BESTECH

Underground mining operations depend on continuous ventilation to maintain safe air quality and meet regulatory requirements for worker safety — but traditional fixed-speed fan systems run at full capacity around the clock regardless of actual mine activity. In metals and mining, ventilation infrastructure typically accounts for 40–50% of total site energy consumption, making it one of the largest controllable cost centers. BESTECH's underground mine was no exception: fixed-speed fans pushed maximum airflow whether full crews were active or not, generating substantial unnecessary energy expenditure and leaving significant operational savings untapped.

BESTECH deployed a Ventilation on Demand (VoD) system built around Rockwell Automation variable frequency drives (VFDs), replacing the fixed-speed fan control architecture with dynamic, demand-responsive operation. The VoD system integrates real-time inputs — including worker location tracking, equipment activity signals, and air quality sensor data — to continuously calculate required airflow and modulate fan speeds to match actual conditions. Rockwell Automation's drives provided the precise motor control backbone necessary to translate demand signals into accurate fan speed adjustments across the ventilation network. Rather than a wholesale infrastructure replacement, the deployment layered intelligent control onto existing fan hardware, reducing project complexity and preserving capital investment in the physical plant.

The VoD implementation delivered more than 30% reduction in ventilation energy consumption — a material outcome given ventilation's dominant share of underground mine operating costs. By running fans at demand-matched speeds rather than fixed maximum output, BESTECH eliminated the chronic energy waste inherent in always-on fixed-speed operation. Key outcomes include:

• 30%+ energy savings achieved through demand-based fan speed control
• Reduced mechanical wear on fan systems from lower average operating speeds
• Improved ability to direct airflow where and when it is actually needed

The savings directly reduce operating expenditure without compromising worker safety or air quality compliance.

• Variable frequency drives are the enabling technology for VoD — fan hardware upgrades are often unnecessary if drives can be retrofitted to existing motors.
• Ventilation on Demand is most impactful in mines with variable shift patterns or multiple working zones where demand fluctuates significantly across time.
• Real-time location and activity sensing is critical to accurate demand calculation; sensor coverage quality directly determines achievable savings.
• The 30%+ energy savings threshold is broadly consistent with industry benchmarks for VoD adoption, making this a well-validated ROI case for similar underground operations.
• Regulatory compliance requirements for minimum airflow volumes must be built into VoD control logic from the outset to avoid safety or permitting risk.