Published in September 2006 Australian Longwall Magazine
SES currently has 40 units of 3k200 pumps running underground and with 14 more coming online will raise that number to 54 – an increase of 35%. It also has 23 units of 3k150 shearer water pumps running. An additional four on order will increase that number to 27. Including other varieties of pumps and salvage packs, SES’s entire underground fleet numbers are at an impressive 100-plus.
Late last year SES secured a pump order from DBT for YanCoal’s Austar longwall top coal caving mine in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley. The pump station comprises two 3k200/53 chock pumps and one high set 110/40 and a 3k150/70 shearer water pump.
According to SES mining manager Michael Johnson, the main challenge at Austar was fitting the pump station into the narrow drift. While the station had to fit through the drift, once it was in the gateroads there was greater head height. To deal with this, Johnson and his team designed the tank to be removeable and fitted once the pump station was underground. “This higher tank enabled us to not have to fit a suction boost pump and so make the station simpler and more reliable,” Johnson said.
At time of writing the pump station was underground undergoing commissioning. The shearer water pump on the Austar contract was fitted with a cooler – the first commercial installation following a successful trial at the Dartbrook longwall. Johnson said the cooler has kept the pump below 40 degrees and was resulting in less wear and lower maintenance.
SES also secured another order through DBT for Resource Pacific’s new Newpac longwall. SES is supplying two pump carts, which each have three units of 3k200/53 and one 110/40 high set – a total of eight pumps.
A shearer water pump (in addition to the eight) was designed to sit on the DBT monorail. Johnson said it could be lifted and moved along the monorail before being levelled in place. At time of print the pump stations were having their electrical fit-out.
Ordered direct by the mine, the North Wambo mine selected the SES pump station to fit the Joy longwall. The pumps ordered include a 3k150/80 shearer water pump and the newly available 3k200/55 pumps. The new style of pump produces 330 litres per minute instead of the traditional 309lpm.
“We expect to be able to upgrade older pumps to this increased volume, which will assist customers who are looking for more flow without the price of a new pump or layout. The bigger pump is the same dimensionally as the older style,” Johnson said.
At time of writing the North Wambo pump station was complete and waiting for its electrical fit-out.
Back with DBT, SES secured Felix Resources’ Ashton pump order. “The Ashton pump station has raised the bar again with the requirements of MDG41 draft being applied to the design of the pump station. This has added another level of safety to the pump station and we have worked with our customer and suppliers to achieve compliance,” Johnson said.
The pump station consists of three 3k200/53 emulsion pumps and one 3k150/70 shearer water pump and commenced assembly in September.
Johnson said on all its pump stations the decompression system has been integrated into the circuit. This safety feature – developed together with DBT and Ampcontrol originally for the Tahmoor installation – reduces the shock in the monorail by relieving the fluid when the dump valve actuates. This reduces the probability of monorail hose failure. The system cuts back in at 100bar, so the system is not drained of fluid. Johnson said he believed the system was “very important for all future longwalls”
SES has also been working to reduce its lead time. The Austar design and build process took about 10 months from order, but SES has now refined its processes so that the assembly stage of Ashton will only be about five weeks, with design and build for different projects being concurrent.
“I think we have been successful with these projects as customers seek reliability and proven performance from the heart of the face,” Johnson said on the company’s recent successes.
“If the pumps stop there's no coal so we have to be extremely reliable to be in business. It is always a lot cheaper to be able to plan maintenance rather than have costly breakdowns.”
Johnson said SES’s success was set to continue with the release of the new Hauhinco 3k300. Like the other Hauhinco pumps, the 3k300 is flange mounted, which makes it easy to change out without the need for laser alignment.
Demand from the Hunter Valley has allowed SES to start a workshop in Singleton. The fabrication workshop will also be the base for a service engineer and will hold critical spares of all products. The workshop currently has five new employees and is growing fast.
