A variable water flow energy efficiency strategy for mine cooling systems

Improving the energy efficiency of mine cooling systems is an important industrial energy sustainability initiative. These energy intensive systems supply chilled water and cold ventilation air to deep mines. A variable water flow strategy was developed and simulated for the specific demands of mine cooling systems. Results from a simulation tool proved to be instrumental in determining the strategy and savings potential for each system. To integrate and manage the strategy, a real-time energy management tool was developed. In this paper, the development and feasibility of the strategy and energy management system are presented. In situ experimental results from implementation on four cooling systems with different designs and requirements are presented as validation of the strategy. An average electrical energy saving of 33.3% was realised between all the sites without adversely affecting mine cooling requirements.