Benefits of improved performance monitoring of mine cooling systems

Mine cooling system components are an integral part of a mine's ventilation system. A mine's reliance on these capital intensive components are set to increase as mines deepen. Mine cooling systems consume up to a quarter of the electricity used on mines. Component efficiency should thus be monitored to ensure optimum utilisation. The performance of mine cooling system components is investigated in this paper. The effects of maintenance interventions on component performance are quantified. Quantifying the effects of management decisions leads to the refining of operational procedures, the optimisation of future maintenance, and the subsequent identification of electrical energy savings potential without the need for expensive modifications.