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Developing a demand-driven compressed air management system for energy efficiency in deep-level gold mining
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2024
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| _version_ | 1867613764063330304 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Gerber, Waldo Tertius |
| author2 | Gous, Andries Gustav Stephanus |
| author_browse | Gerber, Waldo Tertius Gous, Andries Gustav Stephanus |
| author_facet | Gous, Andries Gustav Stephanus Gerber, Waldo Tertius |
| author_sort | Gerber, Waldo Tertius |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130665 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:19.685Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/130665 Developing a demand-driven compressed air management system for energy efficiency in deep-level gold mining Gerber, Waldo Tertius Gous, Andries Gustav Stephanus Schutte, Cornelius Stephanus Lodewyk Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering. Compressed air Energy efficiency Deep-level mining Demand-driven control UCTD Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Deep-level gold mining operations in South Africa are under immense pressure to remain profitable while operating costs continue to rise. Little can be done to curb the effects of declining ore grades and increasing mining depths on operating costs. However, improving the efficiency of energy intensive mining systems can significantly reduce the operating costs of deep-level mining operations. Compressed air (CA) systems are typically the largest energy consumer at a deep-level gold mine. Furthermore, the inefficiency of CA networks and their proclivity for wastage have been discussed extensively throughout literature. Studies showed that scope existed to reduce the operating costs of a deep-level mining operation by improving the energy efficiency of the CA networks. A need exists to improve the efficiency of CA networks at deep-level mining operations. In this study, a system engineering approach, incorporating fundamental systems engineering methods and principles, was adopted and applied over the systems development life cycle to develop a CA management system (CAMS). The required capabilities of the proposed system were derived from literature during a needs analysis. The system requirements were translated into the required system capabilities, which were found to be real-time CA demand determination and real-time CA control. Solutions that satisfied the system’s required capabilities were explored from literature during a feasibility analysis. During the feasibility analysis, it was found that various systems existed to effectively manage the supply of CA. However, remotely controllable CA control valves provided the greatest control resolution. No methods for calculating the CA demand of the network in real-time could be identified from the related literature. Therefore, alternative methods related to utility management and energy efficiency were explored from literature. Demand-driven control was found to be a popular energy management strategy focused on real-time utility management which used occupancy data to determine the user demand for a utility in real time. Various occupancy methods were reviewed to identify feasible methods for application in this study. It was found that the zone-based tracking systems employed by various deep-level mines, along with other commonly available CA user data, could be used to determine localised CA demand in real time. An engineering methodology was developed to incorporate the feasible solutions into a single system and solve the research problem. A prototype system was developed, and its operational effectiveness was evaluated in a model of the system's operating environment where it performed as designed, which validated the engineering methodology. The system was implemented at a case-study mine and evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the system in reducing the inefficiency of the CA network at the case-study mine. The compressor energy demand and CA supply data collected over 24 hours showed that the system was effective at reducing the CA wastage and decreasing the energy consumption of the compressors, which subsequently reduced energy costs. It was concluded that the engineering methodology developed in this study could be used to develop a demand-driven CAMS at any deep-level mining operation where the system requirements laid out in this study are satisfied. