The feasibility of transitioning from diesel-powered machines to battery-electric equipment is a key topic as mining companies embrace initiatives to decarbonize their operations. Many equipment manufacturers have committed to developing battery-powered versions of mining equipment fleets. Some companies even offer diesel-to-battery conversion kits for select equipment. Various trials are ongoing as mining companies transition to electrification, but there are still no best-fit guidelines and practices that can be applied across the board to allow any operation to convert to a battery-electric approach with ease.
Modelling and simulation allow us to replicate the proposed operating practices of a real system by using statistical descriptions of the activities involved. Traditional models include deterministic approaches for components of an operation, but fail to account for changes in operating conditions and interactions between equipment. Including random variability allows a model to simulate responses of the system to varying conditions over time. Discrete event models track the activity and behavior of each individual component of the dynamic system in response to specific events and activities.
Discrete event simulations are the preferred approach for modelling complex systems like mining operations because they capture the dynamic interactions between components of the system, including actual operating parameters like competition for resources, queuing, traffic, variable process times, random breakdowns, sporadic events, and changing operating conditions over time.
One of the main concerns is how battery-electric performance will compare to the established diesel approach. Simulations can be used to quantify the performance of both equipment types by defining the impacts of equipment parameters to predict fleet requirements. With battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), there is the additional consideration of recharging the battery. The impact of roadway grades and operating conditions on battery depletion ought to be evaluated to understand where to best place charging stations. Different operating configurations and strategies can be tested to determine the best strategy for leveling the power load required to charge batteries during a shift or day.
The overall goal of this simulation approach is to quantify the benefits of battery-electric technologies, identify opportunities for improvement and changes, mitigate bottlenecks, and improve financial forecasting. All factors can be tested without disrupting the existing mining sites or can be applied to future projects to make process and design decisions needed to implement battery-electric technologies.
Discrete event simulations are an ideal tool to test BEV concepts thoroughly and validate the proposed effectiveness of the system prior to decision making and implementation. No two mines are identical, and discrete event modelling provides a digitized study tailor-made for each operation. As the mining industry transitions into a new phase of battery-electric operations, simulation work allows us to determine how to best implement battery power.
