Substantiating Systems of Open-Pit Mining

Equipment in the Context of Specific Cost

V. I. Symonenko, Jamil Sami Haddad,

O. V. Cherniaiev, V. O. Rastsvietaiev &
M. O. Al-Rawashdeh

Journal of The Institution of

Engineers (India): Series D
Metallurgical & Materials and Mining
Engineering

ISSN 2250-2122
Volume 100
Number 2

J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. D (2019)

100:301-305
DOI 10.1007/s40033-019-00185-2

1 23
Your article is protected by copyright and all
rights are held exclusively by The Institution
of Engineers (India). This e-offprint is for
personal use only and shall not be self-
archived in electronic repositories. If you wish
to self-archive your article, please use the
accepted manuscript version for posting on
your own website. You may further deposit
the accepted manuscript version in any
repository, provided it is only made publicly
available 12 months after official publication
or later and provided acknowledgement is
given to the original source of publication
and a link is inserted to the published article
on Springer's website. The link must be
accompanied by the following text: "The final
publication is available at link.springer.com”.

1 23
 Author's personal copy
J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. D (July–December 2019) 100(2):301–305
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40033-019-00185-2
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION
Substantiating Systems of Open-Pit Mining Equipment
in the Context of Specific Cost
V. I. Symonenko1 . Jamil Sami Haddad2 . O. V. Cherniaiev3 . V. O. Rastsvietaiev4 . M. O. Al-Rawashdeh2
Received: 2 October 2018 / Accepted: 3 April 2019 / Published online: 9 April 2019
Ó The Institution of Engineers (India) 2019
Abstract The purpose of the paper is to substantiate
optimum mechanization systems of extraction and trans-
portation equipment in terms of unit costs while open-pit
mining of nonmetallic deposits. Statistical and analytical
methods were applied to obtain the results; they were used
to analyse the systems of open-pit extraction and trans-
portation equipment. A technique to determine specific
power intensity of operations by the equipment systems in
the course of production processes and their processing into
the end product has been represented. Possibility to use
specific power intensity of operations while planning and
developing the open-pit mining method has been proved in
terms of assessment of extraction–loading–transportation
equipment operating in nonmetallic open pits. The
obtained results follow through with the conclusions con-
cerning the use of wheel loaders in the context of mining
enterprises. The proposed universal criteria for evaluation
can be used as the index of energy consumption of open-pit
extraction and transportation systems in the context of
calculation techniques while designing and planning a
technology of open-pit mineral mining and their processing
into the end product. The criterion can be used expediently
& Jamil Sami Haddad
drjamil@bau.edu.jo
1
Department of Opencast Mining, Dnipro University of
Technology, Dnipro, Ukraine
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of
Engineering Technology, Al-Balqa Applied University,
Amman, Jordan
3
Department of Mining Enterprises Design, Dnipro University
of Technology, Dnipro, Ukraine
4
Department of Transport System and Technologies, Dnipro
University of Technology, Dnipro, Ukraine
while selecting the rational facilities in the links of mining-
processing complexes used industrially in terms of open-pit
mining of mineral raw materials.
Keywords Mechanization systems 
Open-pit mining and transportation equipment 
Unit costs
Introduction
Economic categories are traditionally applied while
selecting technological equipment for production processes
taking place in open-pit mining (i.e. mining and loading,
transportation, reloading, dumping and other operations).
Any equipment engaged in the processes is assessed
according to the minimum of operational costs in the
context of planned capital investment, maximum profits,
total discounted technical and economic performance,
efficiency of capital investment, etc. Since the majority of
open-pit equipment systems have electric drives and diesel-
engine drives, it has been proposed as an alternative to
assess them according to the indices of either annual or
specific values of consumption of electric power or other
resources being consumed: combustible and lubrication
materials; and man-hours per maintenance of equipment
[1–6]. However, such resources are measured with the help
of different values being hardly comparable in the process
of assessment of variants under consideration: electric
energy is measured by means of kilowatt-hours; com-
bustible and lubrication materials (CLMs) are measured by
means of tons, kilograms; labour resources are measured
by means of man-hours. Assessment of open-pit equipment
systems to mine, load and transport rocks should involve
the following: mining and loading operations are
123
 Author's personal copy
302 J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. D (July–December 2019) 100(2):301–305

