All electric operation of ultraclass mining haul trucks

A typical mining facility uses off-road mining trucks to haul materials, such as coal, ore, and overburden from the pit to a stockpile where the material can be stored or processed. A conventional haul truck operates with diesel engine, adding considerable fuel expenses to the entire mining operation. The haul trucks are required to have fast speed especially for uphill condition with large haulage capacity in order to satisfy the productivity requirement. The main objective of designing a haul truck is to reduce the cost per ton of hauled material. Generally, this can be achieved by improving the system efficiency, reducing the maintenance, and making larger trucks. The electric haul trucks have these advantages due to elimination of the mechanical conversion. The efficiency can be further improved by operating the truck “all electric” and reduce fuel consumption. This paper discusses an application to utilize the regenerative energy and operation of the truck on trolley assist. The paper highlights the benefits for the customer as a result of the proposed technology, thereby providing the mining industry enough economic motivation for adopting the new technology.