Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Energy
Conundrum
Electrical energy is the lifeblood of any country’s economy and living standard,
and the degree of development must inevitably be linked in direct proportion to
its supply and consumption. With the pressure now growing to minimise the green
gas effects of fossil based power generation, the move to renewables is gathering Chris Reay
momentum. Added to this is the ongoing dispute over nuclear power generation Chairman of the Working
Committee: Communications
that is the only other form of large base-load technology with the exception of hy- (SA Institution of Mechanical
dro power that is itself limited by the availability of sufficient water capacity. Engineering)
W
hile the battle between the reductions in capacity installed and available by 2013. This is
fossil based power and nuclear contin- a statement made in August 2010.
ues with the usual largely misinformed
Every day of the year
input by the anti-nuclear protagonists,
Given the 28 months left until the start of 2013 by
renewable energy is receiving a lot of attention in the
which time the capacity must be installed, com-
forms of wind, solar, photovoltaic, biogas, wave and
missioned and connected to the grid which would
hydrogen. In South Africa, overlaying the issue is the
have to be upgraded to accept intermittent input
impact of the large increases in the cost of traditional
from diverse locations, then being very optimistic
fossil-based power created by the lack of vision and
and providing 16 months to set strategy, identify
unbelievable naïveté displayed by the government in
parties, get licences, do the EIAs, design, procure
the years following the era in which we had surplus
and deliver to a prepared site, we would have 12
capacity in our fossil stations. Completely beyond
months to erect 1425 x 2MW turbines based on
comprehension was the belief by government that
a load factor of 20% to compensate for the varied
the independent power producers would suddenly
wind blanket. This factor is the maximum the Ameri-
emerge and be prepared to provide power at below
cans and Europeans have found possible from wind
cost, and certainly at tariffs that at the time meant
power. On this basis, we would need to install and
a negative return on investment.
commission 1,6 x 2MW turbines every day of the
Adopt statistics like a drunk man uses a lamppost, year including weekends and public holidays.
mainly for support rather than illumination While I believe in ambitious targets, this just makes
one wonder who is advising the Minister and just
When the reality of the situation finally hit home
how easy it is to influence non-technical people
through the load shedding debacle, we were then
with illusory numbers. It took the Danes, the most
faced with the challenge of returning to the large “six
advanced wind power nation in the world, over
pack” stations that were the norm for Eskom and
30 years to install less than 7000 GWh in their
which now had to be resurrected hurriedly, the costs
well wind provided environment and with a grid
of which now meant massive annual tariff hikes that
that had been developed to accept the vagaries of
will be substantial for the next five years.
renewable supply.
Nero-fiddling playback One does wonder who is planning South Africa’s
The option of additional nuclear plants such as future infrastructure and how many engineering
Koeberg seemed to feature in a sort of Nero-fiddling knowledge sources are being consulted or charged
playback, and then we decided we had to dump the with developing such plans. Not once have the pow-
PBMR after spending enormous development costs ers-that-be approached the SAIMechE to provide
and creating what must be substantial intellectual input to any engineering based plans.
property that will, in the true form of these things,
never re-emerge other than with competitors who The uninformed, as Lang said, seem to adopt sta-
will attract our brainpower. tistics like a drunk man uses a lamppost, mainly
for support rather than illumination.
The next amazing feature of this now manic-level
response to the power challenge appears to be another
illusion of adequacy in assuming we know how to
plan ahead with renewables. One such illusion is the
“plan” to have 10 000 GWh per annum of renewable
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Managing Editor Susan Custers THE SA INSTITUTE OF TRIBOLOGY
Editor Kowie Hamman NUCLEAR INSTITUTE
Advertising Susan Custers SA INSTITUTE FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
Circulation Catherine Macdiva
NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK ENGINEERS
DTP Zinobia Docrat/Sean Bacher
INSTITUTE FOR CERTIFICATED MECHANICAL AND
Disclaimer ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS
PROMECH Publishing and The South African Institution of Mechanical
SOUTH AFRICAN ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS
Engineering as well as any other body do not take responsibility for
the opinions expressed by individuals. ASSOCIATION OF SOCIETIES FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
Printed by: Typo Colour Printing, Tel: (011) 402-3468/9 AND HEALTH
Pictured here with Anisa of SAIMechE at Electra Pauline in a 5-year old get-up at our
Mining 2008 annual Casual Day function
Vessels up to 130 metres long makes SA Shipyards the biggest ship builder on the African continent
Tugboats are an integral part of harbour operations. As most large vessels simply cannot manoeuvre through
the harbour channels on their own power, they’re reliant on these specialised little workhorses to bring them
alongside the quay for docking.
Africa from
programmes, several tugboats are being built, right
here in South Africa.
