The Application and Implementation of Optimized

Mine Ventilation on Demand (OMVOD)

at the Xstrata Nickel Rim South Mine, Sudbury, Ontario

Erik Bartsch
Xstrata Nickel, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Mark Laine
Simsmart Technologies, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Mark Andersen
Simsmart Technologies, Barrie, Ontario, Canada

13th North American Mine Ventilation Symposium, 2010

Nickel Rim South Mine - General Overview

2
Nickel Rim South- Mine Location

45 miles
Strathcona Nickel
Mill 20 miles Hwy 69 N Rim
South
SUDBURY BASIN

Hwy 144 Smelter

Hwy 17 E
North Bay 120km

Hwy 69 S

Sault Ste-Marie 300km

Toronto 400km
3
Nickel Rim Project Timeline

2001 Discovery of ore at 1100m – 1700m

2002 Drilling program expanded

2003 FEL 2 & FEL 3 studies. Shaft pilot hole drilled.

Road, power, pipelines to site.

2004 Project Go-Ahead. Site prep and surface const.

Vent Adit and collar raises

2005 Sinking plant +5 hoists, 2 head-frames

Shaft-sinking commenced
2006 Shaft sinking, Main and Vent Shafts
Diamond drilling from shaft stations
2007 Sinking completed, Lateral dev’t from 3 levels,
vent raising and diamond drilling
2008 Surface and Underground construction. 10km
development, 95km drilling, Dev. Ore 58k
2009 U/G construction, 12km dev't, 40km drilling,
Backfill plant, permanent Dry/Admin,
Production - 547kT Ore

2010 Complete mine infrastructure/

production ramp-up; 1M Tonnes Ore.
Complete Transition to NiRim Ops.
Is now NRS mine 4
 Mineral Resource
2008 Diamond
Drilling

• Diamond drilling program totalled 134 km from

three main levels, defining two zones

• Results generated following resource estimate:

17.4 mt @1.47%Ni, 2.71%Cu

Contact Zone Ore
Contact Zone – 8.2mt @ 1.86% Ni, 1.25 Cu
Contact II – 0.4mt @ 2.19% Ni, 0.21 Cu
Footwall Zone – 8.8mt @ 1.07% Ni, 4.18% Cu

Footwall Zone Ore Contact Zone Ore

Footwall Zone Ore

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VOD fits with Nickel Rim
Technology Strategy & Vision

Technology Strategy
Nickel Rim South Mine is committed to implementing
and sustaining the next level of technology.
Technology Vision Components
• Automatic collection of production and maintenance
data & real-time access to this information.
•Automated, self-optimizing systems (ventilation, ore
handling, backfill etc)
•Visualize the mining process as a “muck factory”.

6
 Ventilation Process Flow
Air Flow
U/G Ventilation System Control
System operated/monitored
from Surface OC

Main Shaft
Headframe
12 m3/s

Exhaust Fans Vent Shaft Main Shaft Supply Fans

1280L

570m3/s 1480L
Capacity
(-6.5kPa) 1520L
540m3/s
1660L shaft
capacity
1700L (12m/s)

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Nickel Rim South – Surface Layout

Backfill
Plant

Intake fans

Main
Admin

Exhaust
fans

8
 Supply Fan Major Equipment
• VFD Building:
– Allen Bradley PowerFlex AC700
Drives
– Schneider Switchgear
– Allen Bradley PLC’s

• 10’, 450HP Howden Buffalo

Mine Duty Vane-axial Fans:
– 13’ square Flextor Isolation
Dampers c/w electric operators
– Reliance Electric 450HP Motor

• 37.0 MMBTHU Advanced

Combustion Mine Air Heaters:

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 Exhaust Fan Major Equipment
• VFD Building:
– Allen Bradley PowerFlex 7000 Medium Voltage
Drive (liquid cooled)
– Liquid to Air Cooler (One for each VFD)
– Schneider Switchgear
– Allen Bradley PLC’s

