MechChem Africa September-October 2024

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

Air filter pre-cleaners save costs at coal mine Heavy duty cooling and air conditioning specialist Booyco Engineering has installed innovative Sy-Klone engine air filter pre cleaners on two drill rigs at a South African coal mine, allowing the customer to save on the costs of both replacement air filters and operational downtime.

of its engine air filters,” emphasises Postma. “While the savings on the costs of these filters will be important, the real cost to the mine is in drill rig downtime while the filters are changed. The operation will now benefit from better efficiency and productivity due to less maintenance,” he says. www.booyco.co.za

ent dust before it even reaches the engine’s air filter,” says Postma. “The scientific design and robust manufacture of the pre-cleaners – using hard polymer plastics for strength – ensures they need little to no maintenance, and can withstand operating in harsh mining conditions.” Describing the operating prin ciples, he says that air enters the underside of the dome design through screened louvres. This prevents any large debris from entering the pre-cleaner which could cause restric tion in airflow. Curved particle-accelerator blades push dirt against the sidewall, and strakes – or angled fins – along

“In dusty mining conditions, engine air fil ters quickly clog and need replacing,” explains Gordon Postma, sales manager at Booyco Engineering. “On this coal mine, the drill rig filters were lasting only two or three days before they needed replacing. The customer really needed a more sustainable and cost effective solution.” This was provided through the supply and installation of four Sy-Klone Series 9000 en gine air filter pre-cleaners – two on each drill rig. This leading technology from the US has been proved over decades and has continu ously been refined and improved. “Sy-Klone engine air filter pre-cleaners can collect and expel 92 to 95% of the ambi

the interior surface move all heavier-than-air debris towards the ejection slot. This leaves the

clean air to continue swirling to the centre of the dome and through to the engine air filter inlet pipe into the engine’s air filter housing through the filter and then into the engine. “By installing a Sy-Klone pre-cleaner, the mine can significantly extend the service life

Sy-Klone engine air filter pre-cleaners can collect and expel 92 to 95% of the ambient dust before it even reaches the engine’s air filter.

Solar-powered abalone farming

tors, reducing associated emissions,” adds Charles Neethling, Business Development Manager at SPS. Construction of the solar system began in November 2023 and is currently in the testing and commissioning phase. The installation of the solar panels, strategi cally placed over existing abalone tanks, required custom engineering to withstand the corrosive salt-water environment. “We had to integrate with existing infrastruc ture seamlessly and ensure the durability of the system despite the harsh conditions,” noted Wolmarans. SPS emerged as Aqunion's ideal solu tion provider after a competitive tender process, offering not just a technologically robust solution but also a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that eliminated the need for upfront capital investment by Aqunion. Leveraging extensive experience in renew able energy solutions, SPS delivered a state-of-the-art system that augments the existing hydro plant and sea water storage facility, further optimising energy utilisa tion while maximising cost efficiency. “We wanted a partner who could man age the energy production aspect while we focused on our core business of farming abalone,” Yearsley states. “SPS's proposal delivered a cost-efficient and practical solution that reflects their expertise and innovative approach. We expect to see our energy costs decrease over time and our reliance on renewable energy to increase from 10% to 30%,” Yearsley concludes. https://sps.africa

From left: Rowan Yearsley of Aqunion; Anja Visagie, Johan Wolmarans and Paul Mansour of SPS.

SPS, an asset management company specialising in renewable energy systems, provided a tailor-made solution to meet Aqunion’s unique needs. “Our tailored approach focuses on creating a microgrid which leverages the synergy between solar power and energy storage to deliver both reliability and cost efficiency,” says Johan Wolmarans, Senior Energy Storage Specialist at SPS. The setup includes a bat tery-based energy storage system designed to deliver up to four hours of backup power and a solar array capable of supplying about 22% of Aqunion's annual energy demand. “This solution not only helps Aqunion during peak operational times but signifi cantly reduces its reliance on diesel genera

Sea Harvest Group company, Aqunion, has embraced a sustainable future for abalone farming powered by solar energy, thanks to an innovative solution implemented by Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS). Aqunion was challenged by the rising costs of electricity and frequent load shedding. “Our operations need a constant and reliable power supply to maintain the best conditions for our high-value abalone, and we've implemented numerous energy efficiencies,” explains Rowan Yearsley, CEO of Aqunion. “SPS offered us a com prehensive solar and battery energy stor age solution that aligned with our goals of reducing operational costs and improving our sustainability.”

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