Atlas Copco’s nitrogen filling systems for tyre safety
Mine sites traditionally use compressed air for filling the tyres of haul trucks and other mining vehicles. Atlas Copco nitrogen generators are an effective alternative to the conventional compressed air or bottled gas options.
Tyre-related issues are often the culprit for mining vehicle accidents such as explosions caused by lightning strikes or high temperature degradation. We believe that to reduce the likelihood of these accidents, it’s not just about the tyre or how you use it, but also what you put in it.
Using compressed air to fill tyres can accelerate wheel rust and corrosion due to the high water vapour content and 18-20 per cent oxygen molecules within the compressed air.
Unlike compressed air, Atlas Copco’s nitrogen filling for tyres can be customised to achieve purities from 95-99.999 per cent and causes far less corrosion.
Nitrogen escapes through the inner liner or tube of the tyre at a slower rate than compressed air because of its larger molecular structure, which reduces the risk of deflation and unnecessary sources of heat.
Product manager Sonik Barot says tyres filled with nitrogen can take up to six months to lose 0.14 kilopascals of pressure compared with just one month with compressed air.
“Nitrogen purity leads to reduced corrosion, as unlike air, there is no moisture in pure, dry nitrogen,” Barot tells Safe to Work.
With nitrogen-filled tyres running at a cooler temperature, this not only improves the tyre life and reduces the frequency of replacing tyres, but it can also minimise the risk of tyre-related fires.
“Nitrogen is an inert gas. It minimises fire risk, keeps tyres cool and prolongs tyre life." say Barot
Operating a mining fleet comes with other tyre risks that are less preventable, including weather events such as lightning strikes.
Barot says filling mining truck tyres with nitrogen reduces the risk of ignition if struck by lightning.
“The lightning strike hazard can cause truck tyres to explode and result in extensive damage to the upper structure of the truck, including the deck, engine and cab, destroying the entire truck,” he says.
Barot further stresses that the lightning strike hazard is common, as Australia’s weather patterns have proven each year.
Atlas Copco provides on-site nitrogen generation solutions to safely fill mine truck and long haul tyres, while also assisting miners to produce their own nitrogen for additional site operations.
Benefits of an optimised nitrogen storage system include:
- Plug and play solutions
- Dedicated team of service technicians on hand to assist
- Lower cost thanks to on-site nitrogen station
- On demand supply
- Peace of mind
- Operation uptime
Selecting an optimal nitrogen system could not be easier, with Atlas Copco offering plug-and-play skids, secure enclosed containers, or customised combinations of Atlas Copco equipment that are tailored to specific site needs and conditions.
These can stitch into existing compressed air capacity or create a stand-alone solution and are all tested to Atlas Copco’s proven high quality and Australian standards.
“Nitrogen filling increases the life of the tyre and mitigates the risk for tyres used in mining. Atlas Copco’s solutions are tested to operate with optimal performance and high reliability in our harsh environmental conditions and remote operations to keep our miners operating safely,” Barot says.
You can read the full article on the Safe to Work website here