• Howden Buffalo Mine Heavy Duty

Centrifugal Fans:
– 13’ square Flextor Isolation Dampers c/w actuator
– Toshiba 4000HP Electric Motor

• 37.0 MMBTHU Advanced Combustion Mine

Air Heaters:
– Valve Train
– Flame Rods
– Sensors (CO and Temperature)
– Temperature Control Panel
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 Ventilation System General
Arrangement
3 x 450hp
intake fans
2 x 4000hp
exhaust
fans

Air free flow from main shaft through

main workings by regulated return air
system

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Typical Level Ventilation Circuit (1280L)

Regulators

Main Shaft

Vent Shaft

Regulator controlled
Return air drift 12
 Nickel Rim South Ventilation
requirements

2 Alternative Air
demand
calculations

Potential deficit in ventilation air.

Motivated for VOD.
13
 VOD - Objectives

1. Optimize usage of the limited fresh air supply volume,

while supporting the level of activity required to achieve
planned production rates

2. Potential for reduction in power consumption.

3. Potential for reduction in natural gas consumption.

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 VOD - Economic Justifications

Operating assumptions Normal mine OMVOD operation assumption OMVOD annual savings
operation opportunity window

355 days where fans can be modulated as a function of a schedule and/or machinery operating status:
(assumption of 2 shifts per day of 11.5 hours each plus one blasting period of 1 hour)
Blast clearing time per day 1 hour < 1 hour A portion of 355 hours/year
Differential time where surface fans do not require 100% speed

Travel and non production time Full Fan 3.5 hours/shift 2,485 hours/year
50% speed modulation on surface fans and auxiliary fans turned-off while
machinery not present in work zone

Machinery Diesel “off” during Full Fan Machinery off 33% / 8 hour shift production time (2.67 hrs/shift) 1,896 hours/year
shift production time Auxiliary fans modulated to less than 100% speed or only for personnel when
machinery not present in work zone. Surface fans modulated to meet total
demand.

Maintenance or holiday periods as non operating time per year:

10 days where fans do not require Full Fan 10 Days/year 240 hrs/year
100% speed 50% speed modulation on surface fans and auxiliary fans turned-off while
machinery not present in work zone

Example of equivalent potential energy savings based on the following energy cost assumptions:
Total yearly fan operating cost $5,164,020 $2,439,941 $2,724,080 (52.8%)
(primary and aux.)
7,860 installed kW @ $0.075/kWh

Propane Costs $789,840 $603,438 $186,402 (23.6%)

Total Energy Cost $5,953,860 $3,043,379 $2,910,482 (48.9%)
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 VOD - Challenges

1. Measurements are difficult to perform and can be

unreliable
2. Variables are interactive (e.g. a flow change in one
area affects flows in other areas)
3. Area to be ventilated is constantly changing
4. System response affected by multiple factors (air
density, auxiliary fan status, drift obstructions etc)

Multi-Variable Control Problem

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General Process Control Hierarchy

- Each layer requires a

STABLE and ROBUST
foundation
- Hierarchy defines Both
the CONSTRUCTION
and the OPERATING
stages
Optimising Loop Control
Dynamic
Economic - Increasing % of optimal
Control returns
External System
- Decreasing Robustness
Supervisory Control owing to increased
External System complexity
Field / Panel / DCS / PLC

Single Loop Control (e.g. PID)

Field / Panel / DCS / PLC

Measure / Manipulate
Instrumentation - Inputs / Outputs

Process 17
18
 VOD System Selection

Following detailed vendor/product analysis the

Simsmart OMVOD system was selected

1. The product was mature and fully

developed.
2. All 3 stages of VOD supported
3. Stage 3 supported through mass
balanced ventilation modelling
(significant for deep mines)
4. Underlying approach was compatible
with the general control hierarchy.

