Lithium Mining May Not Be What You Think
Salar brines are the most abundant source of lithium-rich deposits worldwide. Most commonly, these deposits are found in salt-rich water bodies located in underground reservoirs within areas that have geothermal activity. The Salar de Atacama, Chile, is a large, dry salt flat surrounded by mountain ranges and considered one of Earth’s driest places. It is where the world’s largest active lithium reserves are located.
How Does Lithium Mining Work?
Drilling is required to access the underground liquid brine deposits. During the extraction process, lithium-rich fluid is pumped to the surface; then, the brine is transferred between evaporation ponds. The lengthy evaporation process reduces most of the water, leaving concentrated deposits. The following step transfers or carries it out using specialized pumps capable of handling solid-laden, highly corrosive slurry.
Mining lithium from salar brines is preferred and is more common. That is because extracting it from hard rock, by comparison, is significantly lower cost—roughly half the expense of hard rock mining.
How Does This Environment Impact Equipment?
The client’s equipment operations in the Atacama Desert were experiencing issues with their diesel engines mounted on water pumps. These pumps are used to transfer water between evaporation pools. In this application, components were subject to increased wear and tear due to the strain of starting the motor directly coupled to the pump, resulting in unexpected failures.
The highly saline environment causes corrosion and wear on the equipment. In some parts of the process, the salinity levels are so high that salt crusts form inside the pump, causing the impeller to seize. This prevents the starter motor from turning the directly coupled motor. Additionally, prolonged exposure to intense sun and heat worsens operating conditions, necessitating a robust solution designed for heavy-duty operation. That is when it became apparent that the power take-off (PTO) should be implemented in the application to reduce future failures in starter motors and stress on batteries.
What is WPT’s Solution?
WPT’s PTO allows the operator to decouple the diesel engine from the pump when desired. This ensures reliable starts without excessive strain on the starter motor and enables functional testing for improved diagnostics. The goal is to decrease damage to the motor, increase operator efficiency, and reduce other costs associated with unexpected failures.
Back to Business
RASA Motores’s solutions for the client are now mitigating a critical failure point in their processes. These previous failures were causing significant delays in production schedules. Additionally, the solution reduces the need for replacement parts and associated labor costs, resulting in significant savings.
Reach Out for Additional Information
The complete Power Take-Off product range is available from an Authorized WPT Distributor near you. They can provide additional information, application assistance, or technical support, helping you make the most of our products. For more details, please visit our website at WPTpower.com or call us at 940-761-1971.