Ventilation on demand has been over engineered for years. Variable speed drives were sold as the answer underground and have largely failed to hold up in real operating conditions. Dwyka Mining Services and Clemcorp are resetting the standard with a dual speed, direct online solution that works on site, not just on paper.
The problem we are solving
VOD has a track record problem. Mines have invested in variable speed drives for secondary fan control underground, only to find the technology does not survive the environment it was sold into. Dust, moisture, power quality and maintenance access all work against VSDs underground. The result is expensive infrastructure that gets bypassed, switched to manual, or simply stops being trusted.
We do not need variable speed control to get the energy savings and airflow targeting that VOD promises. We need a control philosophy that matches the environment it is deployed in.
The solution: dual speed fans and starters
Clemcorp’s range of dual speed fans powered by Dwyka’s direct online starters give us an end to end dual speed fan control solution for targeted ventilation for secondary fans underground. No variable speed drive. No fragile electronics in a hostile environment. Two speeds, switched directly, controlled to the airflow demand on the level.
This is the simplification the VOD market has needed. Strip out the complexity that does not survive underground, keep the control logic that delivers the savings and you have a system operators will actually run in automatic mode instead of bypassing six months after commissioning.
Proven on site: Mogalakwena Sunset, Volterra
Dwyka’s case study with Valterra Platinum, formerly Anglo American’s Mogalakwena Sandsloot Mine, shows what dual speed fan operation delivers when it is built for the environment it runs in. The site is running dual speed control on secondary ventilation and seeing the energy and airflow management gains VOD has promised the industry for over a decade, without the reliability cost of VSD infrastructure.
We have overcomplicated ventilation on demand as an industry. The technology that was meant to unlock savings became the reason sites could not sustain it. Dual Speed Clemcorp Fans and locally manufactured and compliance DOL starters gives us a solution built for underground conditions, not adapted to them. Mogalakwena Sandsloot proves it works and possible for others to adopt and adapt to a new ‘EZ-VOD’ future.
Jamie van Schoor, CEO, Dwyka Group
Underground ventilation control has needed a reliability reset for a long time. Dual speed fans give mines a control solution that matches the realities of the environment, instead of asking the environment to accommodate the technology. Partnering with Dwyka to bring this to African operations is about putting a proven approach we are seeing globally in front of the people who need it and we are thrilled to see early traction
Justin Coetzee, GM, Clemcorp Australia
Clemcorp fans have been successfully deployed across several Anglo American and Valterra Platinum projects. These units have proven to be exceptionally robust, consistently performing beyond standard operating conditions. The introduction of a dual-speed fan fleet has been particularly valuable during challenging conditions at the Sandsloot exploration decline. We continue to collaborate with Dwyka Mining Services on R&D initiatives aimed at further enhancing the manageability and performance of auxiliary ventilation systems across our operations.
Angelique Trollip, HOD Ventilation, Valterra Platinum
