Tag Archives: The University of Queensland

Mining3 equips miners with tools for proximity detection decision making

Communications in mining, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , ,

Mining3 has launched an online sensor technology capability tool that provides users with, it says, unbiased information on Proximity Detection System (PDS) sensors to assist in their decision-making process.

The PDS Toolkit is part of the Mining3 ACARP funded project titled, ‘PDS Validation Framework – Phase 3’. The interface provides a high-level summary of the six most prevalent PDS sensors available to the market, according to Mining3.

This information has been extracted from the PDS Sensor Capability Assessment document developed by the PDS Project Team comprised of Mining3, the University of Pretoria and The University of Queensland. The document, in its entirety, will also be published and made available to industry shortly, Mining3 said.

Mining3 Chief Operating Officer, Susan Grandone, said: “The purpose of this toolkit is to provide a fundamental understanding of how various sensors operate, both individually and in combination. This, in turn, will aid in a user’s decision-making process by providing unbiased information and data on each sensor.”

As well as providing individual sensor information, the toolkit contains a spider attribute chart that enables users to toggle between the sensors, identifying strengths and weaknesses for a specific application or attribute. A searchable scoring system with the ability to filter is also available in a table format underneath.

Finally, sensor technology usage in the PDS/Collision Avoidance System industry and references used in compiling the assessment document and developing the toolkit are also provided.

Free access to the PDS Toolkit is available to the industry, however users will need to register as a method of accepting the usage disclaimer, Mining3 said.

Click here to access the toolkit.

Mine electrification hinged on reskilling, collaboration and mine design, EY says

Environmental, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

A recent survey of miners and mining original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) has shown that electrification of mines offers a lot more than lower carbon emissions and improved worker benefits.

The survey, commissioned by EY and conducted by the Sustainable Minerals Institute at The University of Queensland (Australia) and The Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering at The University of British Columbia (Canada), deduced that reaping the full benefits of an electricity-powered mining future would require “reskilling, reaching out across sectors and rethinking the fundamentals of mine design”, EY said.

Paul Mitchell, EY Global Mining and Metals Leader, said the mining sector was on the verge of an electrification revolution, driven by significant cost reduction potential, lowered carbon emissions and improved worker health benefits.

“This is critically important, given the World Health Organisation has declared that diesel particulates now belong in the same deadly category as asbestos, arsenic and mustard gas,” he said.

Four key themes emerged from the survey, according to EY.

  • Electrified mines improve economics and strengthen licence to operate;
  • Collaboration will unlock better electrification solutions;
  • Mine design needs a rethink to build in optionality for future innovation, and;
  • Electrification needs different skills, and advances technology deployment.

EY explained these four in more detail:

“Demand for carbon reduction in the sector is inevitable, and electrification is one way to achieve it,” the company said. “Diesel engines cannot be replaced with carbon-generating electricity and therefore electrification needs to be accompanied with a move to renewable power.

“The survey finds that electrification reduces not only operational costs, but also up-front capital costs because it reduces the infrastructure needs of ventilation shafts in underground mines. More significantly, the reduction of diesel particulates results in improvement to worker health and safety.”

Partnerships and co-creation of solutions with OEMs, other mining companies and governments are needed to successfully integrate electrification in mines, according to EY.

“The survey finds that, in the case of electrification, miners are clear that they can’t go it alone. This is leading to a more open perspective around the role of suppliers as strategic partners, which expands the possibilities for miners to benefit through innovation, cost reduction and competitive advantage.”

Newmont Goldcorp has taken such an approach at its Borden gold project, in Ontario, Canada – partnering with Sandvik and MacLean Engineering on developing what it says will be the world’s first all-electric underground mine – while Nouveau Monde Graphite has built up a taskforce of its own to progress its plans for an all-electric open-pit graphite mine in Quebec, Canada.

In terms of mine design, decoupling mines from diesel is not an easy task. This is due to the diverse range of technical and financial challenges in mining various deposits.

EY said: “Getting full value out of electrification requires a thorough consideration and understanding of the technology road map, in parallel with the strategic plan for the mine. The survey highlights the need for a phased implementation with a flexible design that provides for technology improvements of the future.”

And, lastly, mine electrification will require different worker skills as it enables other advanced technologies, requiring less maintenance and human intervention, according to EY.

“Analysis of the survey findings reveals there will be increasing demand for data and digital literacy skills across all phases of the mining value chain, as the human-to-machine interface evolves and becomes more prevalent,” the company said. “In developing economies, this means challenging the assumption that a mine provides employment only for people doing physical labour.”

Mitchell added: “It is important to start thinking about building agility into mine design to leverage the potential benefits in asset flexibility, lower ventilation requirements and the human footprint.

“The future of electrification in mines requires a paradigm shift in thinking – from existing known and proven technologies to new emerging technologies. We must realise that the challenges of the sector can be solved faster by collaboration – and a robust strategy, underpinned by gaining the right capabilities and an agile approach, is critical.”