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OMVOD Overview

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 Modelling & Simulation ventilation
calculation process overview

• The OMVOD system is a mine ventilation control and

optimization system that offers advanced air movement
calculations.
• The system ventilation calculations are based on first
principles and dynamic transient air mass and energy
conservation
• The density is corrected for depth and calculations
account for natural ventilation pressure.
• The Proprietary Engineering Suite can also be used as a
dynamic model based predictive tool for calculating
current and future ventilation requirements and use in
“what if” situations.
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 Implementation in 3 phases

• Phase 1: Preliminary engineering - Produces an analysis

of the mine ventilation information and defines the
requirements that the project execution must meet.

• Phase 2: Detailed engineering and production of the

OMVOD system – result can be used to quantify
expected benefits by stimulating the system with
planned operating scenarios.

• Phase 3: OMVOD system installation, commissioning

and initial support – calibration of model using
ventilation surveys.
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 Components required for VOD

1. Air monitoring systems

2. Automated flow regulators
3. Remote control of auxiliary vent fans
4. Equipment tracking system
5. Configured VOD control system.

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 Air Monitoring Stations

1. Located at Return Air Raises

2. Monitor Air flow
3. Quality measurements (O2, CO, NO2)
4. Local/Remote control of regulator

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 Air Monitoring Stations located at
RAR regulator locations

Square
PLC Panel Regulat
Accutron or
Flow
Pressure
Transmitter
Transmitter
Carbon Monoxide
Sensor

Oxygen
Sensor Actuators

Nitrogen
Dioxide
Sensor

1. Communicate back to nearest

Automation Control Centre (ACC)
2. Primarily controlled from surface but
autonomous operation possible if
communication is lost.
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 Auxiliary fan control

• ‘Intelligent’ portable sub-stations

designed for 3 fan sizes
(100hp,50hp, 30hp)
• Remote monitoring and
Start/Stop capability.
• ‘Plug-in’ or permanently wired.
• Controlled by local Automation
Control Centre (ACC).
• Can operate independently if
communication with surface is
lost.

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Auxiliary fan control

27
 Tracking system – Ekahau
1. Using existing wireless
infrastructure - Siemens
Access Points (AP).
2. No additional infrastructure
(e.g. positioning beacons)
required.
3. Real time locating service
(RTLS) uses Received Signal
Strength Indication (RSSI) to
indicate position (see right)
4. Resolution (partially)
determined by density of AP
deployment
5. Hardware or ‘soft’ tags

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OMVOD control modes for
regulators and fans

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NRS OMVOD level HMI display

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OMVOD event scheduling –
Pre/Post Blast modes

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 VOD Integration - Role of
VOD Coordinator

• Ensure that under failure conditions, ventilation

systems would default to safe conditions.
• Specifications of appropriate ventilation events and
schedules (Stage 2).
• Conduct risk assessment to understand the technical,
operational and organizational risks with the project
and work to mitigate them.
• Determine and define how the system will respond to
non-compliance issues/events and the expectations of
the operations for such events.
• Identify required training and resources to adequately
maintain and support the system.
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 Technical challenges and
mitigations

• Both technical and work culture challenges are to be considered

• The mine is continually under development requiring continual
modifications to any ventilation control system.

At Nickel Rim these challenges are mitigated by:

• Communication with all stakeholders to ensure buy-in at all levels in

the organization.
• The hierarchical design of the OMVOD system which allows the
system deliver benefits even if not able to run at the fully optimized
level (stage 3)
• The simplicity of ‘turning on’ pre-configured mine headings as the
mine was being developed. (Reduces the day-to day engineering
effort)

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 Current Status

• Stage 1 operation is significantly complete. Surface & Underground

ventilation components are being controlled remotely.
• Stage ‘2’ operation is currently being rolled-out. Optimising blast
gas clearing time the current priority.
• Stage ‘3’ tracking system resolution and limitations being
determined.
• Change control procedures to deal with ‘plug in’ (mobile) auxiliary
fans being developed.
• ‘Fail safe’ scenarios to be identified before Stage 3 implementation.

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Thank You

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