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PalaboraSouth Africa

PROFIBUS-PAApplication Palabora Mining

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PROFIBUS-PAApplication

Palabora Mining

THE DECISION TO GO UNDERGROUND

When open pit copper minig commenced at

Palabora in 1966, the mine was planned to

operate for 20 years only.

However, increases in the production rate and

the resulting economies of scale led to the cut-

off grade being decreased. This in turn allowed

a total of five extensions of the mine life. Open

pit operations are now sheduled to the end of

the year 2002

Studies show that the orebody continues below the bottom of the final open pit shell and is open at

depth. Over one kilometre of this orebody is calssified as proven reserves and studies to assess the

economic feasability of extracting the ore have been underway since as early as 1979. After over a

decade of investigation by a team of international specialists renowned for their expertise in this

field, the following conclusion was reached: An underground mine, utilising block caving toextract 30 000 tons of ore per day, provided an economically viable way to obtain maximum

utilisation of exsisting ore deposits.This will extend the life of Palabora Mining Company by at

least another 20 years.

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Palabora Underground Mining Project

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Palabora Underground Mining Project

Auxiliaries: 1st Phase Refrigeration Plant

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Auxiliaries:

1st Phase

Refrigeration Plant

Application

Palabora Underground Mining Project

The Palabora surface refrigeration system comprisesof a precooling tower system cooling 210 l/s of

make up water which is supplied to three mechanicalrefrigeration plans of 18 MW refrigeration capacity.

The refrigeration is utilised to cool 516 m/s of ambientair to 14,6 C, and to supply 60 l/s 24 hour average 1C

water to the mine for service water use.

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1st Phase:

Refrigeration Plant

and Conveyor Belts

Application

Palabora Underground Mining Project

Siemens

ET 200

Remote I/O

DanfossAC Motor

Speed

Controller

ASI

Switches

DP/ASI-Link

Visualisation

WinCC

Control

SIMATIC S7

Siemens

Control System

PCS 7

fibre optical Industrial Ethernet

PROFIBUS-DP Fibre Optical

Samson

Control

Valve Cerabar S

Mycom L

Promag 3 3

Deltabar

3 Ammonia Refrigerators

TMD 834

Deltapilot S

ConveyorBelts

Segmentcoupler Brkert

Solenoid

Valves

PROFIBUS-PA

IEC 1158-2

Engineering

COMMUWIN II

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Endress+Hauser Transmitters

Application

Palabora Underground Mining Project

Level

18x Deltapilot S8x Prosonic

Pressure

13x Cerabar S28x Deltabar S

Temperature

61x TMD 834

Flow

17x Promag 33

3x Promass 63Analysis

2x Mycom L

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Palabora Underground Mining Project

Proximity Switches

Other instruments

Control Valves

Solenoid Valves

Pressure Switches

Flow Switches

Level Switches

Position Switches

Flow control with Samson Control Valvesand E+H Coriolis Massflowmeter Promass 63

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Distributed Control

Application

Palabora Underground Mining Project

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Johan Venter, Project Manager and responable for the whole electronicalinstallations (including Measurement and Control):

"The whole project will be finalized in 2002. Then the mine life is expectedfor another 20 years until 2023. it is obvious that we have to rely on todays

latest technology to have a modern plant also in 2023. On the other handthe technology must be proven and reliable. PROFIBUS, established since1990, meets perfectly all these requirements. So that all our instruments inthe field will be able to 'talk to us' via PROFIBUS."

Application

Palabora Underground Mining Project

Why Palabora chosePROFIBUS:

Tremendous cost savingson installation

Online accesss to the wholeinstallation (inc. Sensors and

Actuators) from control room

Drastically reduced documen-tation and planning efforts