MechChem Africa August 2019

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

Booyco’s vehicle detection system intervenes to improve safety accuracy of 1metre. Not only can it deter- mine the position of a vehicle, but also the direction in which it is travelling. the distance of each zone fromthe vehicle canbedefinedby the customer, depending on actual conditions and specific vehicles on site.

SouthAfrica could go a longway to cut the risk of future load-shedding by adopting a minimumefficiencyperformancestandard (MEPS) for electric motors. According to Fanie Steyn, manager rotating machines at Zest WEG Group, an MEPS could significantly reduce the peak power demand on the national grid. Importantly, the step could be made at no cost to government and would bring substantial savings to industry’s electrical energy costs. “The MEPS would phase out the least- efficient electric motor classes by setting a minimum standard for the efficiency of motors imported and sold inSouthAfrica,” he says. “The essential challenge now is that about 280 000 electric motors are imported each year, many of which are low efficiency motors rated at IE1 level as standard.” Steyn highlights the great strides re- cently achieved in theefficiencyof electric motors. Energy savings of between 2,1% “This means that an operator will be informed if another vehicle is close by, as well as the number of vehicles there are in the proximity,” says Schommer. “Based on a high frequency wave transmission, the newVDS technology has been developed to comply with the latest safety regula- tions for moving vehicles on mines.” While the high frequencies do not penetrate rock in underground mining environments like low frequencies can, they are able to perform the vital duty of detecting other vehicles at a greater dis- tance.LikethepedestrianPDS,theBooyco VDS’s functionality is based on different ‘zones’ within the radio field around each vehicle that is created by a transmitter;

“For example, the system can be set so it delivers a warning to the operators at a distance of 50 metres,” he says. “If no action is taken after that warning, and the distance between the vehicles is reduced, then a second zone is entered, and a com- mand is generated for the operator to reduce speed. If speed is not reduced and the vehicles continue to get closer to each other, an intervention is triggered by the system to slow the vehicles down.” The accuracy of the system ensures there is sufficient reaction time after warnings are given for the operator to act, reducing the possibility of a collision. www.booyco-electronics.com by electricmotors,” he says. “It is therefore easy to seewhy improvingmotor efficien- cies has a huge impact on national energy consumption.” It is significant that more than 42 countries already have MEPS in place. These standards apply mostly to three- phase low voltage motors from 0,75 kW to 375 kW capacity. The MEPS is applied at import stage, so the process would be handled in the conventional manner by customs agencies. “If the 150 000 low voltage motors entering the country each year were IE3 ratedinsteadofIE1,thenationalgridcould be relieved of about 195 million kWh in a singleyear,”saysSteyn.“Thismeansalmost three billion kWhover the next five years.” Headds that this couldalsomean lower carbon emissions from power stations. South Africa has committed to reduce these emissions by signing the Paris Agreement in 2016. www.zestweg.com

As a leader in proximity detection sys- tems, Booyco Electronics’ latest advance has been to develop a vehicle detection system (VDS) that triggers interventions to prevent vehicle-to-vehicle accidents in line with EMERST guidelines. The new VDS is an innovative evolu- tion of the company’s vehicle-to-vehicle detection system, and now incorporates the high level of accuracy necessary to introduce interventions in the operation of the vehicles. According to Booyco Electronics engi- neer and developer Frank Schommer, the Booyco VDS is applicable in both surface and underground environments. The system can measure the distance between the vehicles in a range from 10 metres to 100 metres, with a measuring

Regulating efficiency in motors can help stabilise South Africa’s power supply

Portable process calibrator approved for hazardous areas WIKA’s CPH7000 portable process calibrator has received ATEX approval. It is therefore also suitable for use in hazardous areas. The CPH7000 provides highly flexible on-site calibration for process transmitters and pres- sure gauges. A high-pressure version even tests measuring ranges up to 10 000 bar. The portable, multi-function instrument integrates anelectron- icsmodule, a hand pump for generating test pres- sures of up to25bar andahigh-performancedata logger. As a result of its equipment, theCPH7000 also fulfils test tasks for themeasurement param- eters of temperature, voltage and current. www.wika.co.za

and 12,4%, depending on the individual power rating, can be made by converting from a standard efficiency IE1 motor to a premium efficiency IE3 motor. The capital cost dif- ferential is slight and is quickly recouped by lower operating costs. “It is estimated that as much as 30% of all energy producedgloballyisconsumed

34 ¦ MechChem Africa • August 2019