Professional Documents
Culture Documents
net/publication/296217325
CITATION READS
1 595
2 authors, including:
SEE PROFILE
All content following this page was uploaded by Fred Christopher Delabbio on 18 June 2020.
G
I
I
G
New tunnel boring machine
accelerates tunnel construction
in deep mining operations
A
s openpit copper operations transition from surface Fig 1
mines to underground, the speed of underground Robbins MM130 (Willoughby, 1993).
infrastructure construction prior to production is
critical for maximizing the value of the project. Typically,
the preferred underground bulk mining method is block
caving.
In preparation for future underground projects, Rio
Tinto made the strategic decision to invest in a step-change
program that would develop system solutions to reduce the
construction time of block caves. The program focused on
improving safety and doubling or more the construction
speed of both vertical shafts and horizontal infrastructure
compared to existing drill-and-blast rates.
After an extensive selection process, Rio Tinto selected
the Atlas Copco mobile miner machine as one of the
concepts to proceed with for construction of horizontal
infrastructure for access and footprint. In addition to un-
derground drilling and hauling equipment, Atlas Copco’s Copco mobile miner machine technology.
Robbins mobile miner concept (a previous attempt at Tunnels have been excavated by drill-and-blast, tunnel
horizontal mechanical excavation) completed trials at boring machine (TBM) methods and, on rare occasions,
Mount Isa, Pasminco and Taisei. other mechanical methods. TBMs are considered advan-
Rio Tinto selected the new Atlas Copco mobile miner tageous for high speed tunneling. TBM’s provide a higher
machine concept for a number of reasons including the advance rate, a very smooth profile and a careful excavation,
use of proven technology from the three previous mobile reducing demands for rock support. The drawbacks for a
miner machines and other commercial products, as well as TBM include the cost of the machine, its limited ability to
the ability to install complete ground support typical with change profile as well as difficulties handling small curve
high rock stress conditions at approximately 1,500 to 2,000 radii. These are all aspects in which drill-and-blast has a
m (4,900 to 6,500 ft) depth. number of advantages. The TBM profile has strengths and
Atlas Copco, with support from Rowa, the Swiss weaknesses. The arched roof is a benefit, but the nonflat
company that specializes in back up systems for tunnel invert is not ideal for all applications. Cutting crosscuts and
boring machines (TBM), is advancing the detail design of branching is difficult with TBMs, and normally requires
the access version of a tunneling system on behalf of Rio extensive, extra measures. The choice between the two
Tinto. Because of the different requirements between an methods is, therefore, a complex exercise involving many
excavation system for access tunnels and that for tunnels different parameters and complex calculations.
on the footprint, two different versions of the mobile miner Based on performance estimates and observed real
machine technology were performance, a “brutal tool” is sometimes used for an initial
envisioned. The access and quick selection of the preferred tunneling method for a
the footprint versions of the normal tunnel with length L (m), diameter D (m) and rock
Sverker Hartwig and Atlas Copco mobile miner compressive strength UCS (Pa). It was found that when
Fred Delabbio machine share a major-
ity of key technologies and
using the simple formula: Q = L/ (D* 3√UCS), if the result
is a value larger than 1.5, then the TBM method has to be
Sverker Hartwig is vice president systems. Therefore, it was considered the prime candidate. If the result of the formula
Technology for Atlas Copco Construction possible to conduct a perfor- was below 1.5, then the drill-and-blast method would be
mance confirmation test us- better. The result, Q, is a sort of feasibility index, but this is
and Mining Technique, Fred Delabbio, ing a full-scale version of the just a first suggestion that must be verified through a more
member SME, is general manager access machine that would detailed analysis.
innovation - underground, Rio Tinto, also mitigate the technical Using this formula with all of its limitations, one can
Brisbane, Australia e-mail Fred. risks for the footprint ver-
sion. To alleviate confusion,
still find some conclusions. Obviously, tunnel length is
important. Capital cost is also important, as are startup
delabbio@riotinto.com, Sverker. this article focuses on the time and the first months of typical “running in” low per-
Hartwig@se.atlascopco.com. access version of the Atlas formance of a TBM tunnel. The negative influence of the
G
I
I
G
diameter can be explained in different ways. One obvious Fig 2
way is that the cutterhead speed has to be reduced with Mini machine tunnel, circa 1970.
increasing diameters, leading to fewer meters per hour of
advance. The influence of the rock strength is remarkable.
