Motor applications in adverse mining environments

Environmental and physical conditions in the hard rock mining industry include the high temperatures of desert southwest open pit mines, the thin air of high altitude mines and concentrators, the humidity and heat of mile-deep mines, and exposure to dust and corrosive agents in smelters and refineries. These variations in ambient temperature, elevation, moisture, and corrosive agents require careful selection and application of electric motors. Ambient temperature also affects the sizing of the motor circuit conductors. For those who apply motors or size motor circuits, practical guidelines which compensate for these conditions could improve installation economy and durability. This paper presents such guidelines