E
long. “The third completed tugboat for the port
xceptionally powerful for their size and of Coega is undergoing sea trials as we speak,”
strongly built, tugboats were the first sea- says Prasheen Maharaj, chief financial officer of
going vessels to utilise steam propulsion the company. “We got into tug building just after
to free them from the restraint of the wind acquiring the company in 2007 after Transet put
which allowed the boat to go in any direction. As out a tender for the building of three tugs.
such, they were employed in harbours to assist
“Soon after getting this tender, we also won a
ships in docking and departure as well as moving
contract to build another two tugs for other ports
large barges or platforms with no independent
and soon had five under construction in our facility
means of propulsion.
that can turn out a tug every four months,” Pra-
Over ninety percent of South African imports and sheen adds. “The design is a very stable tugboat
exports are channelled through the six main ports, built to world-class standards and powered by the
Philip Herselman, business manager of the industrial air division at Atlas Copco (left) and
Wayne Jacobs, business manager of the oil-free air division at Atlas Copco
W
hile replacing an old compressor with bigger compressors at the source to get a specific
a new energy-saving model does bring working pressure at the delivery point.”
about a saving, it’s no use installing it
Maintenance
on an old network of leaking pipes with
“You have to look at the compressed air plant
pressure drops or mismatched ancillary equipment.
holistically and over the long term,” says Wayne.
Any savings whatsoever go straight out the window
“You’ll get a much higher percentage saving over
and people end up blaming the compressor for not
a shorter period of time with less capital outlay by
performing to specification.
addressing things such as leakages and pressure
Just one bar of pressure drop results in a 7 percent drops from the outset. In addition, it is crucial to
maintain the system regularly and at correct intervals.
energy loss
Of all the factors that influence energy consump-
tion in a compressor plant, proper maintenance of
More than meets the eye
the machines and the system as a whole can bring
There is much more to an effective compressed air
about one of the biggest savings.”
system than just the compressor, and to elaborate
on this crucial aspect of compressed air production The right dryer
“SA Mechanical Engineer” speaks to Wayne Jacobs, Another area where companies often make mistakes
business manager of the oil-free air division at Atlas in terms of selecting matching equipment in the air
Copco in Johannesburg. system is air dryers. “Although about 95 percent
“We regularly come across enquiries where people of compressed air installations in South Africa do
want to buy a new and bigger compressor that need air dryers, many people simply don’t under-
will, in spite of the cost of electricity, compensate stand the function of an air dryer, and when, the
for an ineffective system down the line,” he says. wrong one is fitted, more unwanted pressure drops
“They simply regard it as too much trouble to fix are experienced in the system,” says Wayne. “The
the leaks in the pipe work or have the system tested benefits of taking the moisture out of a system
for pressure drops. far outweigh the cost of a dryer, but we find that
people don’t understand the quality of the air dry-
“Just one bar of pressure drop due to mismatched ness they need and more often than not, end up
piping or ancillary equipment such as dryers or fil- over-specifying.
ters results in a 7 percent energy loss,” adds Philip
Herselman, business manager of the industrial air “It often happens that companies buy a more ex-
division at Atlas Copco. “Due to a lack of mainte- pensive dryer than necessary, or buy the wrong type
nance, these flaws do creep into a system over time of dryer for a specific application,” adds Wayne. “A
and companies want to compensate for them with dryer’s running costs also need to be considered.
Oil-free air
Yet another big problem lies with the choice of
compressor. “Just because an oil-free compressor
costs more than an oil-flooded compressor, many
people opt for the oil-flooded version and rely on
banks of filters to take the oil out of the air,” ex-
plains Wayne. “However, from the word go, a filter’s
capability drops as it starts collecting oil and dirt
from the air stream. This results in increased energy
consumption. Cartridges also need to be replaced
regularly, significantly increasing running costs due
to maintenance.
“Such a system would also need separators and
special draining systems for the condensate to
comply with the legal requirements, all adding to
the running costs of the cheaper machine. In the
meantime, for guaranteed constant oil-free air, an
oil-free compressor from the start would have been
much more cost effective over the same period of
time, but people still tend to shy away because of
the initial price of these machines.”
Audit service
Like the ranges of ancillary in-line equipment, Atlas
Copco also offers a compressed air network audit
service to assist customers and design engineers
in choosing the right equipment combinations for
an application. “We don’t get involved in process
design, but we can certainly advise on the most
energy efficient combinations of equipment of an
air network layout,” Wayne says in conclusion.
“Our AIRScan system is a highly accurate, inde-
pendent survey and reporting system designed to
pinpoint the areas where potential savings can be
made in a plant. In this way we discover where the
energy drain originates from and can take appropriate
actions to remedy or optimise the situation.”
Wayne Jacobs, Atlas Copco, Tel: (011) 821-9120, Email:
wayne.jacobs@za.atlascopco.com
Lining
up for
Success
S
A Mechanical Engineer” speaks to Grant materials are concerned.
