Atlas Copco’s oil-free screw blowers are designed to reduce carbon emissions by upgrading inefficient existing systems.
It may sound daunting, but reducing carbon emissions is something every company can achieve.
Most companies now have emission-reduction goals ingrained in their strategies, and Atlas Copco can help make these strategies a reality.
An easy way for miners to achieve reduction, according to Atlas Copco, is upgrading inefficient lobe blowers located at their process plants. The company’s new ZS4, 5VSD (variable speed drive) and VSD+ oil-free screw blowers are the latest market releases that help to reduce carbon emissions by upgrading inefficient lobe blowers.
Both the ZS4 and 5VSD have a pressure band up to 1.5 bar and can deliver flows from 600 up to 12,000m³ per hour.
The innovative design and control systems have helped to improve the efficiency of mine sites and process plants around the world.
“These units have been in continuous development since 2009,” Atlas Copco product specialist Dillon Smith said.
“Screw blowers work to a specific compression ratio which suits different pressure ranges. The internal compression process of a screw blower results in significantly lower energy consumption, as a very limited amount of energy is transferred to heat.
“That is why screw blowers are an energy-efficient alternative to the classic rotary lobe blower solutions.”
By working closely with mining companies, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies, Atlas Copco has ensured its latest equipment ranges meet the pressure, flow, and environmental demands of the industry.
“The key to the development of these blowers was speaking to the people at the coalface, the OEMs, and understanding the various applications on-site,” Smith said.
“We looked at developing a unit that would be more efficient in operation and then the ZS4 and 5VSD was born.”
By analysing the different applications and investing in developing products that reduce energy consumption and improve production, Atlas Copco has ensured its blowers will go the distance in carbon-emission reduction.
“From a mining standpoint, we see the world pushing more towards sustainable fuel sources to power their operations,” Smith said. “It’s not even a trend, it’s just the way the world is moving.
“These screw blowers will help us focus on reducing a mine’s power usage and start reducing their emissions and carbon footprint.
“They are a more efficient way of producing compressed air because they use dynamic compression.”
The development of the combined blow off and safety valve has increased safety and efficiency in the ZS screw blower range. It allows for a smoother motor start-up under no pressure, fast flow control, and removes unnecessary motor starts and stops and long unload times.
The combined safety valve is set at a fixed pressure to protect the blower and ensures safe termination of pressure relief.
Atlas Copco can configure its product to suit each different mine site’s individual process and application. To provide each site with accurate flow and constant pressure control, the ZS4 and 5VSD blowers come with the option to include the VSD or a VSD-ready package, enabling a remote VSD to efficiently operate ZS4, 5VSD and VSD+ blowers.
“Supplying customers with the VSD installed gives them a complete plug-and-play unit,” Smith said. “Being able to customise the units to suit each mine condition can prolong the life and serviceability of the machine.”
Independently certified 100 per cent oil-free or Class 0, Atlas Copco’s customers can be sure the ZS screw blowers will deliver quality air that will not affect the yield in their mineral flotation and other processes.
The company also offers a range of maintenance and service plans. These can include access to Atlas Copco’s Smartlink technology, which gives the user the ability to monitor the equipment via real time data.
Depending on the chosen service plan, Atlas Copco can also monitor the equipment for the customer, allowing the company to identify variations in operation and update maintenance schedules and visits to improve uptime and reliability.
“These blowers can withstand hot, harsh and dusty environments,” Smith said. “So they are perfect for our Australian mining conditions.
“I think that all industries, not just mining, are looking to reduce their carbon emissions. And that’s what Atlas Copco can help with.”
This feature appeared in the November issue of Australian Mining.