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Diepvlak goudmynbedrywighede in Suid-Afrika is onder druk om winsgewend te bly terwyl bedryfskoste voortdurend styg. Min kan gedoen word om die effekte van afnemende ertsgraad en toenemende myndieptes op bedryfskoste te beperk. Verbetering van die doeltreffendheid van energieintensiewe stelsels sal bydra tot 'n vermindering in die bedryfskoste van diepvlak goudmynbedrywighede. Saamgeperste lug (CA) stelsels tipies verantwoordelik is vir 21% van 'n myn se energieverbruik. Verder is die doeltreffendheid van CA-netwerke en hul neiging tot morsigheid omvattend bespreek in die literatuur. Studies het getoon dat daar 'n geleentheid bestaan om die bedryfskoste van 'n diepvlak mynbedrywighyd te verminder deur die energiedoeltreffendheid van die CA-netwerke te verbeter. Die behoefte bestaan om die doeltreffendheid van die SL-netwerke in diepvlak mynbedrywighede te verbeter. Hierdie studie het 'n stelselingenieursbenadering, wat fundamentele stelselingenieursmetodes en -beginsels insluit, aangeneem en oor die stelselontwikkelinglewensiklus toegepas om 'n SL-bestuurstelsel (CAMS) te ontwikkel. Die vereiste vermoëns van die voorgestelde stelsel is uit literatuur afgelei tydens 'n behoefte-analise. Die stelselvereistes is omgeskakel na die vereiste stelselvermoëns wat bevind is as die bepaling van die werklike SL-aanvraag en die werklike-tyd beheer van saamgeperste lug. Oplossings wat voldoen het aan die vereiste vermoëns van die stelsel is uit literatuur verken tydens 'n haalbaarheidsontleding. Tydens die haalbaarheidsontleding is daar bevind dat verskeie effektiewe stelsels bestaan om die verskaffing van SL te beheer. Van hierdie stelsels het afstandsbeheerbare CAbeheerkleppe die grootste beheerresolusie aangebied. Geen metodes vir die berekening van CA-aanvraag in werklike-tyd kon geïdentifiseer word in literatuur nie. Daarom is alternatiewe metodes ondersoek in literatuur wat verband gehou het met die bestuur van nutsvoorsiening en energie-doeltreffendheid. Daar was gevind dat aanvraaggedrewe beheer 'n gewilde energiebestuurstrategie is wat gefokus is op werklike-tydse nutsbestuur en besettingsdata gebruik het om die verbruikeraanvraag vir 'n nutsdiens in werklike tyd te bepaal. Verskeie besettingsmetodes is hersien om lewensvatbare metodes vir toepassing in hierdie studie te identifiseer. Daar is bevind dat die sonegebaseerde volgsisteme wat deur verskeie diepvlak mynbedrywighede gebruik word saam met ander algemeen beskikbare CA-verbruikersinligting gebruik kan word om plaaslike SL-aanvraag in werklike tyd te bepaal. 'n Ingenieurswesemetodologie is vervolgens ontwikkel om hierdie lewensvatbare oplossings in een stelsel te inkorporeer en die navorsingsprobleem op te los. 'n Prototipe stelsel is ontwikkel, en sy bedryfseffektiwiteit is geëvalueer in 'n model van die stelsel se bedryfsomgewing waar dit volgens die ontwerp gefunksioneer het, en sodoende die ingenieurswesemetodologie bevestig het. Die stelsel is in 'n gevallestudie-myn geïmplementeer en geëvalueer om die effektiwiteit van die stelsel in die vermindering van die ondoeltreffendheid van die CA-netwerk in die gevallestudie-myn te bepaal. Die resultate van die kompressor se energiebehoeftes en die CA-toevoerdata oor 'n tydperk van 24 uur ingesamel is, het getoon dat die stelsel effektief was in die vermindering van die morsigheid van CA en die afname in die energieverbruik van die kompressors en dus in die vermindering van energiekoste. Daarom is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die ingenieurswesemetodologie wat ontwikkel is gebruik kan word om 'n aanvraaggedrewe CAMS in enige diepvlakmynbedrywigheid te ontwikkel waar die stelselvereistes wat in hierdie studie uiteengesit is bevredig word. Masters 2024-02-13T09:44:07Z 2024-04-27T01:52:51Z 2024-02-13T09:44:07Z 2024-04-27T01:52:51Z 2024-02 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130665 en_ZA en_ZA Stellenbosch University xv, 136 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Compressed air Energy efficiency Deep-level mining Demand-driven control UCTD Gerber, Waldo Tertius Developing a demand-driven compressed air management system for energy efficiency in deep-level gold mining |
| title | Developing a demand-driven compressed air management system for energy efficiency in deep-level gold mining |
| title_full | Developing a demand-driven compressed air management system for energy efficiency in deep-level gold mining |
| title_fullStr | Developing a demand-driven compressed air management system for energy efficiency in deep-level gold mining |
| title_full_unstemmed | Developing a demand-driven compressed air management system for energy efficiency in deep-level gold mining |
| title_short | Developing a demand-driven compressed air management system for energy efficiency in deep-level gold mining |
| title_sort | developing a demand driven compressed air management system for energy efficiency in deep level gold mining |
| topic | Compressed air Energy efficiency Deep-level mining Demand-driven control UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130665 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gerberwaldotertius developingademanddrivencompressedairmanagementsystemforenergyefficiencyindeeplevelgoldmining |