Stewart, the product manager of Vulco
Rubber liner
products at Weir Minerals about an alterna-
“To start off building such a partnership we’ve
tive which is steadily making inroads in the
been targeting secondary milling such as ball mills
South African milling industry. “The Weir SFL lining
to prove the product’s durability and flexibility,”
system (composite lining) is a rubber/chrome molly
Grant adds. “Once the mine has seen the results
combination liner for mills which is new to the
and has confidence in the product, we move onto
South African market but has made great inroads
primary milling as in SAG mills. The old days of
in Chile and Australia,” he explains. “Locally it’s
just selling a product have long gone, we’re now
new in the sense that we like to partner with the
selling a service where we also assist customers
mine in terms of proving the product’s effectiveness,
throughout the lifecycle of the liner.
not only against steel but also as far as other liner
“For instance, we’ll go to site during a shutdown,
The old days of just selling a product have long gone, roll up our sleeves and actually get into the mill
we’re now selling a service in order to do a profile of the liner to determine
the wear life of the product in that given situa- orientated. “We sell design to start off with,” says
tion. From this we draw up an extensive report Grant. “Together with the mine’s engineer and
so that the client can clearly see the wear ratio our rubber technologist, the designer uses various
inside the mill and plan accordingly for re-lining software tools such as mill trajectory analysis,
the mill.” MLeds, Moly crop and the Unigraphics 3D system
to structure a design until he gets the best solution
for a particular situation.
The harder the material fed into the mill, the more cost
effective a rubber lining becomes “Our in-house facilities enable total control of the
entire process, from design through to manufacture
and installation,” adds Grant. “To do this, we carry
All mills lined out a complete analysis for each individual milling
No two mill applications are identical because application. Factors such as mill dimensions, speed,
even on the same mine, ore can come out of the mill power, ore type, feed top size, feed distribution,
ground differently at different times and therefore throughput, charge volume and make-up, density
mill linings are usually custom-designed for each and product size are considered. This allows for the
individual mill. “The Vulco system offers a broad most appropriate design and material selection for
range of custom-designed rubber and metal cap the lining in order to achieve optimum performance
lining systems for ball, rod, SAG and AG mills, as from the mill at the lowest possible cost.”
well as scrubbers,” Grant adds.
The rubber
“We also have a wide selection of general wear-
A general rule in terms of mill lining is that the
resistant products including ceramic rubber wear
harder the material fed into the mill, the more cost
plates, trunnion liners and custom-made wear plates
effective a rubber lining becomes. “We’re fortunate
for impact and abrasion protection.”
in that the rubber compound for the liner products
Strong design capability is mixed in-house according to our technologists’
Supported by resources from across the world where specifications,” Grant elaborates. “Elasticity, high
the Vulco technology has been tried and tested, tensile strength and abrasion resistance are some
Weir’s local team of engineers are strongly design of the inherent characteristics of our compound,
making rubber
the preferred
mill lining over
steel. Rubber’s
elasticity per-
mits restoration
of its original
profile after im-
pact, while the
tensile strength
prevents it from
tearing.
Faster and
safer
“Rubber also al-
lows for a lower
installed cost,
and since rub-
ber and metal
cap mill liners
weigh up to
80% less than
steel alone,
they are faster,
easier and safer
to install,” adds
Grant. “In addi-
tion, by reduc- Vulco rubber mill lining systems are ideal for ball mills
ing the mass of
the lining system, a greater charge weight can be
utilised which allows for increased throughput.
“Our low profile T-track system forged T-bolt arrange-
ment eliminates the need for frequent inspections,
repair, and bolt tightening,” says Grant. “At the
same time, rubber conforms to the mill’s internal
surface which creates a seal that prevents leakage
and slurry erosion of the mill shell. All these factors
contribute to longer wear life with fewer maintenance
interruptions and greater mill availability.”
Service
However, it’s not just its meticulous design features
and special rubber characteristics that have made
Weir’s Vulco linings a success in South Africa. “We’re
in it for the long haul,” says Grant in conclusion. “Our
service approach to the business includes constantly
inspecting installations so that we can plot trends
for each installation and thereby remain on top of
problems as they may arise. Not one installation
is the same, and being in constant touch lets us
tweak slight problems so that the customer gets
the best service and value out of his rubber lining
system all the time.”
Grant Stewart, Weir Minerals Africa, Tel: (011) 929-2799,
Email: grantstewart@weirminerals.com
Uniting Disparate
Professions
Bridges are being built in the engineering world as KwaZulu-
Natal opens the first chapter of SAPCI (Southern African Proj-
ect Controls Institute), a move which is seen as the perfect
platform for the city preparing to host the 2012 ICEC World
Conference.
T
he launch of the SAPCI-KZN chapter is be-
ing initiated by the Durban branch of Mid-
rand based Planning and Cost Engineering
Services (PaCE) and Bingelela Consulting
Professionals, who have teamed up to improve the
working relationship between cost engineers and
quantity surveyors - two groups who are known to
have their differences in the engineering world.
Full backing
The initiative has received the full backing of the
Johannesburg chapter of SAPCI and is being under-
taken in conjunction with the Association of South
African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS). The new launch
aims to bring the two professions closer through
mutual partnerships, while improving opportunities
Nic Bennett MD and CEO
and skills for all its members.
It’s about time that we stop being cousins and finally Another primary aim will be to help quantity sur-
become brothers veyors who struggle to get into cost engineering
because of its specialist nature.