CEEC announces new comminution energy curves team

Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , ,

The Coalition for Energy Efficient Comminution (CEEC) has announced a new team will steer its comminution energy curves into the next phase of development, following the move by project lead Dr Grant Ballantyne from research to industry.

Developed by Dr Ballantyne and Professor Malcolm Powell at The University of Queensland’s Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC), in collaboration with industry, the energy curves enable mines to benchmark the energy efficiency of their comminution circuits, according to CEEC. This helps communicate the significant value that can be harnessed by improvements in comminution efficiency across mine sites.

The new team, led by JKMRC Senior Research Fellow Dr Cathy Evans, has expertise across the mining value chain, with strengths in comminution and mineral processing, CEEC said. Dr Evans’ specialty is in understanding how ores respond in mineral processing circuits based on the behaviour of minerals in breakage, liberation and separation processes. In her current research, she is focused on applying her expertise in geometallurgical modelling.

“Having trained in the UK and worked as a metallurgist for more than 30 years, including at mines in South America and Australia, Dr Evans brings a global and practical industry perspective to her research and teaching,” CEEC said.

CEEC CEO, Alison Keogh, said: “The new team brings a wealth of experience and diverse skills and perspectives to enable further development of the energy curves in response to the needs of the mining industry.

“Dr Evans is well versed in the dynamics of the energy curves and is leading the liberation and recovery enhancement as part of the A$469,000 ($334,264) CEEC Advanced Energy Curves project, a two-year partnership between the Queensland Government; METS Ignited, an Australian Government Industry Growth Centre; and CEEC International.

“This project is enabling CEEC to deliver 10 practical enhancements to its suite of free energy curve tools and extend these enhancements into mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies. CEEC has already delivered enhancements around energy cost, ancillary equipment, different commodities, embodied energy, comminution circuit type and grinding size. Work is continuing on equipment variability, blasting impact, liberation and recovery, and global hardness approach.”

Keogh said the aim of the energy curves was to help the mining industry improve the energy efficiency of its comminution circuits. She said CEEC had an extensive online library of case studies that demonstrated these improvements.

“The energy curves also enable industry leaders to canvas the best improvement options for their particular operating environment and to compare alternatives,” she said.

“We encourage miners, METS companies and researchers to use these free tools and to share their success stories with us. This knowledge can help inform and drive more sustainable mining and processing practices across our industry.”

JKMRC is part of UQ’s Sustainable Mineral Institute (SMI) and employs some of the world’s leading comminution experts. SMI Director Professor, Neville Plint, said: “Energy efficiency is one of the biggest issues facing the mining industry and we are delighted that this collaboration with industry will continue to develop under Dr Evans’ leadership.

“We invite industry to confidentially contribute mine operational data to the energy curves database and we welcome ideas and research collaborations for future enhancements to the existing suite of energy curves.”

Keogh thanked Dr Ballantyne for his outstanding work in developing the foundation energy curves and leading the recent enhancements.

“Dr Ballantyne was instrumental in the development of the foundation energy curves, managing and building the associated database, and leading interactive workshop sessions on the application of the curves. He also harnessed significant industry input and led six new enhancements, developing the energy curves to become a trusted, global benchmarking and improvement tool,” she said.

Tailings monitoring could go autonomous, Mining3 says

Automation, Communications in mining, Environmental, Mine surveying, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Water management, , , , , , ,

Mining3 says it and The University of Queensland, in conjunction with the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP), are currently in the process of building prototype autonomous sensors for the constant monitoring of tailings and spoil storage facilities.

The Australia-based company said: “Tailings impoundments are one of the largest man-made structures on earth and ensuring their integrity for the safety of human life, the environment and property are critical in today’s mining operations. Past and recent catastrophic tailings dam failures have placed an urgent need for improved waste disposal, storage processes and monitoring capabilities.”

Currently, the integrity of the tailings dam infrastructure is monitored by mining staff walking along the, potentially unstable, perimeter and visually inspecting the exterior. Piezometer-like devices are also placed throughout dams to measure changes in liquid pressure. “Combined, these methods provide subjective data that cannot deliver an ongoing and accurate assessment of the integrity of these waste storage facilities,” Mining3 said. “Without a reasonable assessment of these large structures, there is no way to identify if or when one might fail.”

With a web of small, interconnected sensors spread across a tailings dam or spoil dump, Mining3 says accurate measurements in the change of water pressure or movement in the soil can be delivered to the surface in real-time. “This provides up to date readings of environmental factors that can affect overall wall stability, limiting the need for staff on the ground,” the company added.

Mining 3 and the university’s research will also delve into identifying indicators and precursors to failures, in relation to data collected from these sensors. “This could revolutionise the understanding of these storage facilities. By understanding the causation, steps can then be taken to minimise risk in the future,” Mining3 said.

“The current project addresses key industry outcomes surrounding safety and the removal of personnel from hazardous situations such as those involved in ground stability, the investigation of material properties and their implications in the design and functionality of a dump site, and the investigation into aspects of effective mine closure and the long term impacts associated with tailings dams and spoil dumps.”