a Centre for Complex Dynamic Systems and Control, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, NSW, Australia b BHP Billiton, GPO Box 86A, Melbourne VIC 3001, Australia
Abstract:
In this paper we show that the problem of optimal mine planning can be cast in the framework of receding horizon control. Traditional formulations of this problem have cast it in the framework of mixed integer linear programming. In this paper, we present an alternative formulation of the mine planning problem using the “language” of control engineering. We show that this alternative formulation gives rise to new insights which have the potential to lead to improved computational procedures. The advantages are illustrated by an example incorporating many practical features of an actual mine planning problem.