The driving force behind the project will also involve Catch 22
high-level discussions with universities about offering Managing director and CEO of PaCE, Nic Bennett
degree courses in Cost Engineering, a qualification says, “The catch 22 situation which has both sides
which is currently not available and the certifica- in a difficult position is the fact that cost engineers
tion only being obtainable in South Africa through are not able to obtain a BSc qualification for their
the USA-based Association for the Advancement profession, but instead become proficient through
of Cost Engineering (AACE) after eight years of training and their experience in-field. Quantity
working experience. surveyors on the other hand, are able to obtain a
tertiary qualification, but struggle to branch out into
cost engineering because it is too specialised. It’s
about time that we stop being cousins and finally
become brothers. We work so closely together in
similar fields, yet there seems to be this rift between
our professions that ultimately results in doors be-
ing closed and opportunities limited.”
Corporations are being encouraged to invest in
the project by becoming corporate members, and
allow their employees a few hours off each month
to attend useful workshops and seminars, designed
to vastly improve the skills and qualifications of
those who attend.
SAPCI, Tel: (011) 478-1540, Fax: (011) 478-1540, Email:
sapci@telkomsa.net, www.sapci.org.za
A Revival
Just mention a saving in energy consumption and any mining engineer will sit up and take notice, especially
if it concerns the comminution process, where crushing and milling machines are the big energy guzzlers. A
20% energy saving in this department adds up to a huge cut in any mine’s energy bill, not to mention reduced
costs in capital outlay, savings on consumables such as steel balls and downtime in maintenance stoppages to
replace them.
I
mining.
n tests conducted at Mintek
in Johannesburg, this 20 “SA Mechanical Engineer” meets with Dr. Johnny
percent saving has been Kalala, the head of comminution at Mintek’s mineral
realised time and again in processing division, to talk about this project. “All
a high pressure grinding roll indications from our tests and two actual installa-
(HPGR) crusher pilot plant that tions in the platinum processing industry show that
has been running for over a year. HPGR technology integrated in comminution circuits
Old technology never dies, but it has the potential to save around 20% in energy
may sit on the shelf for a couple consumption per tonne, compared with using only
of years, until new materials conventional grinding equipment,” he says.
and processes that appear on “Our research is focused around this technology,
the market help to eliminate not only for the energy saving aspects but, at the
the weak points in the original same time, looking at better liberation through
design. This is what happened the inter-particle crushing that takes place with a
to the use of roll crushers for HPGR system.”
hard rock processing.
The facility
HPGR Mintek has a comminution piloting facility that in-
Dr Johnny Kalala of Mintek High Pressure Grinding Roll cludes a SAG mill, crushers, a Köppern HPGR unit
(HPGR) technology, first intro- with a diameter of one metre, a Polysius HPGR unit
duced in 1985, was originally used in the cement with a diameter of 0.250m, primary and second-
industry to treat non-abrasive materials. The benefits ary ball milling facilities, a stirred media detractor
enjoyed by the cement industry through the use (SMD), a Deswick mill, a Derrick screen and hydro-
of this technology did not go unnoticed by other cyclones. As we walk through the facility, Johnny
industries, which resulted in some sectors trying out explains that the comminution pilot plant not only
60
years
to handle and install and offer excellent corrosion, wear and abrasion
resistance.
5-day course.
Need for international recognition
However, there is a demand for an in-
ternationally recognised qualification,
especially amongst the many South African
companies that are trading globally, as
well as global companies with bases in
South Africa.
With the rising cost of capital equipment
and the maintenance thereof, it is essential
that the person in charge of lubrication
is competent.
CLS Exam
This is an internationally recognised
qualification and has been run for the
past 8 years by the SAIT through its
association with the STLE (Society of
Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers,
based in the US).
The exam is run in South Africa annu-
ally, and this year it will be on the 19th
November, at the SAIT offices in Kelvin,
Johannesburg. As this exam is US-based,
all measurements are Imperial (although
metric equivalents are given).
The question paper is unique for each
candidate as the questions are randomly
drawn from a large database, so fairness
is assured.
Over the years, the SAIT have created a
similar database of old questions, and
these are invaluable in preparing for the
exam.
Preparation Course
Due to the difficulty of preparing for this
exam, the SAIT runs a preparation course
for CLS candidates. It will be run for the 2
days before the exam and will be facilitated
by a current CLS holder.
The agenda will include: Imperial measure-
ments, the Lubrication Engineers Manual,
previous questions, exam techniques and
various technical subjects.
T
he SAIT has been running the Lubrication Additionally, all candidates who are signed up for
Engineering course for many years, giving the course will receive preparation modules for a
candidates a local qualification that is well number of weeks before attending.
respected. A certificate is only received SAIT, Gill or Isabel, Tel: (011) 802-5145), David Beard,
after passing an examination, at the end of a busy Tel: (082 850 3205), www.stle.org, www.sait.org.za
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by
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Nature
Advertising Pauline Bouwer
Circulation Catherine Macdiva
DTP Zinobia Docrat/Sean Bacher
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The windfarm near Darling
The winds of change are steadily blowing across the South African continent,
transforming the potential of alternative energy generation as more and more
projects become a reality every year. There’s a lot of talk about all the differ-
ent means of generating energy, from biomass to hydro systems, alternative
Copyright fuels and various forms of harnessing the sun’s abundant energy, but the one
All rights reserved. No edi- that is rapidly gaining the lead is harnessing the winds, especially along our
torial matter published in
“Power Generation Today”
coastal regions.