performed either by means of excavators or front wheel regeneration [8]. The necessity to keep to environmental
loaders. As a rule, the former are assessed in terms of aspects of mining involving the progress of Clean High
electric energy consumption; the formers—in terms of Technologies while developing deposits of various nature
CLMs consumption. Transportation of rock is assessed taking into consideration methods of their development [9].
similarly: railway and conveyor transport are equipped Consider specific expenditures being components of
with electric drives, and motor transport is equipped with energy intensity of complete process from mining and
diesel-engine drives. Comparison of energy resources and processing of a mineral to end product:
fuel resources consumption according to the above-men- !
X n X
n
tioned indices will not be proportional to each other due to xe ¼ xe:i þ xeon:i ð1Þ
the fact that their market values are different; moreover, i¼1 i¼1
they vary differently, i.e. with no proportion to each other. Pn
where i¼1 xe:i are total
P energy consumptions of ith
production process; and ni¼1 xeon:i are total labour costs
Formulation of the Problem
of ith production process
It is known from scientific sources that index of specific Xn
xe:i ¼ xed þ xeB þ xeH þ xem þ xec þ xep þ xesu
energy intensity of technological processes is xe (kWh/ i¼1
m3(t)) [4]. It is proposed to the index as the criterion to ð2Þ
assess rational equipment systems engaged in mining.
Originality of the criterion is as follows: all resources where xed , xeB , xeH , xem , xec , xep and xesu are specific
consumed for technological process are reduced to one- energy intensity of drilling, blasting crush, mining and
dimensional value. In this context, a variation in which loading, transportation, crushing and rock mass grading,
xe ! min is rational. In other words, specific consumption respectively, to obtain end product and specific energy
of electric energy, mechanical energy and thermal energy consumption during service utility operations, kWh/
as well as labour consumptions per product unit will be m3(kWh/t) or MJ/m3 (MJ/t).
minimal in the context of rational technological process. To reduce the index of labour resources to a comparable
type, apply a ratio of equivalent energy consumed by a
Objective of the Paper human per hour in the context of long-term work [10]. It is
recommended to be equal to 0.05 7 0.0735 kW/h. Then,
It is to assess mining–loading–transportation equipment for the cost of human labour concerning the equipment
nonmetallic open pits of solid minerals while their com- maintenance and production process control will corre-
paring on the criterion of specific energy capacities con- spond to the energy consumption:
sumed in the process of mining, loading and transportation 1 X n
of rocks. The above-mentioned provisions stipulated the xeon:i ¼  Tpi ð0:050  0:073Þ; ð3Þ
VeMC i¼1
actuality of such rational equipment systems substantiation.
where VeMC is the volume of rock mass processed by
Statement of the Basic Material excavator (or other mechanism) during a year, m3 (t); Tpi is
annual labour costs to perform ith process of mining
Open-pit mining is connected with the effect of technical operations in open pit, man-hours; n is the number of
means and a human on rock mass. To make the perfor- mining operations in open pit being assessed during the
mance of the equipment efficient and safe, it is necessary to analysis.
mine a mineral with the consideration of methods meeting In the context of the studies, components of expression
following requirements: minimum land disturbance; use of (2) are determined according to the formulas [9].
environmentally friendly equipment for open-pit mining;
use of modern methods for dust control and dust suppres- For Mining and Loading Equipment
sion in the process of the activities; maximum use of me 
P 
worked-out areas of open pits and maximum extraction of   Pem:i  qmm;i  jt
Ne  ne  jn  jen Tep þ Ten
minerals; use of modern blasting methods and means to xeH ¼ þ i¼1 ;
minimize emission of dust and gas matters, seismic effect VeMC  g VeMC
and explosive wave on the neighbouring objects [7]; use of ð4Þ
rational transportation schemes minimizing specific energy
where Ne is nominal power of a network electric engine,
intensity of rock mass haulage [1, 2]; well-timed recla-
kW; ne is the number of operating excavators equipped
mation and revitalization of disturbed land up to environ-
with electric drive, units; jn is a coefficient of electric
mentally expedient territorial landscape and its

