underground ore Movement 1289

production rate is relatively high and the transport distance is Operating costs will rise for conveyors as the complexity
significant. In certain applications, belt conveyor systems are of the system increases with depth as a result of the addition
selected for other reasons. For example, short conveyors are of lifts and transfer points. This does not necessarily favor
employed underground to optimize feed control to a loading selection of shaft haulage over a conveyor system because
pocket and prevent a run of fines from reaching the shaft. other factors must be considered. Examples of aspects to be
Elements in a conveyor haulage subsystem can include considered are horizontal transportation distances, confidence
in geotechnical prediction for shaft and conveyor decline
• Feed chute of dimensions appropriate for the material
options, and other functional requirements of the mine. The
received,
actual selection of a haulage strategy for a large, deep mine
• Belt to support the material and to transfer tractive forces
will require evaluation of the trade-offs in risks and opportuni-
to the material,
ties identified by the various options available.
• Idlers to support the belt,
• Pulleys to resist belt tensions at changes of direction,
limits of Application
• Drives to provide driving and braking force,
The slope of a high lift conveyor group is limited by the slope
• Take-up rollers to provide belt tension for no slip at the
of the decline/incline development in which the conveyor is
drives and for belt sag control, and
installed. This is normally in the range of 1:5.3 to 1:5.4 (10.5°
• Discharge or transfer chute.
to 10.7°) where the development is carried out using con-
Maintenance equipment at the haulage subsystem will typi- ventional rubber-tired equipment. Length and lift are limited
cally include by the belt carcass construction and the strength of the belt
splice. The choice of belt construction is also limited by the
• Monorails and/or cranes at drives and pulleys for change-
troughability of the belt. Troughability is the ratio of the cross-
out or repair,
belt sag to belt width and generally decreases with increasing
• Belt clamps to resist belt tensions when installing or
carcass strength.
maintaining the belt (spring applied, hydraulic release,
tested for holding capacity),
future Applications
• Belt reel handling facilities, and
Advances in future designs will be fundamentally linked to
• Belt splicing/repair facilities.
the load-carrying capacity of available belt constructions and
splice designs. Advances in conveyor technology continue to
integration Aspects
ensure success of conveyor systems in mass underground min-
When considering the conveyor components of the materials-
ing applications, including improved drive control equipment,
handling system, consideration should be given to the
belt condition monitoring, improved splice designs for higher
upstream and downstream buffers. The upstream buffer in
strength and longer life, and improved chute designs.
most operations will be the storage capacity of crushed mate-
rial available for conveyor feed. In typical crushing/conveying
RAil hAulAge SySTeMS
configurations this may be in the form of fine ore stocks within
Although belt conveying remains the dominant underground
dedicated stockpiles or storage bins. The downstream buffer
haulage system in coal mines, rail haulage continues to be
may be underground storage at transfer points to the next step
favored in large tonnage (>5 Mt/a), long-life underground
in the materials-handling system or surface stockpile storage
metalliferous operations.
capacity.
Haulage by rail can be limited to ore and/or waste haul-
age, or can include integrated rail systems for transportation
Technology
of personnel, materials, and supplies throughout the mine.
Advances in belt technology and particularly the development
Although the following discussion focuses only on the haul-
of stronger belt carcasses support the potential for further
age of ore and waste from production areas to the hoisting
increases in capacity of inclined conveyor haulage systems.
system, it includes the consideration of interactions with other
Vertical conveyors and hydraulic hoisting represent two
rail system users where required.
potential technologies for haulage from underground mines.
Prior to the emergence of trackless or rubber-tired mobile
The attraction of vertical conveying is due to the com-
equipment in underground mining in the 1960s and 1970s,
bination of a small footprint, continuous process, and over-
rail or tracked haulage systems were predominant. Many of
all energy efficiency. Limiting factors for vertical conveyors
today’s rail haulage mining operations remain a legacy of that
include tensile strength of the steel cored belts, safety of belt
period. With improved productivity and performance of die-
splices, and required production rate (Pratt 2008). Current pre-
sel mobile equipment and belt conveyors into the 1980s, this
cedence for the application of vertical or high-angle convey-
equipment has grown in popularity and application as signifi-
ors in a mining context is limited to a few hundred meters.
cant methods of underground haulage. However, rail haulage
Other special types of belt conveyors include extendable
continues to offer competitive operating cost, productivity,
systems, cable belts, and high-angle belts. To date, these spe-
and throughput benefits over a range of applications in many
cial conveyor types have had few applications in hard-rock
underground mining settings.
mines.
Rail haulage systems consist of three primary types
defined by their power supply: diesel, battery electric, and
Conveyor Costs
overhead trolley electric. A diverse range of systems are used
Conveyor haulage systems are considered high in capital and
around the world, from small-scale selective mines producing
low in operating cost compared with truck haulage. Generally,
less than 100 ktpa to the largest bulk mining operations pro-
shaft haulage options attract higher capital costs and margin-
ducing greater than 20 Mt/a.
ally lower operating costs for a similar-scale operation.