Practical Implementation of VOD at the Henderson Mine

R. Dave Brokering1*, D.M. Loring1, C.J. Rutter1

1
Climax Molybdenum Company, Henderson Operations, USA
*Corresponding author: dbrokeri@fmi.com

Climax Molybdenum Company’s Henderson mine, owned by Freeport-McMoRan Inc., is an

18,000 tonne per day panel caving molybdenum mine located about 69 km west of Denver,
Colorado. It has been recognized that as changes in the life-of-mine plans are made, the
requirement for total mine ventilation quantity will also change. These changes supported the
implementation of Ventilation on Demand (VOD) to ensure adequate ventilation while keeping
ventilation costs competitive. This is the first known implementation of VOD in a panel cave
operation. Variable frequency drives (VFDs) are utilized for the production panel booster fans
and for the main exhaust fans, permitting the local airflow for the mine to be adjusted based on the
daily mine production plan. Remote control louvers are also utilized in some cases. This paper
gives an overview of how VFDs, louvers, and the control systems are utilized to achieve
ventilation on demand at the Henderson mine. It also explains the benefits of such a system as
well as lessons learned that could be applied if such a system were to be implemented at other
panel caves.

INTRODUCTION
The Henderson mine is located 69 km west of Denver, Colorado, at an elevation of 3,170 m above sea level. The
mill is located 24 km west of the mine, on the other side of the Continental Divide, at an elevation of 2,800 m above
sea level [Figure 1]. The ore body is located between 900 and 1,500 m below the surface, and is accessed through an
8.5 m diameter service shaft. Ore is crushed underground and transported to the mill site on three consecutive 1.2 m
wide conveyor belts. A mechanized load-haul-dump (LHD) panel-caving system has been used to extract
approximately 248 million tonnes of molybdenum ore since production began in 1976.

Figure 1: Henderson Mine Overview

3-15
Henderson mine utilizes an exhaust ventilation system. Ventilation is supplied to the mine through the 7 m diameter
No. 1 intake shaft, the 8.5 m diameter No. 2 service shaft, the 7 m diameter No. 3 intake shaft, and the 17 km long
ore haulage conveyor tunnel. Air is exhausted solely through the 9.75 m diameter No. 5 exhaust shaft equipped with
two 3.65 m diameter, 3,728 kW vane axial fans. These fans are equipped with VFD drives and have adjustable
blades for operating point flexibility. Total mine airflow can be adjusted between 700 and 1,400 m3/s and up to 4.0
kPa (at 3,150m elevation).

Throughout Henderson’s mine life the ventilation system has been modified with the growing and deepening mine,
to improve working conditions for the employees, as well as to reduce risk and costs. Henderson is able to achieve
production targets without simultaneously producing from all available production drifts within the panel cave. This
allows for the controlled reduction of ventilation within production drifts that are inactive during a given time
period. Henderson also performs regularly scheduled preventative maintenance on the crush and convey system.
Typically 25% to 50% of the time Henderson is down for preventative maintenance depending on current
molybdenum market conditions. These factors provide an opportunity to successfully employ ventilation on
demand at Henderson.

SYSTEM OVERVIEW
There are currently two operating production panels at the Henderson mine: the 7700 southwest (SW) panel and the
7210 main panel. The 7700 SW panel consists of nine drifts with between four and six LHD’s in operation. At the
peak of its production the 7210 main panel consisted of eleven production drifts, with between four and eight LHD’s
in operation. Regional ventilation for production panels is provided in a single pass configuration with intake
ventilation delivered via booster fans to one end of a production drift, where it is then routed to exhaust at the other
end. Ventilation is provided for a single LHD in each production drift.

Henderson Philosophy for Block Cave Production Panel Ventilation on Demand

All production panels at Henderson have the same concept for “ventilation on demand”. Each production drift has
two separate ventilation modes – a “production mode” and an “access mode.” The production mode is operated for
activities that require the full airflow demand for the drift, such as production mucking, shotcrete repair, or similar
requirements. Light vehicles do not play into airflow calculations for production mode as normally only one LHD is
operating in a drift. The access mode is operated at all other times when less air is required, such as for inspections,
geomechanical measurements, utility work, or sitting idle with no activity or personnel in the drift.