S
may be reproduced in any
form or language without A Mechanical Engineer” takes a look Company (DWP) signed a 20 year Power
written permission of the at wind turbine projects in South Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the City
publishers. While every effort Africa with a second wind farm of Cape Town as well as a Power Wheeling
is made to ensure accurate taking shape near Port Elizabeth. Agreement with Eskom.
reproduction, the editor, au- The first project is near the little village
thors, publishers and their Of the turbines at Klipheuwel, the most
of Darling on the Cape West Coast where basic unit is performing the best under
employees or agents shall enough strong and consistent winds justi-
not be responsible or in any high wind conditions in summer, while the
fied building South Africa’s first wind farm, largest turbine is performing the best under
way liable for any errors,
omissions or inaccuracies on the gentle sloping hills of Klipheuwel weak wind or winter conditions. Overall,
in the publication, whether near the town. In fact the winds are gentle total production annually has been just more
arising from negligence or enough not to upset Tannie Evita’s (Pieter than 4GWh. The Klipheuwel wind farm has
otherwise or for any conse- Dirk Uys) hairdo as she strolls down the a total capacity of 5.2 MW from the four
quences arising therefrom. platform of Darling’s train station to open turbines, mounted on 17-storey high tow-
The inclusion or exclusion of up ‘Evita se Perron’, one of the West Coast’s
any product does not mean
ers. The units are each powered by three
most popular restaurants. 33.5 metre blades, being longer than the
that the publisher or editorial
board advocates or rejects its wing of a Boeing 747-400. Each 42-ton
Darling
use either generally or in any engine room at the top of the tower has a
Darling’s ‘winds’ are now sold as electricity
particular field or fields. 1.3 MW capacity delivering an expected
into the utility grid, bringing not only some
annual yield of 13.2 Gwh clean energy from
relief to the energy crisis, but also brand new
phase one of the Darling project.
technology to the African continent. This is
the first grid-connected, independent wind Speeds needed
energy power-generating facility developed The wind turbines at Klipheuwel generate
in South Africa. The Darling Wind farm at wind speeds between 11 and 50 km/
World Energy
Mohamed ElBaradei, outgoing Director General of the Interna- countries are competing for capital and hardware
tional Atomic Energy Agency, visited South Africa in late July. to do the same.
He appeared to have spoken mainly with Foreign Affairs about More reserves and new technologies will always
weapons proliferation. This month’s offering is prompted by be found, even if we do have to pay a bit more.
another theme of his, coping with what he sees as the oncom- Man is an ingenious animal and there is no point
ing world energy crisis. in trying to anticipate future technology, just go
Y
with the flow. And what about nuclear fusion? It’s
ou may be familiar with Eskom’s power sta- a state of mind that I don’t buy.
tions diagram which we’ve taken the liberty
of reproducing below. It shows, or would What reserves do we have? Available estimates
show if the lettering were larger, that this vary, but in very round numbers we seem to have
country is powered by the equivalent of ten large about fifty-billion tonnes of readily recoverable
(4 000 MW) power stations. In 1955 the country coal. Subject to coal quality, a 4 000 MW station
was run on little more than half the number of power burns some 0,7-billion tonnes during a fifty-year
stations. Load growth then set in and played havoc life. Therefore, if we elect to use half the available
with planning. Eskom assumed that a growth of 9 coal for power generation, we have enough for about
percent per annum would go on for ever and over- forty more large coal burners. With a 4 percent load
built, but then Government intervened and nothing growth we would find ourselves building our last
was built at all. Only the recession has saved us conventional coal-fired station around the middle
from further load-shedding. We also see from the of the century, environmental considerations aside.
diagram that all today’s power stations will have And after that there’s any amount of less readily
been decommissioned by about 2050. accessible coal.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Corresponding sums for uranium reserves yield
bad news and good news. Divide known South
African reserves of perhaps 0,7-million tonnes by
ten thousand tonnes for a 1 000 MW reactor life-
time and you get about eighteen of our postulated
4 000 MW power stations. Not overly impressive.
The good news is that nuclear technology is still at
the adolescent stage and with new fuel cycles now
being developed, with breeder reactors and with
thorium and the possibility of uranium extraction
from seawater, the reserve becomes effectively
infinite.
But now recall that South Africa has far more than
its fair share of energy resources. With less than 1
percent of the world’s population, we have around
By 2050 we will have had to build forty new large 6 or 7 percent of world’s known readily recoverable
power stations resources of both coal and uranium. Other countries
are going to hit the energy buffers before we do.
