Tankhouse Equipment Summary
Anode Preparation Equipment
Anode Preparation equipment is a Wenemc anode machine capacity of 250 anodes/hr includes weighing, body press, lug milling, rejection station. A seperate anode spacing machine supplied by Mesco is located in the tankhouse aisle and include aligning, spacing and transport by wagon to both aisles of the tankhouse.
Cranes
Commercial Cranes
2 each Evans Deakin Industries capacity of 9.5 tonnes equipped with a laser location system for automatic positioning.
Liberator Cranes
2 each Evans Deakins Industries capacity of 5 tonnes each.
The Tankhouse consist 480 Polymer Concrete Cells. The inside dimensions are 5470 X 1150 X 1328-1435 D. These are operated in blocks of 12 and there are 2 blocks to a single section. Each section may be isolated from the electrical circuit by a vacuum shorting switch.
Each cell contains 52 SS cathodes and 53 anodes with 100 mm spacing. The cells contain a decant port to allow 75% of the solution to bypass the slimes collection and removal process.
Electrolyte circulation
There are two commercial electrolyte circuits (East & West). Electrolyte is pumped from two collector tanks through steam heat exchangers to a head tank. It then flows under gravity to the individual cells at a rate of 30 L/min. The overflow from the cells is directed back to the collector tanks.
The heating system is controlled to achieve the desired an electrolyte temperature. There are two duty pumps and one standby pump from the collector tanks to the head tank. The head tank in both circuits is maintained full (overflow returns to the collector tanks) the total flow rate in each circuit is controlled to average 30 L/min to 240 cells (7200 L/min).
All the collector tanks have HI‑HI alarms which are displayed on the DCS. The electrolyte circulation pumps are not interlocked to any tank levels. The head tanks have a HI‑HI and a LO‑LO alarm.
The circulation system includes automatic dosing equipment for addition of glue, Thirourea and Hydrochloric acid.
Commercial power
Electrical current (DC) was manufactured by Fuji and has a maximum capacity of 33,000 V and 220 V. The cooling system is demineralised water, while the transformer is oil cooled. The demineralised water and oil are cooled by passing through sea water heat exchangers.
Busbar System - Copper
Voltage Monitoring System –(VMS) the voltage on each commercial cell is monitored continuously.
Cathode Stripping Machine --- MESCO rate of 500 cathodes per hr.
The CSM includes: Washing, Flexing, stripping, bundling weighing, sampling and strapping and waxing to the sides and/or bottom of the SS blanks
The cathode exits the machine on the discharge conveyor where they can be transported by forklift.
The CSM uses condensate, heated with steam to wash the cathodes.
Scrap Anode Machine ---- Wenmec
The scrap anodes are washed with heated condensate the closed packed on the discharge conveyor for transport with a forklift. The volume of the wash tanks are automatically monitored and refilled.
There are three types of liberator cells in the Tankhouse all are polymer concrete
· primary liberators (4 cells) for removing copper as pure electrowon copper cathode
· secondary liberators (12 cells) for removing copper and impurities as impure cathode
· tertiary liberators (18 cells) for removing impurities and the remaining copper as a sludge
Secondary and Tertiary liberators
Secondary liberators cells 12 secondary and tertiary liberator cells 18 are approximately half the length of the commercial cells. They have lead anodes and titanium cathodes at a 100 mm pitch and are serviced by their own cranes. The secondary liberator and tertiary cells are hooded to extract the gases produced through a demister system and are fitted with stop flow sensors for arsine control.
The liberator rectifier capacity is 15,000 A and 187 V. It was used as commercial rectifier before the modernization.
The area also incldues a Mesco manual stripping machine and centrifuge for slimes drying.
IBC technology complete.
Two steam heated vacuum evaporator and a dewatering centrifuge are the main components.