THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINNERING

INDUSTRIAL TRAINING REPORT

At: KANSANSHI MINE

Period from: 22/10/2012 to 29/12/2012

Student Name: Chilufya Mubanga B.

Student ID Number: 29031800

Course Code: EG 493

Submitted to: Mr S. S. Virdy

2012/2013

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure page

Figure 1: Sump pumps, exploded view……………………………………………………………………………….5

Figure 2: High head pump, exploded view………………………………………………………………………….6

Figure 3: AH Elastomer pump exploded view……………………………………………………………………..6

Figure 4: Proposed pipeline from pre-leach tank to leach tank 3……………………………………….8

Figure 5: proposed pipeline from dewatering to leach tank 3 (option 1)……………………………8

Figure 6: Proposed pipeline from dewatering to leach tank 3 (option 2)……………………………8

Figure 7: PP 6022 Pump (C-5 high lift pump)………………………………………………………………………9

Figure 8: high lift pump inlet and outlet diameter……………………………………………………………..9

Figure 9: pump curve…………………………………………………………………………………………………………10

Figure 10: Open belt drive…………………………………………………………………………………………………11

Figure 11: belt type selection chart……………………………………………………………………………………12

Figure 12: Pipe system pressure and pressure drops…………………………………………………………15

Figure 13: project design……………………………………………………………………………………………………16

Figure 14: pressure, temperature and mass flow rate distribution at optimum conditions 18

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CONTENTS

1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

2. SUMMARY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

3. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

4. COMPANY PROFILE……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...4

5. MACHINERY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

5.1 Centrifugal Pumps……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5

5.1.1 Sump Pumps…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...............5

5.1.2. High Head Pump…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

5.1.3. AH Elastomer Pump……………………………………………………………………………………………………………6

6. MAIN ACTIVITIES………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

6.1. Propose pipelines to leach tank 3 from dewatering tank and pre-leach tank……………….……….7

6.1.1 Dewatering tank…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...7

6.1.2 Pre-leach Tank……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7

6.1.3 Scope of Work………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7

6.2. C-5 High Lift Pump (pp6022) Motor and Drive System upgrade…………………………………………….9

6.2.1 Scope of Work…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9

6.2.2 Power calculation…………………………………………………………………………………………………….9

6.2.3. Drive system…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11

6.2.3.1 Selection- wedge belt drives………………………………………………………………………..11

6.2.3.2 Head loss calculations………………………………………………………………………………….14

6.3. Solvent extraction plant 3 (SX3) organic inter-stage bypass pipeline…………………………….16

6.4 Plant Sump pump Catalogue ………………………………………………………………………………………….17

6.5 AP5 Steam Turbine Research Project………………………………………………………………………………17

6.5.1 Scope of Work …………………………………………………………………………………………………..17

6.5.2 Conditions as at now………………………………………………………………………………………….17

6.5.3 Proposed Solution…………………………………………………..…………………………………………18

6.5.4 Justification …………….………………………………………….………………………………………..18

7. CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………19

8. RECOMMENDATIONS………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………….19

9. APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………19

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1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank First Quantum Minerals and Kansanshi Mine, especially the Training
department, for the opportunity I was given to work at Kansanshi Mine. I thank, the entire
Engineering Department, Mr Joseph Kasaji and Mr Max Simwanza the superintendents, Mr
Peter Mulenga Senior Supervisor, Mwaba Dennis and C. Mpondamasaka my fellow students
and workmates, as well as other students working on attachments there for the guidance
they gave me in trying to help me familiarize with the duties there.

I thank my family and friends, for being there to grant me the support, encouragement and
also for believing in me.

2. SUMMARY
This is a 10 weeks report of my Industrial training at Kansanshi Mine for the partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the award of The Bachelor of Engineering degree at The
University of Zambia.

The report outlines the activities carried out while working at Kansanshi Mine, the details of
these activities, tools and equipment used, precautions taken and the experience obtained.

During the course of the training, I was assigned to work in the department of Engineering
under the direct supervision of Engineer Joseph Kasaji. The work mainly involved working
with centrifugal pumps and HDPE pipes. The work was usually given in form of a mini
project to work out pump head, pressure drops in pipe systems, pump drive specifications
etc.

3. INTRODUCTION
This report covers the general overview of the industrial training experience obtained during
the work period at Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi. The work involved research on steam
turbines for power generation and a great deal of application of fluid dynamics in flow in
closed conduits, and centrifugal pumps.

4. COMPANY PROFILE
Kansanshi Mine is the largest copper mine in Africa, the company is 80% owned by
Kansanshi Mining PLC, a First Quantum subsidiary. The other 20% is owned by a subsidiary
of ZCCM. The mine is located 10 kilometres north of the town of Solwezi and 180 kilometres
North West of the Copperbelt town of Chingola. The company produces copper ore, copper
cathodes, sulphuric acid, copper concentrates and gold.

