Discrete Simulations in Analyzing the Effectiveness of Raw Materials Transportation during Extraction of Low-Quality Deposits

Zbigniew Krysa, Przemysław Bodziony and Michał Patyk
Additional contact information
Zbigniew Krysa: Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, Wroclaw University of Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Przemysław Bodziony: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Cracow, Poland
Michał Patyk: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Cracow, Poland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 18, 1-19

Abstract: The article presents an analysis of the influence of selected operating environment parameters on the operation of a technological system in a mine and examines the profitability of exploiting a deposit of low quality. A model based on a cyclical transportation system in a surface limestone mine, developed in the Haulsim software, served to evaluate—from an economic perspective—several material transportation scenarios depending on the quality of the deposit. A discrete simulation of machine operation allowed a detailed analysis of the technological, operating and economic parameters for selected solutions. The results may be the basis for a decision to begin or to resign from mineral extraction. The simulation results demonstrate that maintaining the operating environment in good technical condition positively influences machine operating cycle times, the required total time of the transportation task and the operating costs. The analysis was performed for the production period of one full year, allowing for the effective work and technological downtimes. This approach allowed the usefulness of the model to be demonstrated in evaluating not only the effectiveness of individual technological procedures but also its economic aspect, related to a decision on the exploitation of “difficult” deposits.

Keywords: discrete event simulation; quarry; mine machine; cost of production (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 (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5884/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/18/5884/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:18:p:5884-:d:637429

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().