123
 Author's personal copy
J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. D (July–December 2019) 100(2):301–305
engine use in terms of its power; jen is a coefficient
involving network losses as well as electric power losses
for additional needs; g is the engine efficiency in the
context of its average duty; Tep , Ten are running time of
excavator in a stope and its movement to a new entry way
during a year, hours; Pem:i is volume of interrelation of ith
type consumed by excavator (or some other mechanism)
per year, kg; qmm:i is specific thermal value of a kilogram of
ith type of combustible and lubrication materials, kJ/kg; jt
is equivalent coefficient of thermal energy conversion in
electric one which may be generated in the process of fuel
combustion in power boilers, kWh/kJ; me is the number of
types of combustible and lubrication materials being con-
sumed in the process of mining-loading operations.
For Motor Transport to Move Rock Mass
Pme
2L  ga  qmm  jB  jt ðPem:i  qmm:i  jt Þ
xem ¼ þ i¼1 ; They have been calculated according to available tech-
qa  100 VeMC
ð5Þ
where L is average weighted distance to move rock mass,
km; ga is specific normative consumption of diesel fuel per
100 km of haulage of a dumping truck, kg; jB is average
coefficient of a dumping truck capacity use; qa is nominal
capacity of a dumping truck, t.
The required service utility energy consumption to
provide mining operations in open pit, namely extracting,
loading and transportation operations in open pit, is cal-
culated as follows being based upon fuel consumed for
different service utility needs while maintaining ith pro-
duction process:
1  
xesu ¼ Pon  qmn  jt þ Nmp  Tmp þ Nnp  Tnp ; ð6Þ
VeMC
where Pon is consumed fuel, kg; qmn is specific thermal
value of a kg of fuel burned up in boilers within the open
pit, kJ/kg; Nmp and Nnp are, respectively, capacities of
electric devices for heating of mobile premises and other
utility processes aimed at the maintenance of ith production
process, kW; Tmp and Tnp are duration of annual periods
when electric devices are connected in amenity rooms for
heating and production services, hours.
To assess mining and loading equipment on the
expression (3) according to xe ! min criterion, it is
required to refer to the conditions of nonmetallic mineral
deposits mining. The minerals occur almost in each region
of the country; the number of deposits is more than 7000.
Crawler excavators with 1.675 m3 buckets and electric
and diesel-engine drives are the basic equipment in non-
metallic open pits where solid minerals (dolomites, lime-
stones, granites, andesites, basalts, gneisses, migmatites,
diorites, sandstones, etc.) are extracted. During the last
303
decade, front wheel loaders with 2–6 m3 bucket capacity
become more and more popular at such enterprises. The
paper has studied mining and loading operations with the
use of excavators of following types: E-1602 (q = 1.6 m3),
E-2503 (q = 2.5 m3), ERU-3.2 (q = 3.2 m3), ERU-4.6
(q = 4.6 m3) and ERU-5 (q = 5.0 m3).
Taking into consideration the above-mentioned for the
open pits systematized to their basic types [11–15] (ac-
cording to area, mining depth, working capacity and other
indices), interrelation between capacity of excavators
(Vevc) and such generalized criterion as specific energy
intensity (xee) to mine and load 1 m3 of rock mass has
been represented (Figs. 1, 2). Moreover (Vevc) interrelation
between combustible and lubrication materials being con-
sumed and labour resources (consumption of electric
energy (Wei) as well as combustible and lubrication mate-
rials (Pemi), and labour cost (Tpi) is also being considered.
niques used in industries.
Assuming the criterion of specific power intensity xe as
the most appropriate energy indicator, it has been assessed
according to a value of basic chain of such open-pit
equipment systems as mining, loading, and transportation.
Papers [6, 16] have described studies and developed
dependences of maximum transportation length of a min-