The production mode is set to provide 23.6 m3/s (50 kcfm) of air at the intake of the drift. This allows for leakage
into the cave and down ore passes, while providing sufficient ventilation (14.2 m3/s, or 30 kcfm) for LHD operation
at the exhaust. These airflow targets have been determined based off of the highest value of the following:
• MSHA name plate ratings and particulate index values of the equipment.
• Historical observations of required airflow and/or velocities to keep the equipment from overheating
• Required airflow and/or velocity to maintain acceptable industrial hygiene levels for radon, dust, and diesel
particulate matter (DPM) for the drift.

The access mode is set to provide 7.1 m3/s (15 kcfm) of air at the exhaust of the drift. These airflow targets have
been determined based on the greater of the following:
• Required airflow to keep radon levels at low levels
• Required airflow to allow access for limited equipment operation (clean up from blasting, work on utility lines,
repair bolting, etc.)
• Minimum operating point to prevent the fan from operating in stall.

The operating modes are determined by having two different operating set points for each fan. These set points are
achieved by using the variable frequency drives (VFD’s) to control fan speed. In some cases louvers at the drift
exhaust raises are also utilized to balance airflows.

The intake booster fans and louvers (if installed) are programmed to operate together and are controlled by the
production dispatcher via a human-machine interface (HMI) screen (Figure 2). The dispatcher has the ability to

3-16
select a mode for each drift and the program automatically adjusts the fan speeds and any louver settings
accordingly. The dispatcher can also stop the fans for blasting (the louvers automatically open to 100% open).

Figure 2: 7700 SW Panel HMI control screen

7700 South West Production Panel VOD System

On the 7700 SW panel, the ventilation infrastructure is designed such that there is a single booster fan and intake
raise for every two production drifts (Figure 3). Ventilation curtain-doors isolate each set of two production drifts
on the intake side, while louvers at the bottom of each production drift’s exhaust raise allow the airflow split to be
controlled between the set of two production drifts. Two drifts with louvers at the bottom of the exhaust raises to
regulate and balance airflow between the two drifts. Ventilation curtain-doors are also installed between the exhaust
raise and the exhaust hanging wall to ensure that the airflow in the drift is controlled by the exhaust louver. This
enables the system to apply either production or access mode on a drift-by-drift basis by adjusting the fan speed and
regulator set points.

Figure 3: 7700 SW Panel ventilation controls arrangement

3-17
7210 Main Production Panel VOD System

On the 7210 level, a dedicated booster fan is utilized for each individual production drift (Figure 4). There is no
physical separation between the production drifts (such as ventilation doors), so total intake airflow is distributed
evenly across the panel. This results in the inability to set production or access mode for an individual production
drift. Production or access mode applies to the entire panel. Access mode is only selected during shift change or
scheduled maintenance shut downs. In the future, air curtain doors could be installed on the intake hanging as a
physical control between each ventilation drift. This would allow for drift-by-drift selection of production or access
mode if desired later.

Figure 4: 7210 Main Panel Overview

Main Ventilation Fan VOD System

Typically, Henderson operates only one production panel at a time (one on day shift and the other on night shift).
Henderson also has frequent planned maintenance shutdown periods when there are no production or haulage
activities. The No. 5 Shaft fans (Figure 5) have been assigned two different operating modes, similar to the
utilization of production and access mode on the production panels. When one or both of the panels are operating in
production mode, the No. 5 Shaft fans run at their production period speed. During planned maintenance shutdown
periods both panels are placed into access mode and the main fan speed is reduced accordingly.

The production speed was determined by completing an “air flow budget” for the amount of air required in all
working areas of the mine (and the amount of air that is typically lost to leakage). The speed was then determined
for the fan to supply the required airflow (currently about 900 m3/s). The shutdown period speed was determined by
reducing the total airflow required in the mine when both panels are in access mode.

While the technology and infrastructure exist to operate this portion of the system autonomously (as the production
fans change so would the No. 5 Shaft fans, automatically), it was decided that it would be preferred to have human

3-18
control of such a crucial component of the mine. The system has been set up so that both panels can run in
production mode at the same time with No. 5 Shaft fans in production mode, or a few drifts can operate in
production mode (two per panel) while the main fans are in shutdown mode without having a significant impact on
the system. This gives the system the ability to overcome upset conditions or do special projects during shutdowns
without having to turn up the main fans. It also provides a safety factor to allow for minor changes to the system,
intentional or not (broken air doors, fan communication lost, etc.). If more than two drifts per panel are placed into
production mode, while No. 5 Shaft fans are in shutdown period mode, an alarm is given to the dispatcher, making
them aware that there exists a risk of stalling fans.