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5. MACHINERY
5.1Centrifugal Pumps
These are so called because energy is imparted to the fluid by centrifugal action of moving
blades from the inner radius to the outer radius. The main components of centrifugal
pumps are (1) the impeller, (2) the casing and (3) the drive shaft with gland and packing.
Additionally suction pipe with one way valve (foot valve) and delivery pipe with delivery
valve completes the system.
The liquid enters the eye of the impeller axially due to the suction created by the impeller
motion. The impeller blades guide the fluid and impart momentum to the fluid, which
increases the total head (or pressure) of the fluid, causing the fluid to flow out. The fluid
comes out at a high velocity which is not directly usable. The casing can be of simple volute
type or a diffuser can be used as desired. The volute is a spiral casing of gradually increasing
cross section. A part of the kinetic energy in the fluid is converted to pressure in the casing.
The following are the various centrifugal pumps were encountered.

5.1.1 Sump Pumps

Figure 15: Sump pumps, exploded view

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5.2. High Head Pump

Figure 16: High head pump, exploded view

5.3. AH Elastomer Pump

Figure 17: AH Elastomer pump exploded view

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6. MAIN ACTIVITIES
During the whole course of attachment, I was working with a fellow student, Chimunya
Mpondamasaka, and we undertook four different projects together. I also handled one
project alone, proposing pipelines to leach tank 3 from the dewatering and pre-leach tanks.
The following are the projects undertaken.

6.1. Propose pipelines to leach tank 3 from dewatering tank and pre-leach
tank.
The project was associated with Contacting of Low Grade Raffinate with Leach Feed
project. However, this project involved connecting two new pipelines to leach tank 3
by tapping from the dewatering tank and another pipeline from pre-leach tank. From
these two lines, another line to leach tank 5 can be connected.

6.1.1 Dewatering tank

There are two lines from the dewatering tank each connected to pp2714 and pp2715
Warman pumps. The line connected to pp2714 had a smaller diameter compared to
the one connected to pp2715, thus the idea was to tap from each line and join these
two to the new line discharging to the leach tank having diameter same as the large
pipeline (pp2715). See diagrams.

Two paths for the new pipe line, option 1 and option 2, were proposed, see figure 2
and figure 3

6.1.2 Pre-leach Tank

There are also two pipelines from the pre-leach tank, pp5001 and pp5002. The
proposed pipeline is shown is figure 1.

6.1.3 Scope of Work

The work involved determining a suitable point, to tap from, on the dewatering lines
and pre-leach line and to find a suitable path to install the new pipe lines.
Thereafter, calculations were carried out to determine the head losses in each
pipeline and discharge static head. From this information, the required operating
conditions of the pumps would be determined from the pump curves. Friction head
losses were calculated using Darcy weisbach equation.

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Figure 18: Proposed pipeline from pre-leach tank to leach tank 3

Figure 19: proposed pipeline from dewatering to leach tank 3 (option 1)

Figure 20: Proposed pipeline from dewatering to leach tank 3 (option 2)

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6.2. C-5 High Lift Pump (pp6022) Motor and Drive System upgrade
The C-5 high lift pump was installed with a 75kw, 1450rpm motor with the drive
pulley of 160mm and driven pump pulley 450 mm. The pump is used as booster
pump to pump water at high pressure to wash CCD thickeners. The pump is required
to take in water at approximately 5bars and pump at 15 bars. However, the pump
was not pumping at the required pressure (12-15bars) and thus the task given was to
determine the conditions, speed, power, the pump need to operate at.

Figure 21: PP 6022 Pump (C-5 high lift pump)

6.2.1 Scope of Work

The work involved performing calculations to determine whether the current installed
motor was sufficient power to run the pump to produce the required pressure and to
determine the required drive system specifications to drive the pump at the required speed.
Thereafter, to determine whether they will be significant pressure drop/losses in the
discharge pipes connected to the pump.

6.2.2 Power calculation

Figure 22: high lift pump inlet and outlet diameter

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Applying Bernoulli’s equation at inlet and outlet of the impeller, neglecting losses from inlet
and outlet:

Therefore selecting a speed of 1500rpm on the pump curve and a flow rate Q =
110litres/sec, efficiency: η = 69%, H =100m, NPSH = 3m. (See pump curve for details)

Figure 23: pump curve

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 ( ⁄ )( ⁄ )( )

Current installed motor: 75kw 1400rpm

Motor selected is a 200kW, 1400rpm Motor.

6.2.3. Drive system

Figure 24: Open belt drive.