eral (Lnp) as well as dependence of specific energy con-
sumption upon the open pit depth (Hr) for the systematized
basic types of open pits [11–15].
Other studies consider chains of mining–loading–trans-
portation equipment corresponding to the criteria of envi-
ronmental safety and efficient use of resources in the
process of mining operations in typical open pits [13],
rational technological schemes to extract a mineral within a
steep layer being mined in the context of nonmetallic open
pits of solid minerals (relying upon basic open pits) while
Fig. 1 Graphs of interrelations between annual capacity Vevc and the
amount of We and Pemi resources consumed for mining and loading
operations in the context of nonmetallic open pits of basic types
123
 Author's personal copy
304
Fig. 2 Graphs of interrelations between annual capacity Vevc and the
amount of Tpi and xe resources consumed for mining and loading
operations in the context of nonmetallic open pits of basic types
delivering rock mass from the open pit, and transportation
technologies while substantiating vehicle types [14–16]:
1. q = 4.6–5 m3 excavators and dumping trucks with
40–43 t carrying capacity; and
2. Wheel loaders with q = 5.6–6.0 m3 bucket.
Within chains 2), wheel loader is applied as mining and
transportation equipment. To compare the equipment,
assumed range of transportation distances (L) is 0.4–5 km.
Conclusions
The obtained results confirm fully the conclusions con-
cerning the use of wheel loaders in the context of mining
enterprises of Europe and CIS [10]. Unified assessment
criterion as the index of energy consumption in the context
of open-pit mining and transportation systems, proposed by
us, may be used effectively in calculation techniques while
designing and planning open-pit mining of minerals and
their processing into the end product. The criterion is
applicable to determine rational equipment within the
chains of mining and mining-processing systems applied in
the context of open-pit mining.
Analysis of data cited in Figs. 1 and 2 makes it possible
to draw following conclusions: maximum electric energy
consumption results from use of excavators with
q = 3.2 m3; minimum consumption of combustible and
lubrication materials as well as man-hours results from the
use of excavators with q = 4.6 m3 and 5 m3; it is impos-
sible to draw clear conclusions relying upon the indices; in
terms of xe ! min criterion, electric excavators with
q = 1.6 and 4.6 m3 are the most efficient in open pits in
which output is up to 1.6 mln m3/year; if output is
123
J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. D (July–December 2019) 100(2):301–305
Fig. 3 Graphs of dependences of specific energy consumption,
loading and transportation of rock mass (xe) consumed by the chains
of equipment systems on transportation distance (L): 1—in terms of
mining–loading–transportation chain with wheel loaders; 2—in terms
of mining–loading–transportation chain with excavator ? dumping
trucks; I—in the context of open pits of 4th–7th types; II—in the
context of open pits of 1st–3rd types
1.6–2.0 mln m3/year, then excavators with q = 1.6 and
4.6 m3 are less energy intensive.
Analysis of xe ¼ f ðLÞ dependence (Fig. 3) helps
understand that wheel loaders are efficient at 0.4–1 km
distance, and excavator-motor vehicle chains of open-pit
equipment systems are efficient in terms of other consid-
ered transportation distances. In this context, wheel loaders
are efficient in terms of energy consumption in nonmetallic
open pits with small and average capacity when trans-
portation distances are L = 0.5 7 0.6 km. As for the high-
capacity open pits, the distances are L = 0.7 7 1 km.
Acknowledgements This research was partially supported by Al-
Balqa Applied University of Jordan and National Mining University
of Ukraine. We thank our colleagues from our institutions who pro-
vided insight and expertise that greatly assisted the research.
References
