Multistage dynamic optimisation of ore flow for underground metal mines

ABSTRACT

The purpose of transportation dispatching in underground mines is to achieve efficient connection and operation cycles between different stopes while ensuring efficient ore transportation from stopes to a mill. The transportation system of large underground mines is a typical complex transportation network with large-scale transportation equipment, which involves both continuous and batch transportation succession and the blending of ore with different grades. The equipment dispatching has an important impact on the ore flow rate, grade, and transportation costs. Therefore, the ore flow needs to be optimally controlled from the perspective of multistage dynamic ore blending. A new model is presented to optimise the ore transportation process considering the ore flow rate, grade, equipment, and transportation network constraints, which aims at minimising transportation costs. The model is verified through a case study of the Sanshandao gold mine in China.

KEYWORDS:

• Underground metal mines
• multistage dynamic optimisation
• ore flow
• transportation dispatching

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Jie Hou, upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2022YFC2903905), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52074022).