Comparative life cycle cost analysis of centrifugal and positive displacement pumps for mine dewatering


Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Mühendislik Fakültesi, Maden Mühendisliği Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2015

Öğrenci: ALİ BURAK AKTAŞ

Danışman: NURAY DEMİREL

Özet:

In mining activities, there is water flow to mining environment which must be removed by mine dewatering method to provide suitable working conditions. One of the ways of mine dewatering is conducted via pumps there mainly two types of pumps are being used in mine dewatering operations, centrifugal and positive displacement pumps. Centrifugal pumps utilize the submersible as feeder to horizontal pumps in main stations for further pumping to ponds or collection dams at surface, while positive displacement pumps utilize single stage piston diaphragm pumps to remove water collected at mine bottom. Decision making in both of these system needs to be made by considering overall cost components rather than focusing merely on initial investment cost. This can be made by applying life cycle cost analysis to both of the system. Main objective of this study is to develop a basic decision support tool for selecting the most economic pump type. Research methodology followed in this research study entails literature survey regarding pump types and case scenario data to be used in economic analysis. Decision support tool was developed by integrating graphical user interfaces (GUI) so that pump selection could be made by decision makers. At the end, the program was tested by implementing a case study data. Results of the four years operation data in the program show that total net present cost of positive vi displacement pump yields 828,389 $ USD less than centrifugal pump net present costs value despite of the fact that positive displacement pump has total investment 711,960 $ USD more than centrifugal pumps.