Consulting Engineers

BBE is a group of highly specialised professional and experienced consulting engineers who are leaders in mine ventilation, refrigeration and cooling. BBE provides a comprehensive service from conceptual investigations, through technical feasibility studies, to preparation of detailed engineering design specifications and project execution and management. BBE provides EPCM or full Turnkey service depending on specific requirements. Expertise covers a wide range of mining methods (narrow reef tabular stoping, cut+ fill, open stoping, bench + fill, block caving, long-hole, tunnelling, etc.) in various ore bodies (gold, platinum, base metal, copper, lead, nickel, coal, potash, diamond, etc.) in several countries (Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, Lesotho, Namibia, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Tanzania, Zaire, Zambia, etc.).

Mine Refrigeration and Cooling Distribution

BBE team includes refrigeration and thermo-flow engineers specialising in design, installation and operation of all the elements of mine cooling systems. These include refrigeration machines, cooling towers, primary and secondary air coolers and in-stope chilled water systems. At concept level, BBE examine alternative refrigeration and cooling distribution systems and identify optimum systems for specific circumstances. BBE have expertise in the detailed engineering design of mine refrigeration systems, the preparation of detailed engineering specifications, cost estimating and project execution and management for existing mines and new projects. BBE also have experience in the operational aspects of refrigeration systems and are often involved in assessment and modification work on existing refrigeration machinery.

Mine Ventilation Systems

BBE expertise includes ventilation system and fan engineering. BBE is dedicated to finding and implementing practical, efficient, economic solutions to all ventilation/environmental engineering and associated occupational health and safety problems for existing underground mining operations and new projects. BBE specialises in audits and reviews of ventilation systems, life-of-mine exercises, technical feasibility studies and the analysis of alternative ventilation systems using latest computer simulation software. BBE expertise includes primary and secondary ventilation control and associated issues. BBE have experience in the preparation of detailed main fan station specifications, booster and secondary fans, duct systems, cost estimating and project execution and management.

Energy Management

Power and energy management in the arena of mine ventilation, refrigeration and cooling is an integral part of BBE's expertise and competency. BBE is registered as an 'Energy Services Company' with the South African national power supply company, ESKOM. This recognises technical competency and financial sustainability and recognises BBE work in the field of energy and load-shift management for mine cooling and ventilation systems. BBE has carried out many projects on energy efficiency of systems making optimum use of energy recovery devices such as turbines, hydro-displacement devices hydropower, etc as well as designing control systems for the active on-going control of ventilation and cooling equipment components.

Water Reticulation, Pumping Systems and Energy Recovery Systems

BBE has considerable experience in the engineering discipline of water reticulation, pumping and energy recovery. BBE have a high level of professional competency in the analysis, design, optimisation and specification of hydraulic systems and the individual components for cooling water distribution as well as mine water reticulation systems. This includes high-pressure pumps, energy recovery devices (Pelton wheel turbines, reverse running pump turbines, three-pipe feeders, etc), high and low pressure piping, control valve, thermal insulation, dam design, etc.

Water Quality, Filtration, Settling and Desalinisation

BBE team know-how includes knowledge and experience in the field of water quality, water contamination and water treatment through the use of settlers, filters, desalination and chemical dosing. BBE uses this expertise to provide a comprehensive service from auditing mine water and salt balances through to design and specification of water treatment systems [including desalination].

Air Quality and Underground Air Pollutants

BBE has professional competencies in the scientific and practical understanding of the sources and control of underground airborne pollutants such as dust, diesel emissions, methane, radiation, fire emissions, etc. BBE expertise includes dust handling, dust filtration and dust scrubbing in terms of system and component design as well as gas handling and gas scrubbing systems.

Fire Engineering

BBE experience and knowledge base includes fire engineering as it relates to underground mining. BBE team members have contributed significantly to numerous research and investigation programmes around flammability of materials, fire engineering, fire fighting techniques and escape and rescue strategies.

Mine Heat Load Prediction

Mine heat load prediction is an extremely complex science involving geothermal rock heat flow and the effect of hot rock conduction, mining cycle activities, water use activities, changing conditions on all the various rock surfaces. It also depends on the use of all the equipment and machinery and their work cycles. For example, all diesel equipment, winches, winders, continuous miners, road-headers, TBMs, conveyors, pumps, crushers, backfill plants, etc. have different work cycles and heat [+moisture] release characteristics that can vary between applications. The mine heat load also depends on the refrigeration and air cooling tactics. This is a much specialised science in which BBE has the highest level of competency.

Computer Modelling and Software

BBE has developed and owns a number of software products related to mine ventilation and cooling system analysis and design. In particular this work has included customised software for the analysis of mine ventilation, contaminant tracking, refrigeration and cooling networks with particular emphasis on full thermodynamic solutions. The VUMA suite of software [VUMA-network, VUMA-chiller, VUMA-coolflow, VUMA-live] has been particularly successful. VUMA-network comprises a suite of modules that determine air flow, pollutant levels and temperature distribution throughout the ventilation circuit and cooling network, all displayed in 3-D full colour graphics. VUMA-live, the latest addition to the suite, interfaces with live monitoring of underground conditions, with the option for remote control of ventilation 'on demand'. BBE have the capability and provide the service of customising any of these software products to specifically suit particular requirements. BBE also perform full Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of airflow in airways and drifts for optimising aerodynamic features of designs.

Mining Applied Research and New Technologies

BBE's expertise in ventilation, cooling, energy control, pollutant control, water quality/treatment and fire engineering in underground mines has contributed to many applied research programmes in the mining industry (e.g. SIMRAC, SIMCOL, SIMGEN, SIMOT, SIMHEALTH, DeepMine, FutureMine). BBE engineers have also contributed significantly to the state-of-the-art of mine ventilation and cooling technology. Including the evaluation of novel cooling systems (e.g. recirculation, ice and hydropower) and analysing the effects of numerous novel mining methods. BBE holds a number of patents related to novel cooling systems and has an ongoing development programme for reducing cooling costs and minimising energy consumption. Indeed, against most other trends, BBE clients have been enjoying a reduction in the costs of cooling and ventilation.

Mining Education and Training

BBE engineers regularly conduct training courses and workshops for mines, mining houses, and professional societies and also lecture at universities. BBE is registered with ECSA for the ongoing development of in-house professionals.