Modeling and evaluation of benefits of trolley assist system for mining trucks

As the exploitation of an open pit mine is evolving, the depth and therefore the distance traveled by the mine haul trucks increases. As a result, the operational cost of mining operation increases due to the higher consumption of fuel and tires. This work presents the evaluation of the performance of a truck fleet when using a trolley assistance system. A model of the trolley system is developed using an AFE converter, which in combination with the integrated electric-mechanical model of a mining truck, allows quantifying the production increase, fuel savings and net energy consumption during an up-down cycle of the truck. A set of evaluations are presented, first on idealized uphill and downhill routes, and then using the coordinates of a route of a copper mine located to the north of Chile. Results show a 44% increase in the upgrade speed, a 16% reduction of the travel time, and a fuel saving of over 85% on each up-down cycle. The tool developed allows evaluating the performance of a truck fleet in any mine facility, just knowing the coordinates of the mine routes and the models of the trucks.