Generating of Electric Energy by a Declined Overburden Conveyor in a Continuous Surface Mine

Witold Kawalec and Robert Król
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Witold Kawalec: Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, Department of Mining, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Na Grobli 15, 50-421 Wroclaw, Poland
Robert Król: Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, Department of Mining, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Na Grobli 15, 50-421 Wroclaw, Poland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 13, 1-11

Abstract: Exploitation of lignite in continuous surface mines requires removing masses of overburden, which are hauled to a dumpsite. There are some technological arrangements where the overburden is transported several dozen meters down to a spreader operating on a lower located dumping level. Depending on an angle of a declined transportation route, there is a possibility to convert the potential gravitational energy of conveyed down overburden masses into electric energy. To recover the maximum percentage of stored energy, an energy-effective and fully loaded belt conveyor should work in a generator mode. Due to the implementation of such a solution, a lignite continuous surface mine, which is a great electric energy consumer, can obtain the status of an electricity prosumer and reduce its environmental impact, in particular demonstrating significant savings in primary energy consumption. Though lignite surface mining is phasing out in Europe, the recuperative, overburden conveyors for downhill transport match up the targets of sustainable mining, understood as getting the maximum benefits from the exploited natural resources. According to the analyzed case study, an investment into the installation of regenerative inverters for the electric power supply of the declined overburden conveyor would pay off within 3–4 years.

Keywords: belt conveyor; prosumer; downhill transport of overburden; specific energy consumption; recuperation; energy recovery rate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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