Custom motor control centres in tight spaces
Second Quarter 2005
Other technologies
A leading South African platinum mine at Boschfontein needed to install a series of motor control centres to drive underground pumps. Time was critical and the units had to be designed to accommodate the specific requirements of underground operation. The consulting engineers on the project awarded the contract to Tiprow Controls, an SABS-certified 550 V switchboard manufacturer.
The brief, calling for the design and manufacture of the panels was simple enough. The challenge, however, lay in overcoming the constraints imposed by limited space and the water and high operating temperatures encountered in the mining environment. Victor Warner, managing director of Tiprow Controls, graphically described the problem as 'trying to fit a cigarette packet into a matchbox'. In addition, the panels had to be installed quickly, with minimal disruption to mining operations.
Tiprow Controls solved the problems by using Mitsubishi products. Mitsubishi products have a fine reputation on South African mines for their quality, reliability, robustness and ability to withstand the toughest mining conditions. The company is a global leader in the design and manufacture of the controller devices used, which included air circuit breakers, moulded case circuit breakers, vacuum contactors and motor control gear.
The air circuit breaker chosen was the SUPER AE 1250 SS drawout version.
The moulded case circuit breakers specified were from Mitsubishi's WS series, the NF 400 SPA MCCB and the NF 125 HGW RT MCCB. The HWG model chosen from this series of global standard compliant circuit breakers offers the following features:
* Interchangeable relay unit available in thermal and electronic type, giving enhanced flexibility.
* AC/DC common use with an expanded adjustment range, which enables reduction in the number of 250AF, 160AF and 125AF relays from 10 to seven types.
* Magnetic adjustable function.
The range also features a polymer ablation type auto-puffer and a jet pressure trip mechanism. This series was designed with the environment, ease of use and high performance in mind.
Customer benefits
The design of the panels satisfied the environmental constraints while allowing the customer maximum cable termination distances. The client was presented with a range of products that has a successful history of survival in harsh underground environments. The characteristics of the chosen range simplified the process of panel designing by providing designers with a wide scope of products for customised solutions. While these products are of a robust nature, they are also suitable for applications where aesthetics is an issue.
Circuit Breaker Industries (wholly owned by Reunert) is an authorised distributor of the Mitsubishi range of products. A qualified team of sales engineers is able to advise customers and supply back-up support and service. All products carry a 12-month warranty.
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