The equipment utilisation versus mining rate trade-off in open pit mining

This paper investigates the potential value adding role that ‘schemes of exploitation’ may have as part of the open pit mine planning process. The deployment of loading equipment within the push-back of an open-pit mine ultimately determines the ‘mining rate’. Traditional mine planning processes seek to adopt schemes of exploitation that maximise the utilisation of the loading equipment as this will typically minimise mining cost. This paper argues that this does not always lead to the creation of value. A case-study demonstrates that alternative schemes of exploitation, with higher mining costs and lower shovel productivity can actually generate greater value. The results show an increase in Net Present Value from US$920M to US$966M when a less productive configuration of four shovels is set instead of a configuration of two shovels. A sensitivity analysis is presented to show the economic and technical conditions that can favour this new proposal.     

A robust statistical method for mineralogical analysis in geometallurgical diagnostic leaching

CSIRO researchers have been involved in the development of predictive metallurgical indices as a tool in the hydro- and geometallurgy fields. Rapid, small-scale, cost effective tests and protocols have been developed for comparative ranking of attributes relevant to leach performance, e.g. leach index (relative indication of leach performance), recovery, impurity deportment, reagent consumption and mineralogy of samples for their relative ranking. Results from these tests can be used for plant design or process optimisation to maximise the commercial value of an ore body and to minimise the social and environmental impact of mining operations. The motivation for development of these tests includes the reduction in use of traditional mineralogical tools, be they for reasons of accessibility, cost, speed or scale-up for processing of large sample numbers. Mineralogical analysis remains essential for validating leach results in the development of test protocols and as a means of quality control. This paper presents an accurate, robust statistical method for QEMSCAN data analysis that has been developed for use in conjunction with the geometallurgical leach tests.     

Optimising design parameters of continuous mining transport systems using discrete event simulation

The ground articulating pipeline (GAP) system was developed to transport oil sand using a continuous transport system. This paper proposes a simulation-based optimisation approach to improve the efficiency of oil sand continuous transport systems at the operational level. Based on the analysis of shovel capacity, the authors recommend that this GAP transfer system should operate with a 70-ton capacity shovel. They also recommend that a surge hopper should be introduced on the mobile slurry system to maximise productivity of the GAP system. This simulation approach can be applied to crushers and conveyor belt systems.     

露天采矿机对厚煤层开采的研究

在露天煤矿开采厚煤层的实际生产中,电铲或液压挖掘机已成为采煤主流设备,但一些省钱、高效的非主流设备则受到了煤炭企业的冷落和忽视。本文主要针对露天采矿中冷门设备用于开采厚煤层的作业研究,优化其行径线路及开采程序提高生产效率,并通过与主流设备对比和分析,得出露天采矿机开采厚煤层在经济效益和作业效率方面均具有较大优势的结论,为生产企业的降本提效提供了基础依据。     

基于传感器网络技术的矿用电铲动态称重系统

针对目前矿用电铲称重系统存在的不足，提出了一种基于无线传感器网络技术的动态称重系统设计方案，详细介绍了称重传感器节点的硬件结构和软件设计。实验表明：该系统测量精度高、稳定性好、安装使用方便。     

露天矿机械铲采宽优化问题的研究

本文分析了露天矿机械铲采宽与其效率、采宽与工作线长度、采宽与工作帮坡角以及采宽与霉天矿运输道路长度的关系，并给出了它们之间的关系表达式、绘制出了函数曲线。通过对矿山费用随采宽变化的研究，确定了露天矿最优的采宽值。     

Environmental implications of mitigating overburden failure and subsidences using paste-like backfill mining: a case study

This paper presents an investigation on the effectiveness of mitigating overburden failure and subsidences using a paste-like backfill method for coal mining. The Taiping Coal mine is the first Chinese coal mine which has adopted a paste-like backfill mining method to mitigate overburden failure and minimise subsidences. Overburden failure induced by longwall caving and backfill mining has been comparatively studied by in situ measurements, an empirical formula, a scale model and numerical simulations for a case study in the Taiping Coal mine. The results show that the heights of the caving and water flow fracture zones, and the range and value of the subsidences due to backfill mining are quite smaller than those resultant of longwall caving mining. The mining operations in the Taiping Coal mine have proven the reliability of this backfill mining method to mitigate overburden failure and subsidences so as to prevent coalmines from water and sand inrushes and protect farm land and surface buildings.     

