TLT-Turbo Africa introduces new SMART Fan for underground mining

TLT-Turbo Africa has officially introduced its new SMART Fan – a sustainable monitoring and airflow response technology specifically developed for use in underground mining. The demo version has been developed over the past six months and was presented for the first time, as Vusi Madlopha (Director of Sales and Marketing) explained in an interview with MiningWeekly.

The demonstration marks an important step in the further development of our technology for underground mining. The SMART Fan is designed to improve efficiency and safety in ventilation systems.

Jurie Theron (Managing Director of TLT-Turbo Africa) emphasizes that the SMART Fan automatically adapts to changing underground conditions – without requiring manual intervention. The goal is to enable safer, more efficient, and more sustainable mining operations.

Our mechatronics engineer Natascha Minges Freitas, who led the development of the system, explains that conditions in mining continuously change due to shifting chamber geometries and air densities. Conventional fixed-speed fans often operate with only a single operating point, designed for peak performance under worst-case conditions. As a result, they often deliver more air than actually needed – which leads to increased energy consumption.

With the SMART Fan, we offer a solution to this challenge:

The system uses an electronic retrofit control package that can be combined with or retrofitted to any existing auxiliary fan from TLT-Turbo, creating a self-regulating ventilation system.
The fan autonomously maintains the set airflow and reacts in real time to changes in underground conditions, including resistance changes, leakages, and air density variations.
The system is controlled via a variable frequency drive, managed by a PLC (programmable logic controller) that processes both sensor data and user inputs.

Natascha Minges Freitas highlights that the SMART Fan optimizes energy usage while ensuring a constant air supply at a safety level.

Vusi Madlopha points out that 60% to 70% of operating costs in mining are attributable to ventilation. Since mines currently pay around R1.44 per kW, reducing energy consumption can enable significant savings – even smaller mines could save between 14 and 20 million rand annually.

Another advantage is improved safety: ventilation officers can see at the push of a button how much air is available to teams underground.
Jurie Theron underscores that the SMART Fan aligns with our commitment to continuously develop innovative solutions and promote sustainable practices in mining.

The full interview was published by MiningWeekly: TLT Turbo Africa launches SMART Fan for mining