The Hydraulic Air
Compressor (HAC)
Demonstrator Project
Dean MillarB.Eng.(Hons), ARSM, PhD, FIMMM, CEM
MIRARCO Mining Innovation,
Bharti School of Engineering, Laurentian University
Electrale Innovation Ltd
Phone: 705-918-1613
Email: [email protected]
Find out more: www.electrale.com
Q. What will be demonstrated?
A. Isothermal compressors that are easy to maintain will be cheaper to run
Shaded area =
(Minimum) compression work
12%
12%
76%
Equipment andinstallation
Maintenance
Electricity
US DOE: OFFICE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES*
https://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/industry/compressed_air1.pdf
*50 kWe motor on the compressor, 2 shifts per day, 5 days per week, $0.05/kWh, 10 years
Modelled and measured processes are both nearly isothermal
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5
Water discharge (m3/s)
Te
mp
era
ture
in
cre
ase
in
do
wn
co
me
r (m
K)
dT - BM38A
dT - Pavese at al.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5
Water discharge (m3/s)
Te
mp
era
ture
incre
ase
in
do
wn
co
me
r (m
K)
dT - BM36A
dT - Pavese at al.
DDDDt
Optimum compresion efficiencies are around 75 to 80%
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
275
300
0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5
Water discharge (m3/s)
Fre
e A
ir D
eliv
ery
(S
cfm
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
Effic
iency
(%)
BM36A & BM38A FAD
HAC Mk 14 FAD
BM36A & BM38A Eff (%)
HAC Mk 14 Eff (%)0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
275
300
0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5
Water discharge (m3/s)
Fre
e A
ir D
eliv
ery
(S
cfm
)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
Effic
iency
(%)
As we explore the performance map of Dynamic Earth HAC
we expect to obtain even better performance
0.01
0.1
1
10
100
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10
QH/D
Inp
ut
ma
ss f
low
ra
te o
f a
ir (
kg
/s))
RaggedChutes
DynamicEarth
We are thinking about HAC designs for mine installation
Integrated cooling
No mixing head
Sump in half of drift
Raise forms riser
Co-axial downcomer
Open ended separator
All instruments at base
Simple PID loop
The rubber lined pipe appears rougher than steel pipe
9
Literature value: 0.000150 mOur value: 0.000058 mUnlined steel pipe (low): 0.000045 m Unlined steel pipe (high): 0.000090 m
Zero pressure in the downcomer means water ‘free-fall’
9
-1.00
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600Pre
ssu
re (m
H2O
)
Time (s)
600 rpm 700 rpm650 rpm 750 rpm 800 rpm 850 880 rpm
0.27m -0.03m0.15m -0.02m -0.07m - 0.20m
P1P1 (@0.72 m below forebay base)
-1.00
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600Pre
ssu
re (
mH
2O
)Time (s)
0.98m 0.50m 0.39m 0.21m -0.11m -0.07m -0.13m
P1P2 (@1.50m below forebay
-1.00
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600Pre
ssu
re (m
H2O
)
Time (s)
1.62m 1.35m 1.24m 1.15m 0.97m 1.01m 0.90m
P2P2 (@2.25m below forebay
-1.00
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600Pre
ssu
re (
mH
2O
)
Time (s)
2.23m 2.00m 1.87m 1.80m 1.64m1.59m 1.47
P2P1 (@3.00m below forebay
9
-1.00
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600Pre
ssu
re (m
H2O
)
Time (s)
600 rpm 700 rpm650 rpm 750 rpm 800 rpm 850 880 rpm
0.27m -0.03m0.15m -0.02m -0.07m - 0.20m
P1P1 (@0.72 m below forebay base)
-1.00
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600Pre
ssu
re (
mH
2O
)Time (s)
0.98m 0.50m 0.39m 0.21m -0.11m -0.07m -0.13m
P1P2 (@1.50m below forebay
-1.00
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600Pre
ssu
re (m
H2O
)
Time (s)
1.62m 1.35m 1.24m 1.15m 0.97m 1.01m 0.90m
P2P2 (@2.25m below forebay
-1.00
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600Pre
ssu
re (
mH
2O
)
Time (s)
2.23m 2.00m 1.87m 1.80m 1.64m1.59m 1.47
P2P1 (@3.00m below forebay
Zero pressure in the downcomer means water ‘free-fall’