RMS200 – 495 Shovels
Project overview
Several years ago we were asked to look into improving the air quality and HVAC performance on the 495 shovels. The following case study shows some of the issues we encountered as well as the resulting system upgrades which led to dramatically increased performance. The solution required more than just a pressurizer upgrade, the issue of return and supply air filtration as well their respective velocity needed to be addressed. The RMS200-495KIT solution has been implemented onto dozens of 495 shovels across North America and we hope it will soon be a part of yours as well.
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Project
Improve reliability and performance of the HVAC & filtration systems on 495 Shovels
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Solution
Upgraded the pressurizer , added filtration in cab ducting and replaced vent louvers in the cab.
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Status
Successfully implemented into several fleets in North America
Problem
The system which comes standard on the Bucyrus has many high cost, long lead-time components requiring maintenance, It uses a compressed air system with logic board and solenoid to control a filter blow-out cycle which in effect introduces dirty air from the compressor into the system beyond the filter. Each system is equipped with dual Fans , a solenoid, compressed air filter, Air tank, logic board, capacitors and a hard to replace filter which does not protect against odours, VOC's and tends to collect moisture.
Inside the Cabin, the HVAC system ducting contains no filtration at all. Dirt and debris which accumulate inside the ducts remains there indefinitely. The ducts are difficult to reach and the cleaning of these ducts in not a part of planned maintenance schedule. This means dust and contaminants brought in on boots, clothes and open doors & windows remain in the ducts often for years. The ducts themselves are restrictive and supply & return airflow and velocity are very low reducing operator comfort.
Solution
In order to improve reliability and performance of the pressurizer, we replaced the OEM systems with the RMS200-495KIT-110V . The system is comprised of a housing, a filter, single fan motor, capacitor and 2 mechanical pre-cleaners which have a lifetime warranty. The filter is very high quality 3 stage with a polyester nanofiber media dust filter which repels moisture, 12lbs of activated carbon and glass fiber HEPA. Each filter is individually testes for quality prior to packaging.
Simple filters were introduced into the return air grills to keep dust and debris out of the vents but without further restricting the return air flow. All ducts get cleaned out during the installation procedure. Finally we replaced the 6 louvers in the ceiling with 18 ball louvers which resulted in much higher and even velocity from the vents. The operator has total control on the air velocity, volume and direction. The PO for the entire fleet was issued at 9AM the morning following the installation after feedback from the shovel operator. The results are dramatic immediate and we should mention the RMS200 KIT costs 80% less than the system it replaces.
PICTURES
