Interactive computer modelling of draglines

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

P.W. UDO GRAEFE, Senior Research Officer, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

An interactive computer model of a dragline, windrow and spoil pile has been developed for modelling oil sands mining operations. The model is to be used in conjunction with models of other oil sands mining equipment, such as bucket-wheel excavators and reclaimers, conveyors, hoppers, bins, trucks and shovels, to study mining operations on a minute-by-minute basis. From the orebody description and mining selectivity, layers of ore and reject are determined and mined by the dragline. Reject is dumped on the pit floor; ore is either dumped on a windrow for later removal by a bucket-wheel reclaimer or directly dumped into a hopper feeding a conveyor. The model allows for the presence of pads as a dragline base, key cuts and a number of interruptions to the mining operation such as shift changes, boom checks, engineering services, repairs, delays, preventative maintenance, etc. A CRT display keeps the model operator informed about equipment status and performance. The model operator can direct the course of the simulation by issuing commands to the model at any time during the simulation.

Keywords: Equipment, Modelling, Computers, Draglines, Windrows, Spoil piles, Oil sands, Open-pit mining, Strip mining.