IDENTIFICATION OF LOADING PARAMETERS FOR BELT CONVEYORS OPERATING IN KGHM's MINES.

The effectiveness of enrichment process of run-of-mine copper ore (at KGHM's ore enrichment plants) depends on the selection of appropriate working parameters of processing machines which are customized mainly to fit the fed rock type. Therefore, the knowledge of lithological composition of run-of-mine copper ore fed to the ore processing plant can significantly improve the effectiveness of the enrichment process. The issue of optimization of enrichment processes with the help of the use of in-situ sensor technology (pellets carrying saved information) for determination of parameters of run-of-mine copper ore transported from mining faces to ore enrichment plants is the subject of international research project DISIRE. The starting point for considerations on the issues covered in DISIRE project is determination of composition of run-of-mine copper ore transported from mining faces to ore enrichment plants. Therefore, the simulation of run-of-mine copper ore flow within the selected part of one KGHM mine's continuous transport (belt conveyors) network was scheduled in DISIRE project. Simulation required the identification of quality and quantity parameters of run-of-mine copper ore hauled from drift faces to belt conveyor's loading points. Identified quality and quantity parameters of run-of-mine copper ore were analyzed in relation to their variability and mining department from which run-of-mine copper ore was hauled from. Conducted analyses were based on the data acquired from channel samples taken from drift faces which is stored in the mine's ore production monitoring system (MOPRONA). The average Cu grade in run-of-mine copper ore hauled from mining departments to specific belt conveyor's loading points was determined on the basis of Cu grade in each lithological layer (rock type) at drift faces. It was shown that on the basis of currently used methodology of lithology identification for run-of-mine copper ore hauled to loading points and storing the data in MOPRONA system it is not possible to accurately identify the parameters of final stream of run-of-mine copper ore as delivered to ore enrichment plants. It is due to the large number of variables (both geological and technological) defining the final quality of run-of-mine copper ore entering the ore enrichment plants, which need to be further investigated in details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]