Abstract
Material management in opencast mines is concerned with planning, organizing, and control of the flow of materials from their extraction points to destinations. It can be strongly affected by operational decisions that have to be made during the production process. To date, little research has focused on the application of simulation modeling as a powerful supportive tool for decision making in such systems. Practical experiences from implementing a simulation model of a mine for the operational support on an industrial scale are not known to the authors. This paper presents the extension of a developed stochastic simulation model by the authors from a conceptual stage (TRL4) to a new Technology Readiness Level (TRL 6) by implementing it in an industrially relevant environment. A framework for modeling, simulation, and validation of the simulation model applied to two large opencast lignite mines is presented in detail. Operational implementation issues, experiences, and challenges in practical applications are discussed. Furthermore, the strength of applying the simulation modeling as an operational decision support for material management in coal mining is demonstrated. Results of the case studies are used to describe the details of the framework, and to illustrate the strength and limitations of its application.
Highlights
Continuous mining systems consist of Bucket Wheel and/or Chain Excavators (BWEs/BCEs), conveyor belts and spreaders operating in series and forming a network of continuously excavated material flow
Its aim is to get the right quality and quantity of materials at the right time and the right place for the lowest cost. This can be strongly affected by operational decisions that have to be made during the production process
The case study approach was chosen to provide detailed illustrations of steps of a simulation study, mine has been presented in detail
Summary
Continuous mining systems consist of Bucket Wheel and/or Chain Excavators (BWEs/BCEs), conveyor belts and spreaders operating in series and forming a network of continuously excavated material flow. These systems are highly complex and some randomness governs their systems, which causes unexpected deviations between prediction and actual in the supply of materials. The two major sources uncertainties are in the knowledge about the spatial distribution of material, especially coal, properties within the deposit, and unscheduled breakdowns of major equipment. Material management in such systems is concerned with planning, organizing, and control of the flow of materials from their extraction points to destinations. This can be strongly affected by operational decisions that have to be made during the production process
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