 Current installed pulleys, Dm = 160mm, Dp = 450mm

This implies that current pump speed = 497.78 rpm

6.2.3.1 Selection- wedge belt drives

 Speed ratio:

 Design power = 200kw

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  Belt section
o SPC

Figure 25: belt type selection chart

 Pump pulley limitation

o 315 mm

nd
Table 1: Minimum pulley diameter (extract from “Fernner Drive selection & maintenance manual 2
Edition”

 Pulley pitch diameters

o Pump pulley = 375 mm
o Motor pulley = 400 mm
 Belt length, Centre distance and correction factor
Currently, centre distance = 1060mm

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 nd
Table 2: Centre distance tables (extract from “Fernner Drive selection & maintenance manual 2 Edition”

o Nearest centre distance to 1060 mm required is 1167mm.

o Belt size is 22N SPC (3550 mm)
o Correction factor = 0.95

Trip rate =

 Basic Power per belt

nd
Table 3: Power rating table (extract from “Fernner Drive selection & maintenance manual 2 Edition”

o From power rating table the rated power per belt for 375 pitch diameter pulley
at 1500 rpm is 43.24 kw

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  Speed ratio power increment
o The power increment for a speed ratio 1.07 at 1500 rpm is 0.90 kw.
 Corrected power per belt
o = (basic power per belt + speed ratio power) × correction factor
= (43.24 + 0.9)(0.95) = 41.933 kw
 Number of belts required
o = design power/corrected power per belt = 200/41.933 = 4.77
o Therefore, use 5 SPC Wedge belts
 Bore sizes
o From dimension tables, a 375 mm × 5 SPC has a maximum metric bore of 90 mm
which is greater than the 80mm pump shaft. The 400 × 5 SPC also has a
maximum of 90mm which is greater than the 70 mm motor shaft.

Motor pulley 400 × 5 SPC

Tape Lock Bush 3535 × 70 mm
Pump Pulley 375 × 5 SPC
Tape Lock Bush 3535 × 80 mm
Fenner Wedge belts 5 × 22N (SPC) 3550
Initial centre distance 1167 mm
Table 4: Drive specifications

6.2.3.2 Head loss calculations

Q = 110 l/sec = 0.110 m3/sec D =131.1mm ID v=1 m/s

( )
V= = 8.161 m/s Re = = = 1069091

λ= , k= 0.025mm (stainless steel)

( )

λ= = 0.00217mm
( )

 Frictional head

= 0.00215

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  Fittings loses

 Pressure drop

Applying Bernoulli’s equation between pipe entrance point ‘a’ and discharge end point
b:

+ , Zb– Za= HStatic,

Hloss = minor loses + friction loses = Total Head Loss

( ),

( ),

Pa = 15 bar = 1500kPa, γ = 9.81kN/m3

( )

Pressure difference,

Figure 26: Pipe system pressure and pressure drops

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  The shaft power required to develop the required pressure is 156.39kw at 1500 rpm
therefore, current motor rated 75 kw 1450rpm should be replaced with a motor
rated 200kw 1450rpm. This gives a factor of safety of 43.6kw
 The calculated head losses in the pipes produce pressure drops at the discharge end
with a maximum being 3.69bars. The average pressure at the discharge point is
12.13bars.

6.3. Solvent extraction plant 3 (SX3) organic inter-stage bypass pipeline

The solvent extraction plant 3 has 4 pairs of mixer launders all connected in series
through HPDE DN800 pipes that allow the flow of organic and aqueous material from
one settler to another. However, because of this connection the failure of one of the
two middle tanks leads to a complete circuit shutdown. Thus the task was given to
design a bypass pipes to overcome the series connection problem.
In order to create an indirect route between the launders a y-piece tap on will have
to be setup thereby linking the two parallel pipes in order to allow the by-pass
process to occur. Due to the flow system’s reliance on gravity the connecting pipes
should possess the necessary gradient to achieve the flow of this material. The
inversely proportional nature of pressure and velocity will play a major role in the
determination of the fluid flow characteristics at different points of the system.
To control the discharge a DN630 stainless steel butterfly valve is to be installed
along the connecting pipe. In order to minimize the effects of the water hummer on
the valve it will be placed in a position closest to the connection as possible. The
diagram below shows the design.

Figure 27: project design

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 Calculations were carried out to determine the head losses, pressure drops in the
bypass lines.

