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Energy-Efficient Loading and Hauling Operations

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Energy Efficiency in the Minerals Industry

Part of the book series: Green Energy and Technology ((GREEN))

Abstract

Approximately, 40% of the total energy used in surface mines is related to diesel consumption. Truck haulage is responsible for a majority of this. This chapter introduces the principal equipment used to load and haul materials in mines, namely trucks, electric rope shovels, hydraulic excavators and crushing and conveying systems. The chapter discusses factors that contribute to the energy-efficient operation of such equipment. Based on gross weight hauled per unit weight of payload, belt conveyors appear to be the most energy-efficient means of transporting material in surface mines. However, a number of factors, including large upfront capital expenditure and limited ability to relocate and scale up belt capacities, currently restrict their widespread applicability.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This is where trucks loaded at rated payloads are forced to travel slowly up ramp because they are stuck behind heavily loaded trucks which travel at low speeds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    Ali Soofastaei, Elnaz Karimpour, Peter Knights & Mehmet Kizil

Authors
  1. Ali Soofastaei
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  2. Elnaz Karimpour
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  3. Peter Knights
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  4. Mehmet Kizil
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali Soofastaei .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mining and Nuclear Engineering, Missouri University Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri, USA

    Kwame Awuah-Offei

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Soofastaei, A., Karimpour, E., Knights, P., Kizil, M. (2018). Energy-Efficient Loading and Hauling Operations. In: Awuah-Offei, K. (eds) Energy Efficiency in the Minerals Industry. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54199-0_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54199-0_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-54198-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-54199-0

  • eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)

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