For the first time in CEEC medal history, there are two 2016 winners. Both winning papers are of outstanding quality, and each addresses an important area of endeavour in the pursuit of energy efficient comminution in mining.
About the winning papers:
Best Operations Paper: MCARTHUR RIVER PLANT HEAVY MEDIUM MINE- THE BENEFITS OF APPLYING THE CONCEPTS OF MODERN COAL PLANT DESIGN PRINCIPLES TO BASE METAL HEAVY MEDIUM SEPARATION, by Jim Wallace, Sam Strohmayr and Keith Cameron, delivered at the 2015 MetPlant Conference.
The operations CEEC medal is awarded to a paper presenting the benefits of a retrofit HMC (heavy media cyclone) circuit in a lead-zinc mine. The HMC plant was installed following crushing and the rejected low density waste sent to the mine dump, avoiding the tails dam and thereby offering further water savings. Cost savings are estimated at AUD5.1M per annum as a result of the HMC circuit.
Best research Paper: USING PISTON PRESS TESTS FOR DETERMINING OPTIMAL ENERGY INPUT FOR AN HPGR OPERATION, by Zorigtkhuu Davaanyam, Bern Klein, and Stefan Nadolski, delivered at SAG 2015
The research CEEC medal is awarded to a paper describing new methods for HPGR selection and sizing using the piston press. Piston press testing requires significantly less sample and can be carried out at any facility with a hydraulic press. The piston press tests are generic and therefore simpler and more accessible than the current pilot-scale vendor specific HPGR tests.
The CEEC Medal
The CEEC medal is an important part of CEEC’s activities. CEEC’s Technical Review Committee evaluates papers on their potential to improve energy efficiency; the ability for concepts to be readily adopted by others; the robustness of the results and the clarity of communication. This year 12 papers were shortlisted for selection. The recommendation of the committee is reviewed and approved by the CEEC Board of Directors.
According to Dr Zeljka Pokrajcic, Technical Review Committee chair, “The CEEC medal selection committee decided unanimously to award two medals as single paper could be chosen over the other and the papers contribute equally to different areas of our industry.”