A successful story: Konkola Copper Mines, Chingola, Zambia Transfer of abrasive tailings through long distance pipelines and backfilling.
 The Application
At the Konkola Copper processing plant in Chingola, Zambia, classified copper tailings from a thickener and cyclone installation had to be transferred over a distance of 3.5 km to the underground mine to be backfilled. The quantity of dry solids is 70 ton per hour.
The ABEL Solution
An ABEL triplex single acting piston diaphragm pump (HMT) was installed for the transfer of these abrasive tailings. The solids concentration in the slurry is 50%.
The quantity of slurry tailings to be backfilled is 90 m³/ hr (390 GPM), the required pressure to cover the 3.5 km distance is 50 bar (725 PSI).
The Experience
Since start-up of the pump in 2001 the operating costs had been extremely low: due to the high efficiency of the Piston-Diaphragm pump, the absorbed power at 90 m³/hr (390 GPM) and 50 bar (725 PSI) was less than 160 kW.
During almost 20 years of operation, the spare parts consumption of the HMT pump had been limited to the exchange of the valves every 5000 to 7000 hours.
The diaphragms were replaced every 12000 to 16000 hours for preventive maintenance.
ABEL piston diaphragm pumps offer very low wearing and operating costs due to the physical separation of the abrasive slurry from the hydraulic side and pump’s main moving parts by pre-formed and hermetically separating rubber diaphragms.
Only the product valves on the suction and discharge side and diaphragms are in direct contact with the abrasive slurry. The reciprocating principle of the piston diaphragm pump ensures a very high mechanical efficiency of >93%.
Consequently, the pumping costs (power consumption, spares etc.) and downtimes are minimal and make the operation of this type of pump very feasible and reliable when compared to more conventional methods of slurry transfer and backfilling.
Operating principle
The investment in a piston diaphragm pump needs to be protected against a number of potential risks.
In the ABEL pump therefore, the gears are forced lubricated in order to enable low stroke rates and smooth operations that prevent wearing and guarantee a long lifetime of the hydraulic system. Also, the pistons are lubricated to avoid overheating.
The pump diaphragms are protected against overstretching by a reliable mechanical stroke monitoring system.
In addition, the pumps are equipped with pulsation dampeners which dampen pressure fluctuations, thereby protecting the pump and the piping system.
The ABEL Piston Diaphragm pump is well known for its robust design and few parts makes it easy to install and maintain.
 Main Applications
ABEL piston diaphragm pumps are the right solution for Mining – whether metallic or mineral mining, whether open pit or underground mining. In addition to tailings transfer, ABEL Piston Diaphragm pumps are also being used for other Mining applications such as:
- Ore Concentrate pipeline transfer
- Mine Dewatering
- Thickener Underflow
- Tailings transfer
- Paste pumping
- Backfilling
- Slurry / Fluid transfer
- Autoclave feed
- Filter Press Feed
ABEL HMT/HMQ Pump Range
ABEL HMT (Triplex, single acting) and HMQ (Quadruplex, double acting) pumps range in pressure up to 23 MPa (3335 PSI) and in capacity up to 400 m³/hr (1760 GPM)
ABEL Piston-Diaphragm Pumps Benefits
- Efficiency of over 90%
- 24/7 operational availability
- Reliability for critical processes
- Solids content > 75%
- Accomodates a wide range of particle size
- Dry running capability
- Low Power consumption
- Low Mechanical Wear
In addition, the ABEL Service team fulfil all service requirements around the globe. ABEL sales and distribution network is assisted by local partnership and distributor in Southern Africa, AQS Liquid Transfer, www.aqsliquidtransfer.co.za.
