The unveiling of the Cat® Dynamic Energy Transfer (DET) solution to transfer energy to both diesel-electric and battery-electric large mining trucks while they are working around a mine site was deemed as significant for an industry in need of solutions to transition to net-zero operations.
Designed to both transfer energy to large mining trucks, as well as charge a machine’s batteries while operating with increased speed on grade, the system “provides the industry with options to support both near-term and long-term sustainability strategies”, Caterpillar said.
During a visit to Caterpillar’s Tucson Proving Grounds (TPG) in Arizona over the weekend, IM witnessed just how advanced this solution is.
The company orchestrated a ‘drag race’ between two 798 ACs – one fitted with the DET system and another with the normal diesel-electric drive – on the “Tinaja 10” test track at the facility. This haul road has been developed to showcase the system’s speed on grade, as well as ability to seamlessly transition on and off the DET rails. It boasts an average 10% incline – hence the name – and will eventually stretch out to 1.6 km (it is currently 400-m long).
Cat DET is comprised of a series of integrated elements, including a power module that converts energy from a mine site’s power source, an electrified rail system to transmit the energy and a machine system to transfer the energy to the truck’s powertrain. At TPG, the DET system on the Tinaja 10 was powered mainly by diesel generator sets.
Like other trolley showcases before, the drag race at TPG saw the DET-enabled 798 AC beat its diesel-electric companion to the top of the ramp, with Caterpillar estimating that 1 MW more power was going into the motors of the 798 AC on the DET line than the diesel-electric-only equivalent.
Caterpillar has plans to conduct field-follow trials of the DET solution in 2025, followed by commercialisation in 2026, Denise Johnson, President of Resource Industries, told IM during an interview on the same day as the demonstration.
This solution will, no doubt, be discussed in depth in Las Vegas, this week, with Caterpillar set to showcase a Cat high altitude arrangement (HAA) 798 AC electric drive truck, equipped with the on-board DET hardware at MINExpo 2024.
With its 372-t nominal rated payload, the Cat 798 AC electric drive trucks deliver the highest standard payload available in its class size, higher speed on grade, easier maintenance and excellent resistance braking performance, the company says.
The HAA 798 AC to be displayed in the Caterpillar exhibit at MINExpo 2024 features a 363-t payload, refreshed cab plus the latest performance, maintenance and safety upgrades.
The 798 AC truck at MINExpo will be positioned with the prototype onboard attachment arm connected to a 73-m section of the Cat DET rail system.
The diesel-electric design of the 798 AC, as well as all Cat AC-drive trucks, delivers high payload, fast speeds and excellent acceleration, so miners get the most from the fuel burned, Caterpillar says. Equipping the truck with DET to make use of electric power on certain sections of the haul road provides opportunities to reduce fuel burn even more.
To optimise fuel consumption at the mine site, the 798 AC offers a range of engine power options from 2,050 to 3,095 kW. Engines are compatible with diesel blended with lower-carbon intensity fuels like biofuels and renewable fuels, as well as blends with synthetic fuels.