Mining Magazine October 2019 | Page 15

As for many other mineral processing projects , EKATO accompanied the Çöpler gold project over the last years . Already in the early design stages an intensive exchange and discussions between the end customer , engineering company and the equipment suppliers like EKATO took place . As the experience with other similar projects has shown in the past , this collaboration is increasingly limited to not just the equipment but to an extended scope of supply , which is appreciated by customers . In these cases , EKATO , with more than 85 years of experience in mixing technology and state-of-the-art testing equipment in its technical center , offers much more than just agitators . This additional scope can be quite extensive and cover all types of agitated applications in the plant flowsheet .

For Anagold ’ s Çöpler Sulfide Expansion Project , EKATO designed and delivered agitators for all large agitated applications including the POX autoclaves ‘ agitators . EKATO also performed several studies in its technical center . One of these series of tests was related to the optimum feed pipe locations and geometries in the first autoclave compartment . These tests in the model scale were then backed up by CFD ( Computational Fluid Dynamics ) studies which were carried out in-house as well . Other services included the assessment of slurry rheology data , supplied by other parties . The consideration of the appropriate slurry rheology is crucial for the proper operation of the agitators , especially for the large atmospheric tanks with capacities up to several thousand cubic meters . For this particular project , additional CFD simulations were prepared to double-check the designs of these tanks . EKATO ’ s capabilities also allow to extend this scope , provided during the design and construction phase , to the start-up and operation of the plant .

Of course EKATO ’ s solutions are not limited to process related issues . The reliable mechanical design of the agitators , including the in-house manufactured mechanical seals and supply systems , ensures a maximum life time of the equipment with longest service intervals . This overall reliability has not only been proven in this particular project but in many other projects in mineral processing .

Pilot autoclaves in EKATO ‘ s R & D Center