An integrated model of an open-pit coal mine: improving energy efficiency decisions

作者：Patterson S R; Kozan E; Hyland P

来源：International Journal of Production Research, 2016, 54(14): 4213-4227.

DOI：10.1080/00207543.2015.1117150

• integrated model
• mixed integer linear programming
• energy efficiency
• open-pit coal mining
• decision support

This article contributes an original integrated model of an open-pit coal mine for supporting energy-efficient decisions. Mixed integer linear programming is used to formulate a general integrated model of the operational energy consumption of four common open-pit coal mining subsystems: excavation and haulage, stockpiles, processing plants and belt conveyors. Mines are represented as connected instances of the four subsystems, in a flow sheet manner, which are then fitted to data provided by the mine operators. Solving the integrated model ensures the subsystems' operations are synchronised and whole-of-mine energy efficiency is encouraged. An investigation on a case study of an open-pit coal mine is conducted to validate the proposed methodology. Opportunities are presented for using the model to aid energy-efficient decision-making at various levels of a mine, and future work to improve the approach is described.

• 出版日期2016