Research and Development
Sedgman is continuing to research new technologies aimed at improving efficiency, throughput and economies of scale in coal mining, handling, preparation and transportation.
The Research and Development team concentrates on developing innovative technologies for enhancing the performance and competitiveness of clients and maintains a strong commitment to addressing environmental concerns associated with coal production and use.
The core activities of Sedgman’s R&D are directed at the following:
- Enhancing the efficiency, throughput and productivity in coal handling and preparation plants by developing innovative process flow-sheets.
- Achieving, through innovative approaches to design and construction, completion of coal preparation infrastructure projects at low capital cost and in short construction timeframes.
- Identifying, through systematic investigations on operational CHPPs, improvements to productivity, process yield and fines recovery for the benefit of our clients.
- Increasing CHPP reliability and availability through introduction of new technologies that minimise unscheduled plant maintenance.
- Developing highly automated facilities for materials handling of coal and waste products.
- Identifying and assessing emerging technologies within the international mining industry for possible application to coal mining, processing and transportation.
Examples of recent and current R&D activities include:
- Developing a large-scale CHPP design based on modular plant design.
- Developing unique flow-sheets and systems for the co-disposal of tailings over long distances while maximising the recovery of process water used in slurry pipelining.
- Developing a remote plant control system to assist operators of CHPPs to multi-task and increase productivity while reducing the requirement for operating labour.
- Developing efficiencies in the operation of individual CHPP process units, including improvements in flotation efficiency, increased cyclone performance, magnetite recovery, roller screen performance and operating capability of Jameson flotation cells.
- Developing and implementing an automated train load-out facility to uniformly flood load each rail wagon.
- Developing an innovative engineering design for reclaiming coal from stockpiles. This unique concept minimises construction costs and the requirements for building material.
- During the 2006 calendar year other significant engineering innovations were implemented at a number of TSJV projects including CHPPs at Saraji, Hail Creek, Dawson and Wilpinjong.