6.4. Plant Sump pump Catalogue

With great concern of high rate of wear sump pumps parts such as impellers, and
casings, an up to date record of all sump pumps around the plant was required for
easy identification, tracking of spare parts needed and to determine whether the
pumps were operating at their best efficiency points BEP. The record is to contain
detailed information about each sump pump, such as pump size, pump type,
installed motor, drive system, diameter, length, head loss and discharge static head
of discharge pipeline. This project was given to my partner and I.
The project involved going around the plant and recording all the sump pumps, the
motors installed, pulleys and belts, and measuring discharge pipe lengths and static
head, and there after calculating the head losses through the discharge pipes. This is
still an on-going project.

6.5. AP5 Steam Turbine Research Project

6.5.1 Scope of Work
This project involves the design and configuration of a mini- steam electricity
generating power station at acid plant 5 (AP5) in order to optimize on the steam
that’s being produced by the boiler, thereby creating alternative power sources for
the plant.
The viability of the project will be checked, by determining whether the steam being
lost is enough to produce sufficient amounts of electricity. Power calculations will be
carried out to determine the sizing and performance characteristics of the turbine to
be installed. Further calculations will be carried out to determine if super heating or
reheating will be an option and if so what kind of super heater should be used.
Turbine selection with reference to installation and maintenance costs will also be
looked into. This is still an on-going project.

6.5.2 Conditions as at now

AP5 currently has the potential to produce 60tonnes/hour of steam with only a
maximum of 20tonnes/hour being used for acid production, with around
40tonnes/hour of steam being expelled into the atmosphere with no return.
However due to the fact that AP5 is a relatively new plant its demand for steam is
not as much as it should be under high production. Mass flow rates of
33.1tonnes/hour and 46.4tonnes/hour was being produced by the plant during their
3rd week of operation.
About 1.8MW of power is used at AP5 alone for steam generation, and this accounts
for less than a third of this steam being used.

There is a strain in the electricity power lines in Solwezi due to the high demand for
power by the mine which used around 132.7MW of power in the month of

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 September alone. This also has a bad bearing on the electricity tariffs that the
company has to meet.
The supply of water to AP5 is in large amounts in order to meet acid production
demands and as such to lose this water in the form of steam is a huge loss.

6.5.3 Proposed Solution

Steam from AP5 can be trapped before it’s expelled into the atmosphere and
channeled into a super heating unit, where its moisture ratio is further reduced
and as such increasing its pressure. An increase in pressure leads to a high power
input which is able to run a turbine and possibly generate enough electricity for
utilization. Saturated steam being expelled from the turbine will be condensed
and pumped into the boiler for a continuation of the process without no or few
loses in the process.

6.5.4 Justification
Financial benefits for the company will obviously be experienced as a result of
cuts in electricity tariff payments with the turbine being able to cater for large
areas and equipment needing a supply of electricity in order to perform their
functions. As a result of a continuous cycle setup in which water being lost
through the steam vent system is being trapped, condensed and sent back into
the boiler, the quantity to water being used up is less.

With a reduction in the length of the vent pipeline, the risk of injury through
burns is reduced and hence the safety of the mine populous is made better.
Through the maximization of all available resources the plant can be said to be
running effectively because every single resource is being used to generate some
sort of power or energy.

Figure 28: PRESSURE, TEMPERATURE AND MASS FLOW RATE DISTRIBUTION AT OPTIMUM CONDITIONS

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7. CONCLUSION

Working at Kansanshi Mine was a worthwhile experience in that knowledge and skill
were gained especially in fluid mechanics. The various projects undertaken required
application of a lot of concepts learnt in class and thus gave more insight to design
and application of engineering concepts in the industry, the mine. The machinery and
new technologies encountered were of greatly appreciated as the principles learnt in
class, Thermodynamics, Dynamics, Material Science and Fluid Mechanics, were seen
applied in reality.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS
1. A database for all pumps should be prepared and kept updated for any changes.
This should be made available and accessible for the entire engineering
department. The database should contain information such as, pump name,
pump type, discharge pipe diameter and length, discharge static head, motor
size, pulleys and belt drive, pump curve with operating point indicated.
This will speed up troubleshooting, upgrades and spare parts replacement.
2. Internet access should be made available to students. The IT department should
come up with way of preventing internet abuse so that the majority internet
users are protected. This is because internet is a global library which is very
helpful with research projects.
3. The company should continue training students in order to bridge the gap
between theory and practice.
4. The good attitude towards helping students, being trained, to understand the
various aspects of the workings of the company should be encouraged.
9. APPENDIX

APPENDIX A

Abbreviations
AP5: Acid Plant 5
CCD: Counter Current Decantation
SX: Solvent Extraction

 REFERENCES

- Fernner (2006), Drive Selection & Maintenance Manual 2nd Edition

- R.K. Rajput (2010), A Text Book of Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Machines, SI units.
- R.S. Khurmi, J.K Gupta (2005), A Textbook of Machine Design, 1st Multicolor Edition

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