TY - THES

T1 - Comparison of Mining Transportation Systems from Environmental Point of View

AU - Naghshi, Saman

N1 - no embargo

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - High demand for mineral resources, meeting daily production targets, and low diesel prices have marginalized energy management in the mining industry for many decades. Nevertheless, rising energy costs and recent legislative and societal demands to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are forcing mining companies to improve energy efficiency. These incentives are gradually becoming more influential determinants in the choice of methods and equipment types for the various mining operating practices. This study aims to compare environmental impacts of continuous with conventional mining, including dust, noise and vibration with a special focus on energy consumption and lifecycle GHG emissions of different truck and belt conveyor configurations. The thesis developed a calculation tool for truck energy consumption and GHG emissions, which was validated by measurement data from a surface coal mine in Queensland, Australia. German industry standard DIN 22101 was used to calculate the energy consumption for belt conveyor systems, and corresponding operational data from the Hambach opencast lignite mine to confirm the results. In order to compare the energy efficiency and lifecycle GHG emissions for in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) systems with diesel, electric, and trolley assist truck haulages, different parameters have been investigated including production rate, haulage distance, slope grade and rolling resistance, type of material, source of electricity and fuel type, and capital and operating cost. The results indicate that in most cases, trucks require more energy to transport the same amount of material and consequently cause more severe environmental impacts including GHG emissions, even if they are electrically powered. Moreover, a proper IPCC setting can be more cost-effective, particularly when it comes to large deposit at certain depths.

AB - High demand for mineral resources, meeting daily production targets, and low diesel prices have marginalized energy management in the mining industry for many decades. Nevertheless, rising energy costs and recent legislative and societal demands to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are forcing mining companies to improve energy efficiency. These incentives are gradually becoming more influential determinants in the choice of methods and equipment types for the various mining operating practices. This study aims to compare environmental impacts of continuous with conventional mining, including dust, noise and vibration with a special focus on energy consumption and lifecycle GHG emissions of different truck and belt conveyor configurations. The thesis developed a calculation tool for truck energy consumption and GHG emissions, which was validated by measurement data from a surface coal mine in Queensland, Australia. German industry standard DIN 22101 was used to calculate the energy consumption for belt conveyor systems, and corresponding operational data from the Hambach opencast lignite mine to confirm the results. In order to compare the energy efficiency and lifecycle GHG emissions for in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) systems with diesel, electric, and trolley assist truck haulages, different parameters have been investigated including production rate, haulage distance, slope grade and rolling resistance, type of material, source of electricity and fuel type, and capital and operating cost. The results indicate that in most cases, trucks require more energy to transport the same amount of material and consequently cause more severe environmental impacts including GHG emissions, even if they are electrically powered. Moreover, a proper IPCC setting can be more cost-effective, particularly when it comes to large deposit at certain depths.

KW - GHG Emissions/ Belt Conveyor/ Sustainable Development/ Shovel and Truck/ Haulage Systems/ Energy Efficiency

KW - Treibhausgasemissionen/ Bandförderer/ Nachhaltige Entwicklung/ Schaufel und Lkw/ Transportsysteme/ Energieeffizienz

U2 - 10.34901/mul.pub.2023.76

DO - 10.34901/mul.pub.2023.76

M3 - Master's Thesis

ER -