifying the service water wastage in deep-level mines. This study will follow the case study research design methodology to design and test the developed method. Water reticulation systems operate to provide chilled water to their consumers. The primary consumers of the water reticulation system are water-air heat exchangers, mining equipment, and cleaning equipment. Simulations are a crucial part of the analysis of mining systems. A systematic literature review is used to evaluate wastage identification studies based on whether they were applied to water reticulation systems on a deep-level mine, were simulation-based, and whether they quantified the wastage that was identified. Four main techniques for identifying waste are identified: zero-waste baselines, control valves, measured baselines, and leak detection. Of these methods, only zero-waste baselining determines the theoretical true extent of a system’s wastage. Studies applying zero-waste baselines on deep-level mines are investigated to establish the common wastage quantification process. These investigations reveal the shortcomings of applying and establishing traditional zero-waste baselines. In addressing these shortcomings, the study yields three novel contributions: the development and application of a method for deep level mine water reticulation system wastage identification with zero-waste baselines, a novel method for developing zero-waste baselines, and the development of simulation-based zerowaste baselines. The method is designed by considering the key learnings from the literature-focused investigation. The constructed method uses a thermohydraulic simulation to establish a novel zero-waste baseline, which is compared with the actual mine service water flow profile to identify the service water wastage. The method is validated and practically demonstrated through application to three case studies of progressively smaller scale and complexity. The simulation-based zero-waste baseline is shown to be accurate to within 5% and is used to quantify the service water wastage of 32%, 30%, and 70%, respectively. These case studies show that the constructed method is applicable to all complexity levels within a deep-level mine. Comparing the proposed zero-waste baseline with other wastage identification techniques shows that the proposed method identifies the greatest extent of wastage. This comparison facilitates a proposed method for wastage elimination. The main drawbacks of the other considered techniques are the non-inclusion of instances of water wastage and the overestimation of the baseline flow. These contribute to the proposed method identifying 33%, 32%, and 76% more wastage than the next best technique, respectively. This study develops a method to identify the service water wastage in deep-level mines using a simulation-based zero-waste baseline. Further studies can utilise the zero-waste baseline in a hierarchical method to better identify the specific areas of wastage in a deep-level min. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Mynwese in Suid Afrika neem af as gevolg van toenemende dieptes van die myne. Ondergrondse lugtemperature verhoog saam die diepte. Die temperatuur se styging word beheer met geïntegreerde verkoelde water en ventilasie stelsels. Die water retikulasie stelsels is baie energie intensief en is geneig tot vermorsing, maar weens die grootte en kompleksiteit van die stelsels word die vermorsing nie identifiseer nie. Hierdie studie se doelwit is om ‘n metode te ontwikkel wat verkoelde dienswater vermorsing kan identifiseer en kwantifiseer op diepvlakmyne deur middel van ‘n gevallestudie navorsingsontwerpmetodologie. Water retikulasie stelsels verskaf verkoelde water vir verbuikers. Die hoof verbruikers van die water retikulasie stelsels is water-lug hitteruilers, myntoerusting en skoonmaak toerusting. Simulasies is ‘n noodsaklike deel van die analise van myn stelsels. 'n Sistematiese literatuurstudie word gebruik om bestaande vermorsing identifikasie studies te evalueer op grond van of hulle op diepvlakmyn water retikulasie stelsels toegepas is, of hulle simulasies bevat, en of hulle die vermorsing wat identifiseer is, ook kwantifiseer. Vier hoof metodes vir vermorsing identifikasie is in ag geneem: nulvermorsingsbasislyne, beheerkleppe, gemete basislyne, en lek opsporing. Van die metodes, bepaal net ‘n nulvermorsiningsbasislyn die ware mate van vermorsing in ‘n stelsel. Studies wat nulvermorsingsbasislyne op diepvlakmyne toepas, word ondersoek om die algemene vermorsing kwantifiseringsproses vas te stel. Hierdie ondersoeke toon die tekortkominge van die toepassing en vestiging van tradisionele nulvermorsingsbasislyne. Om hierdie tekortkominge aan te spreek, lewer die studie drie nuwe bydraes: die ontwikkeling en toepassing van 'n metode vir die identifisering van vermorsing vir diepvlakmynwater met nulvermorsiningsbasislyne, 'n nuwe metode vir die ontwikkeling van nulvermorsiningsbasislyne, en die ontwikkeling van nulvermorsiningsbasislyne wat simulasies bevat. Die metode word ontwikkel deur die sleutel kennis aspekte uit die literatuurgefokusde ondersoek in ag te neem. Die ontwikkelde metode bevat 'n termohidrouliese simulasie om 'n nuwe nulvermorsiningsbasislyn te vestig. Die basislyn is daarna met die werklike myn dienswater vloei vergelyk om die dienswater vermorsing te identifiseer. Die metode word bekragtig en prakties gedemonstreer deur toepassing op drie gevallestudies met ‘n progressief kleiner skaal en meer kompleksiteit. Hiervolgens is die simulasie-gebaseerde nulvermorsiningsbasislyn binne 5% akkuraat en word gebruik om die dienswatervermorsing van onderskeidelik 32%, 30% en 70% in die gevallestudies te kwantifiseer. Hierdie gevallestudies toon dat die ontwikkelde metode akkuraat is op alle kompleksiteitsvlakke binne 'n diepvlakmyn. Deur die voorgestelde nulvermorsingsbasislyn met ander vermorsingidentifikasietegnieke te vergelyk wys dat die nulvermorsingsbasislyn die grooste mate van vermorsing identifiseer. Hierdie vergelyking fasiliteer 'n voorgestelde metode vir die uitskakeling van vermorsing. Die vernaamste nadele van die ander oorweegde tegnieke is die uitsluiting van gevalle van watervermorsing en die oorskatting van die basislynvloei. Die voorgestelde metode identifiseer onderskeidelik 33%, 32% en 76% meer vermorsing as die naasbeste ander tegniek. Hierdie studie ontwikkel 'n metode om die dienswatervermorsing in diepvlakmyne te identifiseer deur 'n simulasie-gebaseerde nulvermorsingsbasislyn te gebruik, om sodoende die studiedoelwitte te bereik. In verdere studies kan die nulvermorsingsbasislyn in 'n hiërargiese metode gebruik om die spesifieke areas van vermorsing in 'n diepvlakmyn beter te identifiseer. en_ZA 2024-02-13T07:48:24Z 2024-04-27T01:24:27Z 2024-02-13T07:48:24Z 2024-04-27T01:24:27Z 2024-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130652 en_ZA en_ZA xxii, 274 pages : illustrations application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Mine water Mine ventilation Deep-level mines Water reticulation systems UCTD Le Roux, Marco Identifying water wastage in deep-level mines using novel simulation-based zero-waste baselines |
| title | Identifying water wastage in deep-level mines using novel simulation-based zero-waste baselines |
| title_full | Identifying water wastage in deep-level mines using novel simulation-based zero-waste baselines |
| title_fullStr | Identifying water wastage in deep-level mines using novel simulation-based zero-waste baselines |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identifying water wastage in deep-level mines using novel simulation-based zero-waste baselines |
| title_short | Identifying water wastage in deep-level mines using novel simulation-based zero-waste baselines |
| title_sort | identifying water wastage in deep level mines using novel simulation based zero waste baselines |
| topic | Mine water Mine ventilation Deep-level mines Water reticulation systems UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130652 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lerouxmarco identifyingwaterwastageindeeplevelminesusingnovelsimulationbasedzerowastebaselines |