COMPUTER SIMULATION OF MATERIALS HANDLING IN OPEN PIT MINING

Special Research Report SR-56 This report undertakes to describe a truck haulage simulation model and how it may be applied to aid management in evaluating alternative pit haulage schemes and to reduce the risk involved in the selection and assignment of equipment in open-pit mining systems. Details are presented of the distribution scheme, formulation and interpretation of simulation model, and method of solution. The model using a computer, cycles trucks between their assigned shovel and discharge points over measured haulage routes. Required input parameters for model operation include the number of shifts to be simulated , operating time per shift, number and type of operating trucks and shovels, maximum truck acceleration and velocity, a vehicular deceleration rate , and the ratio of coal to total material loaded at each shovel . Equipment performance characterisitcs, system profile characteristics , and service time distributions are also necessary. Records are kept of all waiting times at loading and dumping points and of any interference on the haul roads, and a current journal of ore and waste production is maintained. The truck haulage simulator presented here was developed primarily to evaluate and assign equipment optimally in an open pit mine. However, three related problems of current interest to the mining industry are ammenable to solution by the model. These are : haulage road construction; load weights ; and haul road maintenance.