1. L.N. Shyrin, in Transportation Systems of Open Pits: Manual, ed.
by L.N. Shyrin, O.S. Prygunov, O.V. Denyshchenko. D.: State
HEI ‘‘NMU’’, p. 241 (2015)
2. A.V. Denyshchenko, in Technique to Assess Energy Consumption
of Rope Transportation Means, ed. by A.V. Denyshchenko, L.N.
Shyrin, O.O. Yurchenko Naukovyi Visnyk Natsionalnoho
Hirnychoho Universytetu. #4, pp. 464–469 (2012)
3. V.I. Simonenko, O.V. Chernyaev, L.S. Hrytsenko, P.R. Kor-
otkov, in Overload Finished Products Nonmetal Quarries in the
Main Transport Consumers, Collection of Research Papers of the
National Mining University. No 51, pp. 55–64 (2017)
4. V.A. Padukov, A.S. Chuprakov, A. Lysenko, I. Yu, in Energy
Analysis of Cyclical and Cyclical-and-Continuous Method to
Mine and Transportate Rock Mass in the Context of Granite
Open Pits//New Technique and Technology for Open Pits of
Nonferrous Metallurgy: Collection of Research Papers. L.:
Gipronikel, pp. 40–44 (1990)
5. N. Sarybayev, A. Drizhenko, O. Anisimov, A. Shustov, S.
Moldabayev, Z. Sultanbekova, Improving transshipping
 Author's personal copy
J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. D (July–December 2019) 100(2):301–305
equipment during implementation of combined truck-railway
transport, in 24th World Mining Congress, Mining in a World of
Innovation, Surface Mining, IBRAM, pp. 143–153 (2016)
6. V.I. Simonenko, O.V. Chernyaev, in Optimization of Application
of Technological Schemes for Transportation Mountain Mass at
the Development of Granite Deposits, Collection of Research
Papers of National Mining University. No 52, pp. 109–114 (2017)
7. O. Strilets, G. Pcholkin, Monitoring of mass blasting seismic
impact on residential buildings and constructions, in New
Developments in Mining Engineering 2015, CRC Press, Dor-
drecht, pp. 533–535 (2015)
8. A. Gorova, A. Pavlychenko, O. Borysovs’ka, L. Krups’ka, The
development of methodology for assessment of environmental
risk degree in mining regions, in Annual Scientific-Technical
Colletion—Mining of Mineral Deposits, CRC Press, Leiden,
pp. 207–209 (2013)
9. P.B. Saik, R.O. Dychkovskyi, V.G. Lozynskyi, Z.R. Malanchuk,
Y.Z. Malanchuk, in Revisiting the Underground Gasification of
Coal Reserves from Contiguous Seams, Naukovyi Visnyk Nat-
sionalnoho Hirnychoho Universytetu, No 6, pp. 60–66 (2016)
10. I.A. Tangaev, in Energy Consumption of Mining and Processing
of Minerals. M.: Nedra, 231 pp (1986)
11. O.V. Chernyaev, in Systematization of the Hard Rock Non-
metallic Mineral Deposits for Improvement of Their Mining
Technologies, Naukovyi Visnyk Natsionalnoho Hirnychoho
Universytetu, No 5, pp. 11–17 (2017)
12. V.I. Simonenko, O.V. Chernyaev, A.V. Mostika, in Systemati-
zation of Granite and Stone Open-Cast for the Study of Resource-
305
Saving Technologies for Their Development, Collection of
Research Papers of National Mining University, No 27, pp. 47–51
(2007)
13. V.I. Simonenko, O.V. Chernyaev, L.S. Hrytsenko, A.V. Pavly-
chenko, in Technological Aspects of Ecological Finalization of
Nonmetallic Career During Their Liquidation and Conservation,
Messenger of National University of Water Management and
Natural Resource Use: Collection of Scientific Papers—Rivne. #
2, pp. 148–158 (2016)
14. Develop technological backgrounds of environmental and
energy-efficient production while mining solid nonmetallic raw
material within sanitary protection zones. R&D report. State HEI
‘‘NMU’’. Headed by V.I. Symonenko. #LP 011U000532.
Dnipropetrovsk, 315 pp (2011)
15. V.I. Symonenko, A.V. Pavlychenk, O.V. Cherniaiev, L.S. Grit-
senko, Ecology saving technology of mineral deposit mining in
the conditions of the sanitary protection zone, in Annual Scien-
tific-Technical Collection—Mining of Mineral Deposits,
pp. 469–476 (2015)
16. V. Symonenko, O. Cherniaiev, L. Hrytsenko, Organization of
non-metallic deposits development by steep excavation layers.
Min. Miner. Depos. 10(4), 68–73 (2016)
Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to
jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
123