Selecting Ore Pass-Finger Raise Configurations in Underground Mines

Abstract

Material transfer in underground mines often relies on ore and waste pass systems. In mines where ore pass systems transcend multiple production levels, finger raises are used to funnel material into the system. Empirical evidence, from several mines, suggests that the use of finger raises often results in damage in the immediate vicinity of finger raise-ore pass junctions. Of particular concern is damage on the ore pass walls as a result of impact loads generated by material flowing through the fingers on to the ore pass walls. The severity of damage is directly related to the rock mass quality of the excavation walls, material properties of transiting ore and the ore pass-finger raise configuration. This paper examines the influence of different configurations aiming to develop strategies to minimize ore pass wall damage. To these purposes the Particle Flow Code was employed to undertake a series of numerical experiments. This involved dumping a batch of rock fragments, represented by a uniform distribution of disc-shaped particles, into a finger raise and allowed to flow into an ore pass. It has been clearly demonstrated that higher impact loads were generated when the angle of intersection between ore pass and finger raise was 140° to 145°. This configuration results in the most damage. The results of these numerical experiments were collaborated by observations at an underground mine in Canada.