Peru is an unlikely destination for PDL Electronics AC motor controllers, however, this market is one of the biggest users of PDL equipment in the South American Region.
EPLI S.A.C. was appointed as PDL's exclusive distributor a little over three years ago and in this short time it has established PDL as the principal supplier of AC motor controllers to the Peruvian market.
Earlier in February this year PDL shipped two UDi860 DP Variable speed drives to Peru for installation in the BHP Tintaya Copper Mine. The drives were required to control the speed of 2 x 500hp slurry pumps.
There was a hitch though; the mine site was in the Cussco Region, some 16 hrs drive North East from Lima, and the equipment would be installed, some 4,200m (13,779 ft) above sea level. The isolated location of the site was only one consideration, the altitude also presents challenges to man and machine. Due to the rarefied air (oxygen depletion) the Microdrive-i's had to be derated by some 30%. This is because the ventilation system is less effective at altitudes above 1,000m and a derating factor needed to be applied. (PDL has some 100 units already operating in copper mines in Chile at altitudes in excess of 3,500m, so the derating factor had already been well proven.)
Due to the critical nature of the project, and the important role that the UDi 860's would be performing, PDL felt it important that a New Zealand Service Engineer be on hand at the time of commissioning. Like many projects in these parts, the communication was somewhat sketchy as to when the drives would actually be ready for commissioning...but when they were, it was critical that they be pressed into operation in double quick time.
In late March PDL placed two engineers on stand-by and arranged the necessary vaccinations, inoculations, travel documents etc. - in case one or the other was not available at the nominated time.
On 13 May Simon Torr received his call, tickets were hastily arranged and within 12 hours he was destined for Lima, Peru.
He arrived during Peru's dry season, faced with a 1,300km drive to the BHP Tintaya Mine 1,000 km of which was on Pan American Highway and 300km on a long winding gravel road up into the Andes that reached heights of up to 5,100m (16,732 ft) above sea level.
After two days travelling (including six hours on gravel) Simon arrived at BHP Tintaya with a thumping headache.
This was the first symptom of altitude sickness, followed by dizziness and an even worse headache. Cheche, the employee of EPLI who drove them there, suggested the solution of wrapping his head in towel - which worked letting Simon get to sleep!
The next day the hospital gave Simon the more orthodox remedy of oxygen and an anti-nausea injection, as well as oxygen to carry around. He considered sleeping with a woollen hat to keep his head warm the secret in the end. (Simon later found out that most visitors stay at Arequipa, 3,000 metres above sea level, for two days to acclimatise.)
The other hurdle was the language barrier. Simon was equipped with a Spanish pocket phrase book, however these do not cover technical jargon, so lots of sign language was required to explain things.
In spite of this the test-run of one of two UDi-860DP's on waterpumps went without a hitch. However, they couldn't run the second UDi-860DP drive immediately as the 'lockout key' had not been returned because the motor had been removed for a breakdown in another plant! Eventually it was powered up and parameters set, but a motor was not available for two weeks.
On Saturday 22 May after the 26 hour flight from Lima, Simon arrived home in Napier exhausted after seven days out of New Zealand four of which were spent simply travelling!
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