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Case Study

Ultrasonic Technology for Slurry

    We partnered with Aeris Resources Ltd to assist Tritton Copper Mine in conducting a series of slurry flow rate measurements.

    The team were approached to measure the flow rate of paste fill slurry compromising cement, tailings and water.

    Specifications

    Project

    Ultrasonic Technology for Slurry

    Project Overview
    • Aquip worked with Aeris Resources Ltd to help the team at Tritton Copper Mine in New South Wales measure the flow rate of paste fill slurry compromising cement, tailings and water.
    • The solids content of the slurry we were working with was above 70 per cent, with particle sizes of less than 20µm, while the DN200 HDPE pipe had a wall thickness of 22mm and was located more than a kilometre underground.
    Project Challenges
    • The measurement of flow medium containing solids and particles, in general, has proven challenging for the industry due to damage caused to inline flow meters.
    • We attempted to replicate results on a Schedule 80 ERW Grade B steel pipe carrying the same slurry and experienced some difficulty in obtaining measurements.
    • The installation of the inline flow meters is typically a costly and disruptive process.
    • The pipes being relatively difficult to access would have required a range of equipment to modify should an in-line flow metering solution have been applied.
    • As the slurry was so thick, we needed to ensure the ultrasonic signals were strong enough to pass through the pipe walls and return to the sensors, providing reliable readings.
    Project Results
    • The F60x series portable ultrasonic flow meter was installed to carry out the measurements.
    • The clamp-on ultrasonic transducers required no disruption to the process, and installation was carried out quickly.
    • The powerful processor was capable of achieving consistently strong signal strength throughout the test period, with excellent diagnostics recorded.
    • Armed with a range of transducer sizes, we determined that larger-than-standard ultrasonic transducers were the most suitable solution, providing the necessary signal amplitude to travel through the pipe walls and successfully measure the flow of the slurry.

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