In this formula, its weight has been reduced by the “cubic
root” function. In essence, this means that “rock hardness”
is not the “one and only” determination factor. It also points
to the fact that a hard rock TBM can cut almost any type
of hard rock, even rock as hard as 300 MPa. This is unlike
some other mechanical methods, like roadheaders, where
there is a clear limit, never to be exceeded. There may ex-
ist different opinions of exactly where the limit for road
headers is; 80,100 or 120 MPa.
july 2010_Layout 1 6/14/2010 12:47 PM Page 1
The length and diameter of the tunnel are also im-
portant. But would a number of shorter tunnels, more or
less at the same place, do the trick? Yes, but only with the
assumption that the TBM could move by itself to the next
section, in a matter of hours or days. A reasonable tunnel
size, less than 6 m (20 ft), would be ideal. Therefore, a mine
would be the perfect marketplace because there are many
tunnels, not too big, difficult rock and high stresses.
To accomplish this, a machine would have to be able to
change profile; make a flat invert; be able to back up after
ground support was installed and tunnel closure completed;
be able to make small radius curves; do cross cuts, travel by Start of the dream
itself; be easy to launch with shaft access; and also maintain The dream, as such, may very well have been around
a large part of TBM speed and gentleness to adjacent rock. for hundreds of years. In the dream, the hope for a continu-
In short, this is the basis for the “mobile miner dream.” ous mole, that is controlled remotely, with limited ventila-
STOUT
Offering a single-source supply
of all mine hoisting plant services
Locomotives
Rolling Stock
Scooptrams
Drill Jumbos
Mine Hoists
Stage Winches
Ventilation Equipment a division of Mining Equipment Ltd.
Fig 4 Fig 5
The Atlas Copco shaft borer MBM, circa 1987. Robbins MM 120, circa 1992.
had a range of successful Jarva MK x TBMs, MM 120 MM 130 MM 130
which today are difficult to beat in competent (ranging)
hard ground. Jarva further developed shield Tunnel height (m) 3.7 fixed 4.1 fixed 6.1-8.1
machines, raise boring machines (RBM) and Tunnel width (m) 4.9-7 5.5-7.9 9.0-12
some special shaft machines. An interesting Cutterhead diameter (m) 3.7 4.1 4.1
machine started to be developed in Solon, Cutterhead power (kW) 300 500 500
but finished after Atlas Copco moved this Cutterhead speed (RPM) 12.7 15 15
business to Stockholm, the mobile boring ma- Number of cutters 20 18 18
chine (MBM). Notice the similarity between Load per cutter 35 23 23
the Atlas Copco MBM from 1986 with later Stroke length (m) 0.75 0.75 0.75
developments in the business (Fig. 4). Best consistent
In parallel, with these TBM activities, performance 0.15 m/h 83 m/ month 0.5 m/h
Atlas Copco joined forces with Gbr Eickhoff
in Germany for the development of heavy
roadheading machines, which had applications in civil en- And there was the exceptionally hard rock, with a UCS
gineering projects. Not hiding the fact that a roadheader that approached 300 MPa (45 kips) in many places. The
can do remarkable jobs in softer ground, again Atlas Copco cutters became a long Golgotha walk for the machine and
entered into a situation in which it was clear that these types everything known was tried to improve the situation. Actual
of machines could not be used as a universal mining tool boring time reached an average 23 percent of total time
like drill-and-blast. with cutter changes and related issues accounting for 17
After the move of Jarva to Sweden, Atlas Copco flour- percent of total time. Adding the above three percentages
ished for 10 years in this business, developing a number 47, 23 and 17 (87 percent), it was realized that little time
of hard rock TBMs, new cutters, the variable speed drive was lost for other reasons. But, of course, being a prototype,
(VSD) technique and many more features. To further en- several small and a few large breakdowns were reported.
hance this business, Atlas Copco acquired Robbins in 1993. Also, other operational problems occurred, such as the
Atlas Copco decided to sell off the TBM part of the business machine not being able to clean the invert perfectly, so it
in 1998 and keep RBM’s and the other mining machines started to climb itself on the muck left behind.
portion. Atlas Copco has since been involved in a number There was one fundamental problem with the machine.
of more or less detailed developments of special mining A good stable classical TBM maintains the kerfs for the
machines, for shafts, narrow vein excavation and more. cutters in neat rings on the face. Simplified, all of the energy
Atlas Copco has worked actively with novel rock exca- applied to the machine goes into making fine powder of the
vation techniques since the late 1950s with noticeable and rock in these kerfs. But all the rock in between the cutter
sometimes very successful efforts. kerfs falls out free of charge. A narrow cutter and a large
spacing will, before other factors are taken into account,
Robbins/Atlas Copco mobile miners give an improved result. The mobile miner does not follow
Three machines of this type were built in the late 1980s in its own kerfs. In essence, it mills the whole face into fine
and early 1990s. They all worked with a vertical narrow dust and gets nothing for free because of its sweeping mode
cutterhead that was sumped into the rock and then in a of operation. This observation is supported by a very high
sweeping movement under rotation was swung +/- 45°. The reported specific power consumption reported in kWh/
last machine could also lift the cutter head in a “ranging” m3 for this machine compared to a TBM in similar rock.
type mode. Different configurations were tested to hold Obviously, this will influence cutter wear as well. Here, it is
the machine stationary in the drift while cutting and also clear that cutter consumption was many times higher per
to propel them forward. m3 of rock than for a conventional TBM. Add to this the
The first was a machine tried at Mt. Isa Mines, applied power to each cutter was on average almost three
Queensland, Australia, the MM 120 (Fig. 5).
