Tsurumi on battery powered pump possibilities in mining

Water pumps on mining sites are usually powered by mains connections or generators with combustion engines. However, due to the increasing focus on emissions, noise protection and greater flexibility, mobile battery storage systems are now coming into focus as an alternative, especially as technical advances have been made in this area.

In a test conducted by Tsurumi, two typical units were used: the single-phase LB480 drainage pump and the three-phase KTV3-55 heavy-duty pump, the largest model in Tsurumi’s widely used series. The LB480 belongs to the compact series and is designed for 230 V, while the KTV3-55 runs on 400 V. Submersible pumps of this class are commonly used for drainage on mining sites in sump areas of open pits. They are designed for the unattended pumping of media with significant solid content under continuous load.

The power consumption during start-up and continuous operation is technically crucial for battery operation. Typical drainage pumps with a motor power of 0.48 kW to over 5 kW require a stable AC power supply with high starting currents. Until now, this could only be reliably provided off-grid by high-quality generators. However, modern battery systems can now cover these peak loads.

A mobile battery storage unit from Instagrid was used as the energy source. This is designed as a portable, off-grid power supply. Both pumps were connected directly and operated under realistic drainage conditions. The results show that both the compact LB480 and the more powerful KTV3-55 were able to pump an average of around 40,000 litres of water on a single battery charge. The KTV even moved 44 cubic metres in less than 50 minutes.

For operators, this represents a genuine alternative to mains connection. According to the manufacturer, the ‘Go’ and ‘Link Max’ mobile power storage units used are specially designed to operate energy-intensive power tools and construction equipment without voltage drops. This is particularly important for the start-up behaviour of pumps with inductive motors.

From a technical perspective, the test shows above all that even powerful pumps with high delivery rates can be reliably operated on mobile battery systems in continuous operation without any loss of delivery rate or operational safety.

The combination of Tsurumi pumps and Instagrid batteries enables emission-free and low-noise operation. This can be a decisive advantage for mining sites in noise-sensitive areas. There is no need for special precautions for water protection areas and energy is saved as no standby power needs to be generated. This sustainable solution also greatly simplifies logistics: pump, battery, hose is all that is needed. Combine this with the manufacturer’s ‘smart’ control and monitoring system (Tsurumi Connect), which also works with other brands, and users have a state-of-the-art pumping system at their disposal.