Scary stuff Solar will help, at a price, but erratic wind energy
I find this diagram scary. The 4% growth line does not impress. Hydro is reaching the limit.
shown will now kink as it did in the 1990s. But All of which brings me back to Dr. ElBaradei. He
if the targeted 6 percent growth in GDP and the points out that the International Energy Agency is
associated 4 percent load growth resume after an OECD rather than global organisation, and that
2010, by 2050 we will have had to build forty new global organisations do exist to coordinate efforts
large power stations. The area to the right of and in world health, food production and all manners
far above the Eskom graph will have to be filled of financial and trade matters. He points out that,
completely with new power stations. Even at a 2 the plethora of such organisations notwithstanding,
percent load growth from 2010, we will need over preparing for the gathering energy crisis* is urgently
twenty new large stations by 2050. That starts to necessary. I, for one, don’t feel like arguing.
sound a little more manageable but still means a John Walmsley
brand new six-pack every two years or a Koeberg (* ‘Tackling the global energy crisis’, Mohamed ElBaradei,
every year for ever. This at a time when all other IAEA Bulletin, September 2008)
NDT in Service
Non-destructive testing in safety assur-
ance, quality control and condition moni-
toring is the theme for the 18th World
Conference on Non-Destructive Testing
(WCNDT) which will be staged at the
of Society
International Conference Centre (ICC) in
Durban from 16 to 20 April 2012. SAINT
was appointed by the International Com-
mittee on NDT (ICNDT) in 2004 to orga-
nise this conference in 2012.
I
t will be the first time that the WCNDT will tend the conference. Attendance of the conference
be held on the African continent and SAINT is will be like looking into a window which reveals
organising the conference for the international the world of safety assurance, quality control and
NDT fraternity to communicate the latest de- condition monitoring as it is performed and avail-
velopments in NDT and for Africa to take note able today.
of what can be done in the field of NDT. African While a number of conferences on NDT are being
countries will be actively encouraged to partake staged, both locally and internationally, it must be
in the event. remembered that this conference staged in Durban
Please diarise the dates and put plans into action is the World Conference, ie, the occasion where the
to be a part of this conference. The conference is NDT fraternity from all the continents gets together
the place where new doors can be opened, new to exchange developments which are at the leading
friendships can be moulded and new ventures can edge of the technology.
be formed.
The idea is for South Africa to become
Wheels in motion au fait with what NDT has to offer
All the wheels have now been put into motion to
promote and market the event. The first call for What to expect
papers will be issued by the end of September In the forthcoming months, the SAINT column in
2010 and the marketing committee is in the process this publication will focus on the 18th WCNDT
of approaching equipment and service providers in Durban. This is done intentionally so that the
to become involved in the exhibition, which is engineering fraternity, which includes the mechani-
intended to be a window into what is available on cal-, chemical-, petrochemical-, civil- and trans-
the world market. From interactions with exhibi- port industries, can become aware of the unique
tors at the 10th European conference on NDT in opportunity which is offered to the industries in
Moscow earlier this year, it can be stated that the South Africa by the staging of the conference in
exhibition associated with the conference will be our country. The show case is opening on our door
a memorable experience. step. Please make use of the opportunities offered
SAINT would appreciate it if the South African through this venture.
NDT fraternity could start to prepare papers to be Should you wish to participate in the WCNDT, log onto
presented at the conference, to showcase the South http://www.saint.org.za/ and download the 18th WCNDT
African NDT industry and activities. The industries invitation.
who at this stage are not aware of what NDT can Manfred Johannes, SAINT President and
offer are encouraged to make time available to at- President of the 18th WCNDT
Y
ears ago, Eben du Plessis of Producut faced
this exact problem when he was asked to
design a lubrication system for the tools
used to saw aluminium. He reasoned that
if he could get rid of the soluble oil, he’d be cutting
out the process to dry the chips which would not
only save time, but also the huge cost of equip-
ment and energy associated with the cleaning and
drying process.
MQL
This gave local birth to the concept of MQL
(minimum quantity lubrication) which his company
Case study
Dosing is accompanied by carefully-controlled air to
disperse lubricant at the exact point of lubrication,
to blow away chips in the case of metalworking
and to provide cooling of the tool. A case study
was performed at an aluminium smelter in 1991
where an aluminium cast ingot or slab was cut
with a two-metre diameter circular saw where
large volumes of conventional water soluble oil
was pumped onto the blade.
Jacques Theron, technical manager at Producut shows the control box of
the system “We introduced MQL on a second saw and after
Savings
In the case of the aluminium smelter, the
saving wasn’t only in terms of lubricant
and tooling. “The chips from the saws
had to be dried by centrifuging and then
oven dried before re-melting could take
place,” explains Jacques.
“With MQL, the chips now go directly
to the melting furnace. Furthermore,
the production floor no longer poses a
danger to operators who used to slip
on the oily floors. The usual problem of
skin disorders from the soluble solutions
is a thing of the past while the ingress Control and the pumping system inside the control unit
of unwanted moisture into gearboxes,
bearings, slides and electronic controls
has disappeared, resulting in less main-
tenance and downtime on equipment.
Energy
“In metalworking, electricity consumption
is a good indicator of the efficiency of the
operation,” adds Jacques. “The moment
the tool goes blunt, the machine starts
drawing more amps and the noise level
and pitch increases. Using conventional
lubrication, where the cutting fluid, neat
or water soluble, is constantly circulated,
the effectiveness of the lubrication tends
to drop.