This machine was followed by the MM 130 Pasminco, Fig 6
Broken Hill machine (Fig. 1). Drift cut by MM130 at Pasminco Mine, circa 1993.
The Pasminco machine made several projects and a clas-
sical picture is, of course, this beautiful drift. The last of the
three mobile miners was the Taisei MM130R. Some sum-
mary data on these three machines is outlined in Table 1.
Performance
fork can be moved along the curved front plate +/-15°. This Rio Tinto and Atlas Copco estimate the average perfor-
movement is normally done under no load and then the mance of this technology will be between 10 to 16 m/d (33
fork is locked in position, for the left, right or center cut. The to 52 ft/d). This is based on a combination of conventional
whole yellow part, the main body with internal torque tube cutter performance from RBM’s and TBM’s combined
can within the gray gripper frames is lifted horizontally 1.5 with the results of a detailed discrete event simulation.
m (5 ft) for the upper cuts. The advance for each part cut is The simulation individual process steps of this machine,
a stroke of 1.75 m (5.75 ft) achieved by cylinders inside the along with supporting equipment, includes allowances for
yellow square tube forcing the bent front plate forward. In probe hole drilling, extending services, truck and transmixer
the side cuts, the cutterhead will, thus, advance with a small movements and all ground support activities. As rock cut-
skewed angle, but always in line with the tunnel. After all ting rates change with different rock conditions, the critical
of the six or eight cuts, the whole machine with a trailing path (rate limiting activity) will change in the process. As
backup system will move forward for next set of strokes. an example, a typical cycle in 150 MPa rock for a full ad-
The machine is modular and, as such, can use spacers vance of 1.75 m (5.7 ft), inclusive of rock support, will take
beneath the grippers to handle larger tunnels. Also, the 2 hours 45 minutes. This corresponds to 0.64 m/h (2.1 ft/
front plate can be adopted for different maxi or mini tunnel hour) instantaneous rate of penetration. When considering
widths. In any case, this machine cannot cut a lower profile factors that delay cutting and ground support activities, such
then 4.5 m (15 ft) since that is the size of the head. However, as planned and unplanned downtime, maintenance, services
larger and smaller machines can be designed using similar and trucking delays, an advance rate of 12 m/d (39 ft/d)
components. Other modules that can be added are a cut- is predicted. It is important to note that, in weaker rock,
terhead revolving unit that can tilt the head sideways +/- 30° the advance rate speed will be increase significantly. Since
and also an articulation that can be fitted between the front rock support is installed concurrently with rock excavation,
and rear grippers. These aspects enable this technology to reaching advance rates of around 16 m/day (52 ft/d) will be
ideally cover all present and future requirements of access possible, with the time required for rock support being the
and footprint excavation of horizontal infrastructure. process limiting task (critical path). n
Backup system Acknowledgments
The backup system was developed with close coopera-
This project has only been possible due to the support
tion between Rowa, Rio Tinto and Atlas Copco. It should
and vision of Rio Tinto and Atlas Copco executive and
be regarded as a full TBM backup with all such facilities. It
management teams. The technical work presented here is
is crawler based, with individually steerable crawlers mak-
the result of a large collaborative global team that consists
ing it possible to negotiate narrow curves when boring and
of members from Atlas Copco, Rio Tinto Innovation, Rio
when backing out for repositioning to a new face. Muck
Tinto Copper Projects and external consultants. The effort
is collected in front of the machine and transported to the
of many is greatly appreciated.
rear of the backup with several conveyors. The muck can
then be delivered to mine trucks or possibly into extendable
conveyor systems. The backup hosts a 2,500 kVA system for
References
Sales material and internal documentation from TRC and Atlas Copco
the MMM’s VSD and hydraulic systems, shotcrete pumps, 1960 -1999.
compressors, ventilation fans and dust suction fans. Mate- Principal Arrangement of Access Version of Atlas Copco MMM Machine
rial transportation of bolts, wire mesh, spares and cutters and Back-up System.
MIN_028_043.indd
View publication stats 34 6/22/10 3:15 PM