Advanced technology and development approach of automatic underground mining of metal deposits

1. Progress of underground automatic mining technology

Since the mid-late 1980s, Noranda Technology Center in Canada, based on the prototype design of the University of Montreal laboratory, began the research and development of automatic mining technology, and developed a variety of automatic equipment for underground mining of metal deposits. Including LHD (scraper) and truck optical navigation system, LHD remote control auxiliary loading system, LHD automatic walking system, etc. [2]. These technologies and systems were first introduced in the mid-1990s by STAS at the Bell Allard mine in Noranda and at the Brunswick Mine, where 70% of ore production was achieved by automated mining. At one point, the latter reached 80%. [3] In 2001, Noranda also piloted the automated mining system SIAM on some of its stope transport trucks at the Brunswick mine with promising results [4]. Noranda's automated mining technology and system can be used independently in different mining conditions, or in a centralized cluster multi-vehicle remote control system, which is better adapted to the actual needs of Noranda's multiple mines, different production scales and complex ore body conditions.

In the early 1990s, Helsinki University of Technology in Finland adopted a 5-year "Smart Mine Technology" program in the form of industry-university cooperation to carry out research on automatic mining technology. The content includes the information and data acquisition technology of the whole mine, high-speed bidirectional real-time monitoring communication technology, computerized information management and production planning control technology, automatic mining and equipment remote control technology, and the communication interface technology between these technical systems and public information network. The results of this research programme were applied in the subsequent three-year "Smart mine" implementation programme and in the design and production of the Kemi chrome ore at Outokumpu Oy [5,6].

In 1994, Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) launched the Mining Robotics Research Project to develop sophisticated sensing systems and advanced remote control systems for mining and loading operations. CSIRO has developed a Rotary Assist (DSA) system for "cruise" operation of the dragline and a Digital Surface Model (DTM) for accurate unloading of the dragline; An LHD automatic control system for underground mining has also been developed. The technology has been commercialized by Caterpillar to form the MINEGEMTM system, and the LHD equipped with this technology is called Smart Loader [7,8].

In 1996, Inco of Canada, Tamrock of Finland and Dyno of Norway launched a Mining Automation Initiative (MAP), investing US $22.7 million to develop, demonstrate and commercialize automated mining technologies. The purpose is to effectively develop the deep or difficult mining mineral resources, reduce the ineffective working hours such as shift change and entering and leaving the mine, improve labor productivity, reduce operating costs, and ensure the safety of miners. The program is supported by Natural Resources Canada's Mining and Mineral Sciences Laboratory (CANMET-MMSL) with a matching grant of $3.5 million and project management by the laboratory. Experts have studied the effects of diesel engine operating conditions, blowdown, underground blasting and diesel exhaust gas on unmanned mining operations under hypoxia conditions in mines, the climatic conditions of unmanned mines and their effects on the productivity of infrared remote control equipment, and the response mechanism of surrounding rock to mining, etc. [9,10].

Inco further developed new automatic mining technologies in advanced communication system, mining equipment positioning and navigation system, robot excavation and mining, advanced technology and monitoring, including remote control technology of underground LHD, drilling rig and other mobile equipment, and applied them in Stobie Mine and Creighton mine. He became a pioneer in underground mining automation [11,12]. The company applied discrete event simulation technology and QUEST simulation system to study the influence of remote control LHD running speed and control strategy on LHD productivity under a given transportation mode, taking into account LHD process parameters including loading time, unloading time, heavy vehicle running speed, empty vehicle running speed, LHD full load factor, etc. The influence of factors such as the number of LHD units operated by remote control operators at the same time, stope transportation distance and operator quality on LHD idle time, waiting time and productivity was analyzed [13]. Discrete event simulation technology and WITNESS simulation system were used to study the perforating and blasting system in the automatic mining process model [14]. In cooperation with Laurentian University, the Auto Mod simulation system was applied to study the interaction between mining methods and remote control equipment, including the interaction between perforation, blasting, loading and mining sequence [15].