Engineering & Mining Journal

JAN 2017

Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr

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it is important to be circulating the cool- ing fluid (air) through the heading even when the LHD is not operating." Additionally, regulations on ventilation air volume per diesel power kW vary from country to country. If battery-powered equipment replaces diesel equivalents in existing mines, com- paratively little can be done with the estab- lished infrastructure. "Fans can be slowed down or stopped and mine expansion can be designed with less airflow or air cooling needs. There are limits to the air velocity in mine airways, which is a function of air quantity and mine airway area. Hence, less air means mine airways, such as shafts and raises, might be reduced in size, which saves a lot in development costs, and may mean underground booster fans don't need to be installed," Mousset-Jones said. "Many existing mines use their main de- cline as an air intake and main haulage way for their trucks. This means that fresh air entering the mine is contaminated with die- sel fumes before it ever reaches the working areas. For an existing mines, making the trucks electric removes this problem." Equipment maintenance and "miner health" savings factor into the equation. Presume the effects of diesel fumes on the health of miners could be eliminat- ed. "The savings from this benefit are dif- ficult to quantify, but can be significant in terms of increased miner productivity, miner and family wellbeing, and reduced work absences," Mousset-Jones said. "In addition, the energy efficiency of electric power is superior to diesel power and maintenance costs are less for electric equipment. There is no need to set up fuel bays underground and the piping system to bring fuel underground, which is costly. It reduces the mine fire potential in the fuel bays and for diesel-powered equipment, which is not uncommon for the latter, and which is a significant safe- ty issue in mines." The cost saving potential of going electric is obviously compelling, however, diesel machines have all but cornered the market. Gaining traction against the estab- lished competition may prove to require more power and torque than anticipated. Sandvik's LH307B is available with a service pack designed to keep the loader productive 365 days a year, the company reported. The pack includes maintenance kits and planned repairs of major components over the equip- ment's life. (Photo: Sandvik) LHD BATTERIES JANUARY 2017 • E&MJ; 39 www.e-mj.com

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