炮采工作面攉煤机主参数的理论计算

针对我国目前炮采工作面装煤的现状，设计出了一种新型便携式炮采工作面攉煤机，对实现炮采工作面装煤机械化有促进作用。并论述了该机的工作原理，推导了装煤能力和装煤率以及刮板的运行阻力的理论计算公式。     

我国露天煤矿开采工艺发展状况综述

文章简要介绍了我国露天开采工艺的发展过程,建国初期主要以单斗铁道工艺为主发展至1980年代以来转向以单斗汽车工艺为主,半连续开采工艺、综合开采工艺、拉斗铲倒堆工艺等目前各种露天开采主流工艺并存局面的特点和采用的主要采掘、运输设备.介绍了当前我国露天煤矿开采工艺的主要特点、发展状况以及存在的主要问题.     

斗齿检测系统在露天煤矿WK-35采煤电铲上的应用

露天煤矿采用电铲进行采煤生产，电铲斗齿脱落导致破碎机损坏的问题时常存在，为解决该问题，在WK-35采煤电铲上设计安装“红外热成像相机+计算机视觉技术”的斗齿检测设备。斗齿检测设备由热像仪读取模块、视屏存储模块、斗齿缺失检测模块、报警模块组成。通过采用Viola-Jones Haar级联分类器对采集图像的斗齿行进行检测和卷积神经网络进行二分类的深度学习算法，判断斗齿是否缺失。斗齿检测设备的应用可达到斗齿完整性的自动检测识别和报警的目的。     

Effect of ignoring input correlation on truck–shovel simulation

This paper presents an approach for handling correlated input variables in discrete event simulation (DES) modelling of truck–shovel systems using commercial DES software and uses a case study to investigate the effect of ignoring correlation between input variables. Multivariate random vectors, instead of independent probability distributions, are used for variables found to be correlated. The authors prove that correlations do exist in truck–shovel haulage systems. The model with multivariate random vectors performs better than the original model. The significance of modelling correlation in input variables depends on the strength of the correlation and the output’s sensitivity to the input variables.     

多目标模糊决策法在选择铲运机斗容中的应用

选择合适的铲运机斗容能够为矿山产生巨大的经济效益。为了选择合适的铲运机斗容，从经济效益最优出发，对阶段某-矿块进行模拟开采，取得采场掘进工程费用、设备购置费用、铲运机的出矿效率、出矿费用4项指标。应用多目标模糊决策的方法，建立寻优模型，进而选择在一定条件下合适的铲运机斗容。     

试论煤矿大型液压挖掘机装置的优化设计

在露天煤矿采掘以及水利建设等工程中,煤矿的大型液压正铲挖掘机开始越来越得到广泛的应用,而这些工作装置的结构合理性直接影响到挖掘机的工作性能,它也是液压正铲挖掘机的重要工作部件,因此对于其进行研究具有深刻的现实意义。正式基于此,文章主要对煤矿大型液压挖掘机装置的优化设计及应用进行了探讨。     

Optimisation of air rate and froth depth in flotation using a CCRD factorial design – PGM case study

Air rate and froth depth are the most commonly adjusted levers in PGM flotation plants. The optimisation of these levers on each flotation cell has traditionally been done by varying either air rate at a fixed froth depth or vice versa. This approach does not consider the interaction relationship between air rate and froth depth and this effect on flotation performance.Factorial type experimental designs are best suited for investigating interaction effects between variables. This paper presents the use of a factorial type of experimental design being the (CCRD) Central Composite Rotatable Design for plant scale flotation optimisation of air and froth depth. The results obtained include three dimensional response surfaces and models of flotation response variables such as 4E PGM recovery and grade as a function of air rate and cell level. This paper illustrates the experimental methodology and discusses the results for normalised 4E PGM grade and recovery for a rougher cell treating a Platreef ore.These results indicate that interaction effects of air and froth depth are significant and are more pronounced at conditions of higher air and shallower froth depth. In addition, indices which are based on an optimisation objective such as grade multiplied by recovery and/or grade multiplied by recovery squared allows application of this technique as an optimisation tool. These indices can be used to determine an optimum operating range for air and level with the consideration of interaction effects.     

