Contribution to the capacity determination of semi-mobile in-pit crushing and conveying systems

As ore grades decline, waste rock to ore ratios increase and mines become progressively deeper mining operations face challenges in more complex scenarios. Today´s predominant means of material transport in hard-rock surface mines are conventional mining trucks however despite rationalisation efforts material transportation cost increased significantly over the last decades and currently reach up to 60% of overall mining. Thus, considerations and efforts to reduce overall mining costs, promise highest success when focusing on the development of more economic material transport methods. Semi-mobile in-pit crusher and conveyor (SMIPCC) systems represent a viable, safer and less fossil fuel dependent alternative however its viability is still highly argued as inadequate methods for the long term projection of system capacity leads to high uncertainty and consequently higher risk. Therefore, the objective of this thesis is to develop a structured method for the determination of In-pit crusher and conveyor SMIPCC system that incorporates the random behaviour of system elements and their interaction. The method is based on a structured time usage model specific to SMIPCC system supported by a stochastic simulation. The developed method is used in a case study based on a hypothetical mine environment to analyse the system behaviour with regards to time usage model component, system capacity, and cost as a function of truck quantity and stockpile capacity. Furthermore, a comparison between a conventional truck & shovel system and SMIPCC system is provided. Results show that the capacity of a SMIPCC system reaches an optimum in terms of cost per tonne, which is 24% (22 cents per tonne) lower than a truck and shovel system. In addition, the developed method is found to be effective in providing a significantly higher level of information, which can be used in the mining industry to accurately project the economic viability of implementing a SMIPCC system

Advances in Computational Intelligence Applications in the Mining Industry

This book captures advancements in the applications of computational intelligence (artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc.) to problems in the mineral and mining industries. The papers present the state of the art in four broad categories: mine operations, mine planning, mine safety, and advances in the sciences, primarily in image processing applications. Authors in the book include both researchers and industry practitioners

Development of a Computer Oriented Algorithmic Approach for Opencast Mine Dispatch System

Truck haulage is the most common means used for moving ore/waste in open-pit mining operations, but it is usually the most expensive unit operation in a truck shovel mining system. The state-of-the-art in computing technology has advanced to a point where there are several truck dispatching systems which offer the potential of improving truck-shovel productivity and subsequent savings. Introducing a dispatching system in a mine can achieve operational gains by reducing waiting times and obtain other benefits through better monitoring, optimal routing and grade control. Efficiency of the employed truck-shovel fleet depends on the dispatching strategy in use, the complexity of the truck-shovel system and a variety of other variables. It is a common situation in mining that considerable analysis of the available strategies is undertaken before dispatching is adopted. In most cases, computer simulation is the most applicable and effective method of comparing the alternative dispatching strategies. To develop a computer based algorithm for despatch systems in open cast mines, the program asks the user to enter the number of trucks initially assigned to each shovel site. Experiments are made to investigate the effects of several factors including the dispatching rules, the number of trucks operating, the number of shovels operates, the variability in truck loading, hauling and return times, the distance between shovels and dump site, and availability of shovel and truck resources. The breakdown of shovel and trucks are modeled using exponential distribution. Three performance measures are selected as truck production, overall shovel utilization and overall truck utilizations. But, the main factors affecting the performances are the number of trucks, the number of shovels, the distance between the shovels and dump site, finally the availability of shovel and truck resources. Also, there are significant interaction effects between these main factors

The energy dilemma and its impact on air transportation

The dimensions of the energy situation are discussed in relation to air travel. Energy conservation, fuel consumption, and combustion efficiency are examined, as well as the proposal for subsonic aircraft using hydrogen fuel

Petropolitics

The importance of energy to the functioning of any economy has meant that energy industries are amongst the most regulated of industries. What might appear to be purely private decisions are made within a complex and evolving web of government regulations. Petropolitics: Petroleum Development, Markets and Regulations, Alberta as an Illustrative History provides an economic history of the petroleum industry in Alberta as well as a detailed analysis of the operation of the markets for Alberta oil and natural gas, and the main governmental regulations (apart from environmental regulations) faced by the industry. The tools used within this study are applicable to oil and gas industries throughout the world. Winner, 2014 Book of the Year, Petroleum History Societ

