BESTECH Delivers New Ventilation-on-Demand

System for Underground Mines, Saves

Significant Energy Costs
Rockwell Automation Helps BESTECH Deliver Energy-Saving
System to Mining Giant Vale

Solutions
Integrated Architecture™
• Allen-Bradley® CompactLogix™ L35E PACs
control air-flow sensors on one level of
the mine
• Fans, regulators and air-flow sensors on
one level of the mine are controlled by
Allen-Bradley Bulletin 1747 SLC™ 5/05 PLCs
and Allen-Bradley MicroLogix™ 1400 PLCs
• EtherNet/IP™ allows seamless
communication between the
CompactLogix and MicroLogix
controllers and SLCs
Intelligent Motor Control
• On one level in the mine, PowerFlex®
700H 600-volt variable frequency drives
(VFD) on skids underground significantly
reduce the energy used during fan
operation by precisely regulating motor
speed, and maintaining torque levels to
match the needs of the load BESTECH, an innovator of system automation for the mining industry in Canada,
• Vale also installed PowerFlex 7000 recently created a new, revolutionary approach to saving energy in mines.
medium-voltage VFDs mounted in a
portable e-house on the mine’s surface to
further reduce energy use and ventilation Background
costs after the BESTECH installation
Without ventilation, the air in a mine is filled with dangerous
Results contaminants. Miners may work at depths of a mile or more underground
where contaminants such as carbon monoxide, as well as the dust
Energy Use and Cost Savings created from the mining cycle exist. Worker safety is essential to any
• The solution is currently achieving mine’s operation and success, but also presents challenges.
energy savings in excess of the previously
anticipated 30 percent estimate from Mining companies must provide fresh air to the work force to ensure a
the baseline safe working environment. This airflow is continuously removing and
• The VOD system is contributing to an diluting contaminants. The cost of ventilating mines is high and rising
estimated $400,000 in energy cost even higher as energy prices increase and mines expand in depth.
savings per year, with initial connection to
only 16 auxiliary fans
Approximately 50 percent of a typical mine’s energy costs are associated
with ventilation.
• BESTECH is helping the Vale Coleman
Mine reduce its carbon footprint by 1,577 Many hard-rock mines contain dozens of main ventilation fans and
kilograms of carbon monoxide for every
kilowatt reduction in energy
hundreds of auxiliary ones. Both types are usually controlled manually
and operated continuously at maximum speed, or peak capacity, to keep
• BESTECH is helping the mine save about
three million kilowatt hours, or 540 tons, air flowing through each part of the mine 24 hours a day. Unfortunately,
of carbon monoxide per year keeping all those fans running at maximum speeds – even during
non-peak demand periods – wastes precious energy.
 NRG1-ECO™ (Energy Consumption Optimization) combines hardware and software to manage energy

