Anglo Platinum has selected Meissner UPSs to ensure clean power to its Anglo Platinum Converting (ACP) processes at the Waterval-smelter in Rustenburg.
"The commissioning of phase one of this project is scheduled for 2002," explains Colin Coetzee, divisional engineer: electrical. "We have started work on the project some time ago and are required to put equipment such as UPSs in place now already."
The project scope includes an Ausmelt converter, granulation plants, raw materials handling, an acid plant as well as an oxygen and compressed air plant.
Meissner UPSs are being used at different stages of the project. "In my opinion, the most critical use of UPSs is at our control and advanced control systems as well as for the emergency lighting in our plants," says Coetzee.
The control and advanced control systems are both plant optimisation systems, meaning that they monitor production requirements, alerting the relevant controllers if production levels drop or a system malfunction is experienced.
"The UPSs used in this scenario are able to ensure electricity to these systems for an additional 15 minutes after the main power supply fails, thus it is mainly used for the controlled shut down of the systems," explains Graham Beyleveld, sales director at Meissner. The controlled shutdown also ensures that event and alert logging is still executed.
The eight 30kVA, one 25kVA, one 20kVA, one 10kVA, one 5kVA, acquired for the ACP project also boost safety levels at the plant by ensuring that emergency lighting is provided for an additional 15 minutes after the main power has failed. "These are used for evacuation purposes. Seeing that most of these plants are sheeted, a power failure means that it is virtually pitch black inside without electrical lighting, so the extra 15 minutes ensures that are personnel are able to evacuate the premises without risk to themselves," says Coetzee.
Meissner has a longstanding relationship with Anglo Platinum and the use of its products is not restricted to this particular project. "Apart from meeting the specific technical requirements for the project, Meissner is also competitively priced," says Coetzee.
Anglo Platinum outsources projects to project engineering companies and this particular project is the responsibility of Hatch Africa.
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