Opal is found in what is called "opal dirt." The next level of mining is the serious miner. Why is opal not mined on a huge scale like coal mining is?
How Does Mining Affect the Environment?
There are several different types of mining like oil, mineral, gold and coal mining processes. Mining is a very profitable business and it also creates employment opportunities. There are several negative effects of mining for the environment.
Most of the mines in Africa were created after cutting down forests. The chemical composition of the soil also changes in the mining area.
Choosing Right Transformer For Mining Industry
The US has one of the largest mining industries in the world - an industry closely linked with the economy. Most of the mines in the US are highly automated and thus energy intensive. Because mining is such a large industry and makes a sizable contribution to the national income, mines must have a dependable source of power - a crucial resource for mining processes.
Both surface and underground mining operations rely on powered equipment to extract materials and load trucks. Overall, the mining sector could not flourish without the use of vast amounts of energy.
The Role of Transformers
Mine 'Power Centers' or 'Load Centers' are an essential system for underground and surface mining. Determining capacity rating is among the first steps for selection of a power transformer for a mining load center. Most mining processes, however, do not produce constant loads - all machinery is not connected all the time - and therefore the 1 kVA per horsepower thumb rule will typically result in transformer oversizing.
Transformer Losses
Unfortunately, average transformer loads run between 34 and 50% of the transformer's total capacity. in the US being run through transformers at these lower loads, massive amounts of energy are being wasted. This issue is of special relevance to the mining industry, simply because of its high energy usage. Without electric power at mining facilities, the natural materials extracted from the earth in the mining process would be much more costly than they are today. Thus, power transformers provide a lot of muscle, capacity, and stability to an essential industry.
Liquid Filled and Dry Transformers: Performance Characteristics
Liquid-Filled Transformers
• Liquid-filled transformers sometimes require containment troughs to guard against fluid leaks. 2.Dry Type Transformers
Dry type transformers use almost no flammable materials and therefore do not constitute a fire hazard when used underground in both coal and other mines.
In some compact designs for mounting on mining machines water cooling is added to further improve the performance of the transformers.
The Need for Energy-Efficient Mining
Regulatory pressures are already beginning to affect the mining industry - according to an article on 'US Environmental Regulations and the Mining Industry' on the International Development Research Center (IDRC) website, "Environmental regulations have had an effect on the US mining industry's profitability. Reducing energy consumption by adopting customized, cost-effective solutions like NEMA-approved transformers and harnessing solar or wind energy to meet their future energy needs can be good ideas in the long run, especially since the alternate energy option will help mining companies keep away from fluctuating international fuel prices.