Ventilation-on-Demand (VOD) systems operate according Challenge

to the production requirements of a mine, automatically
adjusting to peak and non-peak demand periods. Air When BESTECH developed the NRG1-ECO™ technology,
flows can be directed where and when they are needed it formed a consortium of industry experts and
for more energy-efficient operation. For example, a diesel organizations to establish best practices and standards.
loader entering a particular area of a mine may require The consortium members include organizations such as
100 percent air volume, but a drill entering a different area the Centre for Mining Excellence, and mining giants Vale
of the mine, or in the same area at a different time, may and Xstrata Nickel.
require only 20 percent air volume. As such, fan speeds
can be set so that full performance requirements are met
at 5 to 10 percent of full motor speed, which reduces The BESTECH engineers found
power consumption to 70 to 90 percent, compared to that the Allen-Bradley VFDs from
fans running at maximum speed. Lower operating speeds Rockwell Automation were reliable
also translate into longer motor life, ultimately reducing
maintenance and operating costs. and right for the job.
BESTECH, a leading provider of system automation to
the mining industry in Canada, recently created a new Vale asked BESTECH to tailor a VOD system for its
approach to help mining companies more efficiently Coleman Mine, which already included some variable
manage their processes, equipment and energy usage frequency drives (VFDs) in its underground equipment.
in a safe manner. NRG1-ECO™ (Energy Consumption BESTECH engineers faced a new challenge – they needed
Optimization) combines hardware and software to skid-mounted VFDs that could be easily configured and
manage many pieces of automated equipment in a mine. installed on mine fans and seamlessly integrated with the
BESTECH NRG1-ECO™ system.
“When combined with a VOD module, mining companies
can realize significant energy savings,” said Paul Lalonde, BESTECH and Vale engineers evaluated VFDs from multiple
product developer – Automation, BESTECH. “The hardware suppliers and selected Rockwell Automation based on the
and software system also can dramatically reduce a ease of integration into the existing control system and
mine’s greenhouse gas emissions, while increasing its the seamless communication between the controllers, the
productivity and air quality.” VFDs and NRG1-ECO™. System reliability was also a critical
issue, as it is for any mine, so that ventilation is available to
miners 24/7. The BESTECH engineers found that the
Allen-Bradley VFDs from Rockwell Automation were
reliable and right for the job.
Solutions
To optimize air flow throughout the mine, the Coleman
Mine had an existing system of regulators on each mine
level with fresh air fans. On one level of the mine, auxiliary
fans are controlled by Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 700H
600-volt VFDs on skids underground. The PowerFlex VFDs
significantly reduce the energy used during fan operation
by precisely regulating motor speed, and maintaining
torque levels to match the needs of the load. The VFDs
also reduce the mechanical stress on the motors by
providing “soft-start” capability. After the installation of
NRG1-ECO™, Vale installed Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 7000
medium-voltage VFDs mounted in a portable e-house on
the surface of the mine to help reduce energy use and
ventilation costs. Each entrance into the mine includes its own display showing current air flow,
temperature and carbon monoxide levels. This air quality data is readily
available to notify workers of potentially dangerous conditions.
The PowerFlex drives allow operators to vary the speed of
fan motors electrically rather than mechanically, allowing
greater flexibility. Lacking a drive, the fan motors would The switches use configuration screens in the
run at full speed continuously regardless of varying programming software via an add-on profile to ease
demands for air flow, resulting in a significant waste integration and diagnostics of networked devices.
of energy. Using FactoryTalk® View human-machine interface
(HMI) software faceplates as part of the system, operators
A series of air-flow meters, air temperature sensors and
can view diagnostic data to easily access information
carbon monoxide detectors also were installed as part of
about system activity and quickly identify and
the new system. On one level in the mine, fans, regulators
troubleshoot problems.
and air-flow sensors are controlled by Allen-Bradley
Bulletin 1747 SLC 5/05 programmable logic controllers Rockwell Software® RSLogix™ 5000 programming software
(PLC) and Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1400 PLCs from minimized system development time and provided a
Rockwell Automation. The sensors seamlessly connect single programming environment for the CompactLogix
with Allen-Bradley CompactLogix L35E programmable L35E controllers, soft starters and VFDs. Engineers used
automation controllers (PAC) from Rockwell Automation Rockwell Software® RSLogix 500 programming software
to allow system wide control. The EtherNet/IP network to program the MicroLogix 1400 controllers and
connects fans, regulators and sensors to the controllers SLC 5/05 PLCs. The Integrated Architecture from
to allow seamless communication on a common Rockwell Automation provides multidiscipline
network infrastructure. functionality on a single EtherNet/IP network, which
helps converge control, visualization and decision
support throughout the entire mine.
The EtherNet/IP network connects fans,
BESTECH engineers also used the Integrated Architecture
regulators and sensors to the controllers Accelerator Toolkit from Rockwell Automation to help
to allow seamless communication on a simplify installation and reduce the overall time to design,
common network infrastructure. develop and deliver the solution. The tools help engineers
select components, develop drawings, write code, lay out
HMI screens, and troubleshoot and start up machines.

Allen-Bradley Stratix 8000™, Stratix 6000™ and During system installation, operators pre-set the default
Stratix 2000™ managed and unmanaged Ethernet parameters for the air flow regulation system using the
switches simplify the deployment of EtherNet/IP in the FactoryTalk View software in the surface control room.
mine. Stratix 8000 switches use a Cisco Catalyst Operating Each entrance into the mine includes its own display to
System, feature set, and user interface to provide a show current air flow, temperature and carbon monoxide
familiar environment for IT professionals. Stratix 6000 levels. This air quality data is readily available and easily
switches use a CIP interface to the Rockwell Automation visible at each level of the mine to notify workers of
Integrated Architecture to help ease deployment of potentially dangerous conditions, such as high
EtherNet/IP in the mine. Stratix 2000 switches do not carbon monoxide levels and/or minimum air flow,
require configuration and use simple cable connections before entering.
for easy connection to the controllers. They also segment
the EtherNet/IP network and direct network traffic more
efficiently than repeating hubs.
Results The new BESTECH technology is attracting the attention
of other mining giants. By working with Rockwell
After implementing the VOD system, the mine has realized Automation, BESTECH can integrate the NRG1-ECO™ with
greater energy savings than the originally anticipated any mine’s existing technology to help save costs without
estimate of 30 percent. The VOD system is also helping compromising worker safety. The NRG1-ECO™ integrates
the mine reduce its carbon footprint by 1,577 kilograms with the Coleman Mine’s tracking system, which helps
of carbon monoxide for every kilowatt reduction in mine operators detect the location of personnel in an
energy use. “Taken all together, these numbers illustrate emergency situation through tagging. Tagging also allows
significant cost savings for the Coleman Mine,” Lalonde mine operators to ramp down or turn off the fans if no
said. “We expect to see a savings of approximately 1.4 one is detected in a certain area of the mine, decreasing
million dollars in energy costs per year, and the VOD energy consumption but also helping keep workers safe.
system contributes greatly to this overall savings. The VOD Safety engineers can also use the system to understand
system is also helping to save about three million kilowatt the air quality at any given time using real-time data.
hours, or 540 tons of carbon monoxide per year.”
The results mentioned above are specific to BESTECH and Vale’s use of Rockwell Automation
products and services in conjunction with other products. Specific results may vary for
other customers.

Allen-Bradley, CompactLogix, FactoryTalk, Integrated Architecture, PowerFlex, RSLogix, Rockwell Software, SLC, Stratix 2000, Stratix 6000 and Stratix 8000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation
Inc. EtherNet/IP is a trademark of the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.

Publication MFGVP-AP008A-EN-P – August 2011 Copyright © 2011 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA.