New sub-sea diamond mining tool
March 2001
System Integration & Control Systems Design
DMI in South Africa recently completed the electronic and electrical design and manufacture of a control system for NAMCO's new 190 ton sub-sea diamond mining tool.
The mining tool is fitted with a 1,8 MW submersible dredge pump for pumping gravel to the surface processing plant via a riser system. The tool is a tracked vehicle with a movable boom and knuckle to control the position of the suction nozzle. The tool is fitted with a 500 kW hydraulic power pack and a 500 kW jetting motor. An umbilical cable fed through a slip-ring assembly provides electrical power and control signals to the tool. There are approximately 140 field instruments fitted to the tool for monitoring various pressures, temperatures, forces, positions and fluid levels. It also has a sonar system, a gyrocompass, lights and underwater cameras.
A Pilot controls the tool from the surface control room. The surface control room has a 7-bay console with a pilot and a co-pilot operating position. Each operator position has a chair fitted with two 3-axis joysticks in the armrests for control. The seven bays have various sonar and navigation displays as well as the main operating screens. The main operating screens were developed using the Rockwell RSView scada software. The screens include graphical animation as well as system mimics and maintenance information.
The control system is based on Allen Bradley PLC5 equipment. This was chosen for its reliability and ruggedness. There are two PLCs - one PLC is installed into an electronic bottle which is mounted on the mining tool and another is installed in the vessel's control room.
DMI has been involved with the project together with NAMCO's design team, from the concept phase to final hand-over. DMI's main areas of responsibility were for the development of the control software, the design and manufacture of the underwater and surface electrical hardware, including underwater cables, junction boxes and sensors. DMI was also responsible for integration and interfacing to equipment supplied by specialist vendors.
Fibre optics is used as the primary communications medium between the vessel and the mining tool. This provides immunity against interference generated by the variable frequency drive of the 1,8 MW dredge motor. Standard wire communications is also incorporated as a back-up.
The mining tool's electronic equipment is housed in an electronics bottle. This includes the PLC, its I/O modules, power supplies and amplifiers for hydraulic solenoid valves, roll and pitch sensors, lighting control cards, insulation monitoring cards (AC and DC), and water ingress detection cards. These special purpose electronic cards were designed and manufactured in-house by DMI. The mining tool was designed to operate to depths of 300 m and was commissioned in December 2000. The complete system is now operational and mining.
DMI is an electronic and electrical systems engineering and manufacturing company operating from Cape Town and has the capability to meet the customers' requirements for specialised and underwater control systems.
DMI
(021) 762 0216
frank@delcon.co.za
www.delcon.co.za
Further reading:
Schneider Electric’s Alliance Programme turns system integrators into trusted technology partners
Schneider Electric South Africa
System Integration & Control Systems Design
: Schneider Electric’s Alliance Partner Programme is helping system integrators across Africa move beyond one-off projects and build the skills and service models needed to become long-term industrial technology partners.
Read more...
Process Dynamics – Integrated Automation for Dairy Water Treatment
Process Dynamics
System Integration & Control Systems Design
Project and industry
Process Dynamics delivered the electrical, instrumentation, control and automation integration for an advanced water treatment and Reverse Osmosis (RO) system at one of South Africa’s
...
Read more...
New SI programme strengthens Schneider Electric’s partner ecosystem
Schneider Electric South Africa
System Integration & Control Systems Design
Schneider Electric’s SI Energise 2.0 programme offers system integrators a competency-based framework to develop deeper expertise in EcoStruxure and AVEVA software, enabling them to deliver full-lifecycle industrial automation solutions.
Read more...
Why cloud-ready BMS is reshaping building operations
Schneider Electric South Africa
System Integration & Control Systems Design
Smart sensors and non-contact radar are reshaping industrial measurement, feeding connected platforms that predict failures before they happen.
Read more...
Flotation system modernisation for a gold processing and mineral recovery plant.
Moore Process Controls
System Integration & Control Systems Design
Moore Process Controls has successfully modernised a gold processing plant's flotation control system, replacing obsolete I/O hardware with Schneider Electric's latest M580 X80 platform.
Read more...
Project and industry
System Integration & Control Systems Design
Transforming crushing plant operations through integrated automation.
Controlgear Instramac was engaged to deliver the electrical control and automation systems for a new crushing plant within the
...
Read more...
Exel upgrades gold mine water treatment capacity
EXEL Electrical Engineering
System Integration & Control Systems Design
EXEL EE was contracted to deliver the complete electrical, control and instrumentation scope for the upgrade of a gold mine's water treatment facilities in Tanzania.
Read more...
Turning system integrators into trusted technology partners
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing System Integration & Control Systems Design
Schneider Electric’s Alliance Partner Programme is repositioning system integrators from hardware suppliers into lifecycle-value partners. Oriel Soupen explains the competency framework, certification model and real-world results that are already helping African system integrators win higher-value, longer-term engagements.
Read more...
When digital twins move from concept to critical tool
IT in Manufacturing System Integration & Control Systems Design Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Digital twins are moving out of the lab and onto the mine, the factory floor and the transport network where they predict failures before they happen. Amritesh Anand looks at where they earn their keep, the data and integration work behind them, and the security questions every organisation should ask before switching one on.
Read more...
Best practices for managing the MRO supply chain in Africa
RS South Africa
System Integration & Control Systems Design
RS South Africa outlines how strong data governance and digital tools can turn maintenance, repair and operations procurement into a strategic advantage across Africa.
Read more...
printer friendly version