CiDRA Minerals Processing announced today that SONARtrac process monitoring instrumentation has been chosen for flow measurement on critical lines within Hercules MINOSA, located in Coahuila state, Mexico. The non-invasive sonar-based flow measurement systems have been installed as part of the concentrator plant modernization project underway at Hercules, and not only provide rapid and convenient installation — thus saving time, reducing labor requirements, and avoiding process shutdowns — but also a very accurate and repeatable measurement, which enables true process benchmarking and then improvement. Processes can only be improved if they can be accurately monitored.
Hercules MINOSA is an iron ore mining plant, located approximately 290km northwest of Monclova, Coahuila state. The iron concentrate is pumped from the mine’s concentrator plant through a 295km pipe to Hercules’ facilities in Monclava.
CiDRA’s SONARtrac flow technology is a new class of industrial flowmeter, utilizing measurement principles that are distinct from all other flowmeter technologies operating in the mining industry. SONARtrac non-intrusive flow monitoring systems make no contact with the liquid or slurry and can be removed and reinstalled without process interruption. As well, SONARtrac systems demonstrate very stable output and superior levels of performance in the presence of highly variable fluid properties.
In the Hercules MINOSA application, the ore has magnetic characteristics that are detrimental to the performance of some conventional flowmeter technologies; however, the SONARtrac technology is immune to these effects. This passive sonar-based technology enables measurements of single-phase liquids, as well as multi-phase fluids, such as aerated liquids and slurries. This is a platform technology which also enables new capabilities, like sand out detection, density correction and acoustic pipeline monitoring.