Interactive computer modelling of conveyor systems

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 75, No. 847, 1982

A.W. CHAN, National Research Council of Canada Ottawa, Ontario

An interactive computer simulation model of conveyor systems used in oil sands mining has been developed to aid in the selection of mining equipment and the evaluation of operating policies. The materials handling links between supply points, such as bucket-wheel excavators and draglines, and demand points such as bins and extraction plants are modelled in such a way that the conveyor model can be interfaced with any combination of these equipment submodels. Detailed calculations of the power demand of each conveyor section based on operating characteristics and conveyor design parameters are included to permit the close monitoring of energy requirements. Various interactive features are incorporated so that an operator can not only monitor, but also control, the mining operations in the model and experiment with different operating strategies.

Keywords: Equipment, Modelling, Computers, Conveyors, Oil sands, Materials handling, Simulation.