MTI tests Hy-Drive models.

A new product which greatly reduces exhaust emissions and improves fuel efficiency in diesel-powered mining equipment has recently undergone a series of tests in the Sudbury area, and results so far have been nothing but positive.

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"During our testing of the prototype, we monitored the emissions and found tremendous improvements," says Robert Lipic, President and CEO of Mining Technologies International Inc. (MTI).

"Being an equipment supplier to the industry, I think it's a very important technology, as it eliminates the particulate matter to 0.02 per cent, and lowers the nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide substiantially, to almost zero. What's more, testing has shown 20 per cent fuel-saving levels. Overall, this is a big plus for people's health underground and in time, we will get to learn what it can do in terms of air requirements."

Having already seen some in-the-field action in an open pit quarry in the Sudbury area, the unit is also being subjected to other testing efforts currently underway in a gold mine in Kirkland Lake as well as various diesel generators in the United States. Real-time testing is still required in order to determine what modifications need to be made to render the unit fully capable of handling the rigours of underground mining environments. These tests are likely to include a number of as-yet-unnamed local mines, and exact details are still under discussion.

In late August, the Sudbury-based company officially entered into a marketing, distribution and manufacturing agreement regarding a mining-specific version of Mississauga-based Hy-Drive Technologies Ltd.'s patented Hydrogen Generating System (HGS). This move creates 10 jobs in the North and gives MTI exclusive North American rights to this version, with potential for penetration into global markets.

The new HGS unit, tentatively known as the M3, will be able to attach directly to the engines of existing mining equipment and vehicles. Water is fed into the unit, which then extracts the hydrogen and pumps it into the engine, where it reacts with the carbon in the diesel fuel to produce a much more complete burn. This virtually eliminates unspent fuel in the engine, which typically produces the strongest emissions, and is likely to only require refilling once every 20 hours. The process also provides side benefits by maximizing fuel usage and cleaning the engine by burning all the excess carbon. As the M3 is powered by the battery and alternator of the vehicle to which it is attached, it only produces hydrogen when the engine is in use.

This technology is being used in the trucking industry, with more than 150 units having been attached to vehicles in various fleets across North America since February, although this mining-specific prototype has been in the works since mid-April.

As the M3 is still in the latter portion of the prototype phase, a price tag has yet to be established for the unit. The unit currently in use within the trucking industry has an approximate cost of $15,000, which Hy-Drive President and CEO Tom Brown estimates to be cheaper than what the mining industry will see.

However, Brown says the savings gained over time from greater fuel efficiency, and reduced air circulation costs more than make up for any initial costs, which can be recovered in six months or less.

With air regulations tightening as environmental issues become a growing concern, Lipic says that, ultimately, heavy industry requires solutions such as the HGS to remain competitive and ensure the long-term health of its employees.

"We believe this technology will change the way we think about air quality and the conditions of the air, health and safety of people in mining environments," says Lipic.

www.mti.ca

By NICK STEWART

Northern Ontario Business