In a MQL system, every drop of lubricant
is fresh and there is no depletion of EP/
AW additives, resulting in a significant
increase in tool life. In one of our case
studies, blade changes dropped from
The blending plant
69 to 18 times per year and blade repair costs toxicity values and are non-flammable. As MQL
decreased 11-fold. So, MQL boils down to being an lubricants operate mostly in boundary lubrication
energy-light option that adds to your savings.” conditions, we blend in Extreme Pressure, Anti-Wear
In the case of MQL, there is no fluid to dispose of. and Anti-Oxidant additives. These additives are
“To dispose of spent water soluble oil however, is sourced from reputable international manufacturers
not so easy and the new Waste Act regards it as a and carry US FDA approval ratings for lubes with
controlled substance,” says Jacques. “The fluid has incidental food contact.
no commercial value and cannot be economically
recycled, leaving only slimes dams as a possible Having to dispose of this fluid in swimming pool
disposal option. We have seen clients having to volumes more than once a year
dispose of this fluid in swimming pool volumes
more than once a year.”
Customised
Blending “Apart from the obvious cost savings, industry
Eben takes us through to Producut’s lubricant must start looking at sustainable solutions and
blending plant which is by far the cleanest oil stop clinging to ox-wagon technology,” says Eben in
blending facility we’ve ever seen. You can literally conclusion. “Our hardware, lubricants and solutions
eat off the floor, not only because it’s so clean, but are adaptable to a large variety of applications and
also because the oils are mainly natural. “Because materials. We’re busy looking at systems specifically
MQL means the discharge of lubricant into an open designed for the cutting and machining of yellow
environment, we opted for esters as our main base metals and have even designed and built lubrica-
fluid,” explains Eben. tion systems for stainless steel cutting as well.
“Esters, being either natural plant oils or synthetic Each system and the lubricant it uses is designed
from renewable sources, have excellent lubricity. for each individual application.”
They are also safe as they have a high flash point, Eben du Plessis, Producut, Tel: (012) 804-0844, Email:
are soluble, bio-degradable, have no or very low producut@icon.co.za
Good Tribology
Saves Energy
The job of a lubricator on a plant is unavoid-
ably a dirty one as it is inevitable that he
will spill oil on himself as he goes around
checking the oil levels and filling machines
on his daily rounds. For this very reason, the
responsibilities of the lubricator are more
than often allocated to the least educated,
lowest paid worker on the plant, which is
often the biggest mistake anyone can make.
I
tive. For instance, not maintaining idlers properly
f the lubricator had to inadvertently add the wrong
in a conveyor system is hugely inefficient.
grade of oil to a multi-million rand machine,
it not only affects the machine’s performance, An example
but could seriously damage it and even lead to “From a machine-life perspective, we’ve found that
premature failure. Besides influencing production, today white metal bearings in South Africa only last
machines not running at optimum performance waste six to eight years, whereas they used to last 20
energy, adding to the running costs of the plant and years in the past,” John adds. “And it’s not because
directly affecting the company’s bottom line. of the lubrication, there’s nothing wrong with the
lubrication or the bearing. It all boils down to the
We’ve found that today white metal bearings in South lack of skills and knowledge which are impacting
on the cost of operations in this country.”
Africa only last six to eight years, whereas they used to
last 20 years in the past Generally, the industry seems to cut down on the cost
of lubrication, filtration and maintenance, despite it
usually being a small percentage of a budget. “If you
What is tribology? worked the maintenance budget out against turnover,
In South Africa there is a lot of this going on, it is generally a very small percentage, yet people
ultimately affecting the country’s economy due tend to opt for cheaper lubricants to try and save
to sheer ignorance through lack of understanding money,” he explains. “What they don’t understand
about the importance of tribology in machinery. is that by increasing the lubrication budget slightly,
By definition, tribology, as a branch of mechani- they’d be dramatically reducing downtime costs
cal engineering, is the science and engineering of caused by lubrication related failures.”
interacting surfaces in relative motion. It includes
the study and application of the principles of fric- Proper filtration
tion, lubrication and wear. To illustrate the importance of proper filtration, John
recalls a case of a factory in Durban. “The company
The project was changing between fifteen and twenty white
A project to determine the cost and energy saving metal bearings a month at a cost of 1.5 million
potential of tribology to the South African industry rand a year,” he says. “Since installing a lubrication
was started a year ago by the South African Institute filtration system, they’re changing no more than five
of Tribology (SAIT) and to catch up “SA Mechanical bearings a year. Add to this the increased up-time
Engineer” speaks to the president, John Fitton, about production, and the cost of the filtration system
becomes a mere drop in the ocean.” basic principles which are not as complex as is
The outcome of the SAIT study will be used to generally assumed. “Basically tribology is the study
benchmark South Africa and highlight areas of of wear due to friction and lubrication is the key to
concern where greater effort is required such as reducing the wear by managing the friction,” John
specific applications, general education, skills im- explains. “The right viscosity in the right application
provements and research and development. is crucial. If the viscosity is too light you get wear,
if it is too heavy you waste energy. Just having
Issues the wrong grade of oil in an application wastes as
“Initially, we started off with a survey but could not much as ten percent of the energy consumed in a
get enough information using this method,” says gearbox or motor.”