Figure 5: No. 5 Shaft fans HMI control screen

VOD SYSTEM BENEFITS

The VOD system has provided various benefits to the ventilation system and the mine. At Henderson, the most
significant benefits have been an improvement to the health and safety environment of the work place, while
providing a cost savings.

System Modification
There have been some cases when more airflow was required in a given drift to overcome an upset condition such as
air upcasting from ore passes, or damaged ventilation doors. The system has allowed the operations groups the
ability to reduce airflows in areas that are not being worked so that more air can be moved to where people are
working until the issue is corrected.

Frequently on production shutdowns, fans are taken off-line for preventative maintenance (including on occasion
one of the two main fans). With proper planning, the ventilation engineering department can utilize the variable
frequency drives (VFD’s) to adjust total air flow requirements and provide required air to the location that demands
it by reducing in areas that have limited or no activity.

Cost Savings
Henderson started implementing VOD systems on production panels in August of 2015. The first VOD project was
simply turning off production booster fans and closing entire panels on shutdown days. The entire mine airflow was
then reduced by turning down the main fans. Figure 6 shows the monthly ventilation cost before and after VOD
implementation. By December, 2015 the VOD implementation project was completed. Variances from that point on
can be attributed to changes in mine plans and production rates. As of May, 2016 Henderson has reduced its
ventilation power consumption cost by 50%.

This project had a calculated internal rate of return (IRR) of approximately 460%. The payback on the initial
investment was eight months from the initiation of the system in August 2015. The major investment expenses were:
1. Louvers on 7700 SW panel exhaust raises.
2. Actuators and controls for 7700 SW panel louvers.
3. Cost difference between VFD’s and conventional motor starters for all production booster fans.

3-19
 Figure 6: Total cost savings from VOD

It is worth noting that the capital cost for air doors and the mine monitoring system were not included in the analysis
because those systems were already in place and would have been installed regardless. As of December 2016 there
have been no observed additional maintenance costs associated with these VOD components, other than typical
maintenance on ventilation controls that would occur regardless of any VOD capabilities. There has also been no
additional manpower required to monitor or maintain the system.

LESSONS LEARNED

Sensitivity of Equipment to Blasting

These VOD systems require a significant amount of electronics and mechanical equipment. An inherent part of
panel caving is secondary blasting of oversize material, which can occur multiple times per day. The overpressure
from the blast waves damaged numerous pieces of equipment such as exhaust louvers and VFD’s.

Figure 7: 615 Louver damage from oversize shot pressure

The exhaust louvers are mounted in concrete bulkheads at the bottom of the exhaust raises for each drift on 7700
SW panel. The concussion from secondary shots pulled the anchoring bolts out of the concrete over time as shown

3-20
in Figure 7. To correct this, actuators were installed on the louvers so that they could be controlled remotely, then
the HMI program was written so that the louvers would open to 100% when the fans were turned off for blasting.
With the louvers open they don’t resist the air flow; thus, the pressure wave travels through the louver without
incident. The louver guarding also had to be reinforced to resist the blasting forces. Careful consideration should be
taken when designing the reinforcement system and the control logic if louvers are used near a production panel.

The substation, VFD’s that control the fans, and programmable logic controllers (PLC’s) that controls the system
were all installed in a cutout on the production hanging wall. Historically, the substations have not been damaged by
cave or secondary blast overpressure as long as they were out of the line of fire. The VFD’s and PLC’s contain
more delicate electronics that are more sensitive than a substation. Concussion from blasts resulted in damage and
unnecessary downtime. The VFD’s and PLC were moved to the intake air level below the production level, out of
the concussion area. This has eliminated any further damage seen from secondary blasting. Future installations
have taken this into account.

Fan Curve Reduction/Stalling Concerns

Based on the fan laws outlined below, as the fan speed changes, the air flow reduces proportionally while the fan
operating pressure reduces by the speed change squared [1].