Petropolitics

The importance of energy to the functioning of any economy has meant that energy industries are amongst the most regulated of industries. What might appear to be purely private decisions are made within a complex and evolving web of government regulations. Petropolitics: Petroleum Development, Markets and Regulations, Alberta as an Illustrative History provides an economic history of the petroleum industry in Alberta as well as a detailed analysis of the operation of the markets for Alberta oil and natural gas, and the main governmental regulations (apart from environmental regulations) faced by the industry. The tools used within this study are applicable to oil and gas industries throughout the world. Winner, 2014 Book of the Year, Petroleum History Societ

Future Coal Supply for the World Energy Balance; Proceedings of the Third IIASA Conference on Energy Resources, November 28 - December 2, 1977

There is growing concern and interest in the re-emergence into the energy picture of "King Coal." Coal, as it is produced today and, still more, as it will be produced tomorrow and in the next century, has many new features. Reserves and resources are revised upward, by jumps greater than the total estimated world oil resources. Production techniques are shifting from fully automated underground mines to gigantic surface mines with annual capacities of some tens of millions of tons. Coal slurry pipelines will be used for transportation, and sophisticated processes can transform coal into almost any other fuel: gas, syncrude, methanol, gasoline, and so on. How do the various nations, whether producers or consumers or both, react to these changing conditions? And what could be the effects on the future world energy balance, and on a potential world coal market trying to compete with the world oil market? All these questions--and many others--were raised and dealt with during the Third IIASA Conference on Energy Resources, devoted to Future Coal Supply for the World Energy Balance. More than seventy experts from East and West--technicians, economists, futurologists, modelers--contributed. The papers presented in this book treat technical aspects and prospects and economic (national, international, and global) problems and perspectives

Energy: A continuing bibliography with indexes, issue 6

This bibliography lists 505 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system from April 1, 1975 through June 30, 1975

Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracy in Canada

Prior to May 2015, the oil-rich jurisdiction of Alberta had, for over four decades, been a one-party state. During that time, the rule of the Progressive Conservatives essentially went unchallenged, with critiques of government policy falling on deaf ears and Alberta ranking behind other provinces in voter turnout. Given the province’s economic reliance on oil revenues, a symbiotic relationship also developed between government and the oil industry. Cross-national studies have detected a correlation between oil-dependent economies and authoritarian rule, a pattern particularly evident in Africa and the Middle East. Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracy in Canada sets out to test the “oil inhibits democracy” hypothesis in the context of an industrialized nation in the Global North. In probing the impact of Alberta’s powerful oil lobby on the health of democracy in the province, contributors to the volume engage with an ongoing discussion of the erosion of political liberalism in the West. In addition to examining energy policy and issues of government accountability in Alberta, they explore the ramifications of oil dependence in areas such as Aboriginal rights, environmental policy, labour law, women’s equity, urban social policy, and the arts. If, as they argue, reliance on oil has weakened democratic structures in Alberta, then what of Canada as whole, where the short-term priorities of the oil industry continue to shape federal policy? In Alberta, the New Democratic Party is in a position to reverse the democratic deficit that is presently fuelling political and economic inequality. The findings in this book suggest that, to revitalize democracy, provincial and federal leaders alike must find the courage to curb the influence of the oil industry on governance

ECASTAR: Energy Conservation; an Assessment of Systems, Technologies and Requirements

A methodology for a systems approach display and assessment of the potential for energy conservation actions and the impacts of those actions was presented. The U.S. economy is divided into four sectors: energy industry, industry, residential/commercial and transportation. Each sector is assessed with respect to energy conservation actions and impacts. The four sectors are combined and three strategies for energy conservation actions for the combined sectors are assessed. The three strategies (national energy conservation, electrification and diversification) represent energy conservation actions for the near term (now to 1985), the mid term (1985 to 2000) and the far term (2000 and beyond). The assessment procedure includes input/output analysis to bridge the flows between the sectors, and net economics and net energetics as performance criteria for the conservation actions. Targets of opportunity for large net energy net energy savings and the application of technology to achieve these savings are discussed