John. “We then started actively visiting companies
to spend time with the maintenance manager, The level of knowledge on tribology and lubrication
engineers and plant operators to gain access to as practices is almost zero in most cases
much information as possible. This provided insight
into the skills-levels, knowledge and the extent of
The final conclusions and report of phase one of
education in terms of tribology that people in the
this project are due soon and will be submitted to
company have gone through.
the Department of Science and Technology. “One
“The results were particularly scary as the level of of the main revelations is the fact that dirt ingress
knowledge on tribology and lubrication practices into machinery is prevalent in South Africa while
is almost zero in most cases. Because of this we the lack of training is a serious shortfall,” John says
intend to highlight all these issues to try and in- in conclusion. “Generally, people tend to start living
troduce tribology into all forms of education, from with certain failures and then budget for them as
artisan training to engineering.” running costs, whereas in actual fact, they should
Too much or too little solve the problem from the start.”
From the study, it is clear that not many people John Fitton, SAIT, through the institute secretary at; sec-
understand what tribology is, let alone apply the retary@sait.org.za
New Player
in the Air A comprehensive range of both compres-
sors and vacuum pumps, made by the same
manufacturer, is now finding a renewed
Market
footing in the South African industry.
S
A Mechanical Engineer” visits Goscor Com-
pressed Air Systems (GCAS), a newly-formed
division of Goscor Power Products, which is
now the sole distributor of the Sullair range
of air products from the USA. “Since setting up
shop a couple of months ago we’ve already made
significant inroads with both the compressors and
the vacuum pump range,” says general manager of
GCAS, Paul Combe. “Everyone is under pressure
to be as efficient as possible and with the Sullair
range of products we have a significant competi-
tive advantage.
Redesigned range
“The product has been on the South African market
for many years, giving us a small market share to
start off with, but we’re expanding quickly,” he adds.
“There are certain niches in the market that others
don’t cover, allowing us to make some headway
with Sullair’s new range of Shoptek compressors
that replaced the belt driven range it used to have.
We’ve also had a good response from the hospital
market in terms of vacuum motors and have already
done several installations.
“For now, we’re concentrating on Gauteng and sur-
rounding areas, but once established, we’ll extend
our services to the rest of the country.”
The new Shoptek range is not only a more cost
effective compressor, but it now has ‘extras’ built
in as standard features. “Not only is it a better
compressor, but it is more cost competitive to
handle the flood of compressors coming in from
China,” says Paul. “We’ve only just received the
first stock of these new compressors and four have
already been sold because the buyers immediately
recognised the superior features.
Control system
“With most compressors you have to purchase a
separate panel to control multiple units,” explains
Paul. “These control panels are sophisticated
and expensive because they usually control up to
Stock spares for the new range of compressors
seven compressors simultaneously. However, for
Catch Up
Sometimes it takes an outsider to see the true situation and
highlight faults that you don’t see as you’re too close to the
subject matter. It may well be worth listening to such ob-
servations, especially if they come from a professional with
many years of experience in the global arena.
H
aving been in the international compres- correctly and so on.”
sor industry for 35 years, Geoff Houlgate, German precision
managing director of Kaeser Compressors As a German manufacturer, all machines made
South Africa, is just such a person. Five by Kaeser have matching components in order to
years ago he came to South Africa to establish a achieve optimum efficiency. “Every machine that
wholly-owned subsidiary of Kaeser Compressors to comes into South Africa for example, is fitted with
service Africa. “SA Mechanical Engineer” joins him an EFF 1 motor which already translates into a 6
in Meadowdale near Johannesburg to chat. percent saving,” says Geoff.
In terms of efficiencies I’ve seen some diabolical local “The German philosophy is to educate users, not only
installations about the efficiency specifications of our machines,
but also about the crucial importance of correctly
installing the system as a whole.
In retrospect “For instance, we carry out surveys and audit installa-
“When I got here from Kaeser in England five years tions so that we can point out just how the end-user
ago it was like stepping back 20 years,” he says. can save on an inefficient installation of which there
“At that time, electricity was relatively cheap in are far too many in South Africa,” he adds.
Massive water
storage
Good news for would-be
installers of very large panel
The semi-open channel impeller and cutter mechanism of Tsurumi’s C-Series submersible cutter pump reservoirs – water storage
capacities are not limited
by the dimensions of standard production models.
Wayne Thompson, managing director of Rainbow Reservoirs,
reports that the company’s Australian principals build to
Flanged connections specification panel-type reservoirs as large as two megalitres
The Gemü range of manual and pneumatic angle seat globe for installation around the world.
valves are now available with flanged connections to EN
“This is about three times bigger than the standard panel
1092 and Ansi specifications.
95
75
Artic Driers 17
Atlas Copco
Inside Front Cover
Ceccato 16
Engen 34
Kaeser Compressors 4