基于蚁群算法的挖掘式装载机工作装置优化设计

反铲工作装置是挖掘式装载机的工作机构,对整机的运行性能和经济效益起着重要作用。采用蚁群算法,以最大挖掘力为目标函数,利用Matlab软件实现了挖掘式装载机工作装置的优化设计。     

基于S7-1200 PLC的矿用电缆卷放车自动控制系统设计

为了制造千米级露天矿用电缆卷放车,解决现有卷缆装置自动化程度低、安全系数低、可容纳电缆米数短等问题,提出了一种基于S7-1200的电铲用千米带电电缆卷放车电气控制系统,分别从系统控制需求分析和实现原理、系统机械结构、系统设计及功能实现、监控界面开发4个方面进行了阐述。详细介绍了其电气控制系统,系统由传感器、液压驱动系统、集控中心控制系统、行走卷缆子系统、自动排线子系统、压紧电缆子系统及其上位机组成,以S7-1200为主控制器处理传感器模拟量信号,并根据结果逻辑控制各子系统顺序启动。阐明了系统的硬件设计和软件实现,实现了长距离自动收放电缆、匹配电铲车行走、智能化多层布线、工作状态远程监测监控及故障报警功能,推动了矿山机电设备的智能化发展。     

露天矿用电铲动态称重计量系统设计

设计露天矿用电铲动态称重计量系统,实时动态称重计量电铲装载矿物重量,提高露天矿采装运输效率。通过角位移传感器、线位移传感器与力传感器组建的传感器网络,采集露天矿用电铲角度、拉力以及线位移数据信息,并将其传输至信号处理模块,利用信号预处理电路合理放大与降噪处理传感器采集信号,数据经A/D转换后,结合角、线位移数据触发AT89C52单片机转换芯片,读出动态称重计量数据,并以相应的形式将数据在LCD显视屏中显示出来,通过PC机完成动态称重数据处理,实现计量数据的显示、限位报警、个性化查询等功能。实验结果表明：该系统能够实现露天矿用电铲动态称重计量,能耗较低,将其应用于露天矿的采装运输业中,可提高采装运输效率。     

Stochastic mine production scheduling with multiple processes: Application at Escondida Norte, Chile

Mining complexes can contain multiple mines operating simultaneously along with multiple processing streams, stockpiles and products. Stochastic optimization methods developed to date generate only local optimal solutions in the sense that they do not consider the entire mining complex. This paper presents an extension of a multi-stage method used for generating long-term risk-based mine production schedules, to operations with multiple rock types and processing streams. The developed method uses a simulated annealing based algorithm during the optimization stage, seeking to minimize deviations from production targets for waste and different ore processing streams. The proposed approach is applied at Escondida Norte copper deposit, Chile, in which sulphide, oxide, mixed and waste materials are present with milling, bio-leaching and acid-leaching being the available processing streams. The stochastic schedule generates expected deviations from mill and waste production targets smaller than 5%, which avoid indirect costs associated to idle capacities. A schedule generated conventionally exhibits expected deviations of the order of 20%.     

Technological aspects of transition to high bench stripping in Kuzbass

The article presents argumentation in favor of transition to high bench stripping in open pit mines in Kuzbass, which will increase coal production and improve mine performance. The authors find functional connection between the duration of the transition to high bench stripping and the increase in the finite depth of an open pit mine. Substantiation is given to choosing the height of a bench based on the change in relationship of operating costs and a cut layer height. The practical significant of the research is development of a new approach to validating expediency of high benches for mining with truck&shovel and creation of a procedure to find increment in ultimate pit contour in transition to stripping with high benches.     

Optimisation of mine ventilation networks using the Lagrangian algorithm for equality constraints

This work presents a new method of mine ventilation network optimisation as standard non-linear programming problem and discusses the use of a novel first-order Lagrangian (FOL) algorithm for equality constraints as a solution tool for these problems. Slack variables have been defined to transform such inequality constraints into their corresponding equality forms. The problem is then converted to non-linear problem with equality constrains. The methodology adopted in this paper is capable of dealing with the non-linear convex model with significant savings on computational efforts due to its use of only first derivatives. A MATLAB programme has been developed based on the FOL method to solve a generalised mine ventilation network optimisation problem. To study the validity and the viability of the FOL programme, the programme has been applied to already published network problems and both results are identical.