Airflow: Q2= (n2/n1) x Q1

Pressure: H2= (n2/n1)2 x H1
Where:

Q = air quantity
n= fan speed (revolutions per minute)
H = fan operating pressure

The production booster fans at Henderson are set up in a semi-parallel arrangement. Fundamentally, decreasing the
speed of a fan should have the predicted effect on the curve and the operating point. In reality, if all the other fan
speeds on the panel (that are in parallel) are not changed congruently, the operating point of the fan in question will
shift based on the pressure it sees from the other fans (they are all “fighting” for the same air).

Pitch 4 @ 100%

Pitch 3 @ 100%

Pitch 4 @ 58%

Pitch 3 @ 58%

Pitch 4 @ 50%

Pitch 3 @ 50%

Figure 8: 622 fan curve with operating points at various speeds

Figure 8 shows the fan curve for the 622 fan on the 7700 SW panel. Point 1 shows the measured operating point
with all of the fans on the panel running at 100%, between blade pitch 3 and pitch 4. Point 2 shows what the
operating point should have been on the fan with the fan speed turned down to 50%, according to the fan laws [1],

3-21
again between blade pitch 3 and pitch 4. Point 3 shows the measured operating point with the fan turned down to
50% (with the other fans running at 100%). Point 3 is running at a higher pressure and lower airflow than predicted
due to the fact that it is “fighting” the other fans that are running at higher pressures. At this point, the fan is
operating in a stall condition below blade pitch 3. Point 4 shows the fan running at 58%. Again the operating point
is between blade pitch 3 and 4 and is no longer running in stall (with all other fans running at 100%).

This would be considered the “worst case scenario” for this fan. All fans should be set up so that the lowest speed at
which they can run is the worst case scenario in order to avoid running the fan in stall. Consideration needs to be
made for this in both the design phase (fan selection and financial analysis), as well as during the commissioning
phase of a VOD project that utilizes VFD’s.

At Henderson, during commissioning or after significant changes to the system, each fan is put in its access mode
set point with all other fans in the system running in production mode and then checked for stall. This is done to
verify that in a worst case scenario the fan will still operate on its curve. As was done with the fan in Figure 8, the
authors of this paper recommend slowing the fan speed down until it falls off its curve, and then turn it up until it is
once again operating on its curve. This will provide a set point with enough pressure to pull the fan out of stall as
well as give insight into what the stall point is for the fan. Each fan will have a slightly different speed requirement
based on the local installation and configuration factors.

Training and Monitoring

Ventilation on demand systems are a very powerful tool in mine ventilation and have many benefits. If the system
cannot be used and understood by the operators, it will not work. A significant amount of training needs to be
performed with all employees on how the system works and refreshers should be frequent. Additionally, the ability
to monitor the system and ensure it is being used properly is critical. Both a real time system (for operation and
daily checks) as well as a system that tracks historical performance (Henderson utilizes a Plant Information [PI]
historical server) is absolutely critical. Henderson utilizes excel to report data, pulled from the PI server as a daily
“score card.” It automatically produces the key ventilation information for each shift so that the ventilation engineer
can check that the system is being utilized as designed. For example, the ability to verify that the drifts ran in
production mode were the same drifts that had muckers assigned for the shift is essential to system functionality. By
frequently checking the performance of the system, training issues can be recognized and addressed rapidly. It also
assists operators in understanding the importance of the system and its benefits.

CONCLUSION
Henderson mine has successfully implemented a VOD system for its production panels. The system adjusts air flow
in a given drift based on the activity being performed. It also adjusts the overall mine ventilation system to balance
with the activity on the production panel. The system has significant benefits from both a cost savings as well as
from a health and safety standpoint.

The implementation of these systems has provided ample opportunities to learn how to design a VOD system that is
practical for the end user: the miners. Of the many aspects of these systems, some major considerations when
designing a VOD system for block or panel caving operations are:
• Consider effects of secondary blast pressure on electrical and mechanical equipment.
• As fan speeds change, the operating point will shift relative to the operating point of other fans in parallel.
Consider this when sizing fans and commissioning systems.
• As equipment is specified, purchased, and installed, ensure that a monitoring system is included, both for real
time monitoring as well as for historical data capture. Utilize this data to monitor and improve the training of
the individuals who will use the system.

REFERENCES
[1] H.L. Hartman, J.M. Mutmansky, R.V. Ramani, Y.J. Wang, “Mine Ventilation and air Conditioning, Third
Edition”, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1997, pp. 340-347.

3-22