1. On-site performance
What problems will the mining area see?
- For units selected based on sample capacity, the same crushers, pumps or air compressors are unstable after arriving in high-altitude mining areas.
- When the temperature is high at noon or during continuous operation, the temperature of the unit will rise and there will be more alarms, so the site can only operate with reduced load.
- There is a lot of dust in the crushing area, and the air filter, radiator and air inlet quickly become dirty, and the maintenance frequency is forced to be advanced.
- During the rainy season, power distribution cabinets, connectors, control boxes or cable trenches become damp, causing a significant increase in tripping and false alarms.
2. Risk causes
The reasons behind the power layout
Many projects look at kW and kVA based on catalogs or standard working conditions, but do not take into account the real mining environment. High altitude will worsen engine air intake conditions, high temperatures will affect heat dissipation, dust will block air intake and filtration, and rain will affect power distribution and control stability.
If there is no derating and margin based on the site altitude, maximum temperature, dust intensity and rainy season conditions, the sufficient unit in the sample may only have a smaller available capacity when it arrives at the site.
Environmental adaptation is not an afterthought. Air intake and exhaust, heat dissipation, rain protection, dust protection, filtration, power distribution protection and maintenance cycles will all determine whether the unit can operate stably according to the rhythm of the mining area.
3. Scope of influence
Production suspension, fuel consumption, maintenance, safety and environmental protection will all be magnified
- The production load band is not full, and some equipment needs to be shut down or started at staggered peaks on site, disrupting the rhythm of trial production.
- The unit operates at the edge of high temperature, dust and high load for a long time, and fuel consumption, wear, alarm and maintenance costs will increase.
- Distribution faults caused by rain and dust can make troubleshooting difficult, and it is easy to repeatedly find the cause on site among generators, equipment and lines.
- The expansion plan looked like the power capacity was ready, but when it was actually put into production, it was shut down repeatedly due to environmental degradation and protection actions.
4. How to avoid before construction
What do mine owners need to confirm in advance?
- Before selecting, provide the altitude, maximum ambient temperature, rainy season conditions, dust sources, unit placement and ventilation conditions together. Don’t just give the equipment power.
- Confirm the available power and reserve margin of the unit based on the most unfavorable working conditions on site, and reserve larger capacity or use a multi-machine combination if necessary.
- Simultaneously plan the air intake and exhaust, radiator cleaning space, rainproof shed, distribution cabinet protection, cable routing and dust filtration maintenance cycle.
- Before putting into production, record the load, voltage, temperature, alarm and filter element status in the actual environment to confirm that it does not look normal only under no load or low load.
5. On-site confirmation information
The closer the information is to the scene, the faster the plan will be implemented
- Mining area elevation, maximum and common ambient temperatures, rainy season time, dust sources and site photos.
- The planned installation location of the unit is in the open air, in a shed, in a container, or close to the crushing line, road or material yard.
- List of main loads, planned simultaneous operation of equipment, continuous operating hours per day and whether long-term self-generation is required.
- Alarm records, temperature records, filter element replacement frequency, power distribution cabinets and cable joint photos of existing units.
