This paper presents a success story in which diligent engineering design and equipment selection has produced a successful temporary spot cooling installation to support underground shaft sinking that has been in operation for the last 12 months. The need for cooling was apparent due to the depth of shaft sink (starting from >1,900m below surface), however this system was subject to many of the common challenges preventing the widespread use of spot cooling, including limited process water / dewatering capability, heat rejection equipment placement in the path of blasting fumes, limited air quantity for heat rejection, and layout constraints due to existing and upcoming mine services and construction.
Components were selected for mine duty with consideration for the dusty environment. Use of hybrid cooling towers allow for increased heat rejection capacity from evaporative cooling while maintaining a fully closed-loop condenser water circuit. Skid-mounting of all components allowed for easy placement and relocation. Use of HDPE piping lashed to existing ground support allowed for maximum layout flexibility and minimized installation time. Performance, operational features, and additional lessons learned, including feedback from operations personnel, will be shared.
