Analysis of Energy Sustainability in Ore Slurry Pumping Transport Systems

Yunesky Masip Macía, Jacqueline Pedrera, Max Túlio Castro and Guillermo Vilalta
Additional contact information
Yunesky Masip Macía: Escuela de Ingeniería Mecánica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340025, Chile
Jacqueline Pedrera: Thermal Sciences and Fluids Department, Federal University of São João del-Rei, São João del-Rei-Minas Gerais 36307-352, Brazil
Max Túlio Castro: Thermal Sciences and Fluids Department, Federal University of São João del-Rei, São João del-Rei-Minas Gerais 36307-352, Brazil
Guillermo Vilalta: Thermal Sciences and Fluids Department, Federal University of São João del-Rei, São João del-Rei-Minas Gerais 36307-352, Brazil

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: The mining industry is characterized by a high consumption of energy due to the wide diversity of processes involved, specifically the transportation of ore slurry via pipeline systems. This study investigates the relationship among the variables that define the slurry transportation system to minimize the power requirements and increase energy sustainability. The energy indicator ( I ), the criterion used for the energy assessment of three different pumping system layouts, was computed via numerical simulation. Optimization of response I was carried out through a statistical technique in the design of the experiment. In the study, four variables were defined to describe the slurry transportation systems, two of which are associated with the piping system (length L and diameter D ); the other two are related to the slurry pattern (the volumetric concentration Cv and granulometry D 50 ). The results show that all variables are statistically significant relative to the indicator I , with L having the greatest amplitude of variation in the response, increasing the energy indicator by approximately 60%. Likewise, the decrease of the D 50 from 300 µm to 100 µm produces an average decrease of I of 24%. Moreover, the interaction among the factors indicates that two pairs of factors are correlated, namely D 50 with L and D with L . Finally, a predictive model obtained a fit that satisfactorily relates with the numerical data, allowing, in a preliminary way, to identify the minimum power requirement in iron ore slurry pipeline systems.

Keywords: energy sustainability; slurry transportation; design of experiments; numerical simulation; predictive model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/11/3191/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/11/3191/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:11:p:3191-:d:237985

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().