In-pit conveyors and crushers cut surface mining costs
This article discusses the increased interest in in-pit conveyors and equipment to enhance the production abilities of the main stripping tools--the draglines and the shovels. The advantages and limitations of various upper-overburden removal methods, including scrapers, bucket wheel excavators and conveyors, shovel trucks, shovel-hoppers and conveyors, draglines and draglinehoppers and conveyors are compared. Also discussed is the field experience of a cross-pit conveyor (CPC) in the Texas lignite fields. The CPC working with a set of bucket wheel excavators and a dragline, feeds excavated overburden on conveyors directly across the pit via a cantileveered boom with a reach of 550 to 700 ft from centerline of base to centerline of discharge-pulley shaft. Advantages of using a CPC are: less capital intensive; more mobile; reduced exposed mine area; much shorter total length of conveying units; fewer operating and maintenance persons needed; and better mechanical availability.
- OSTI ID:
- 6022774
- Journal Information:
- Coal Age; (United States), Journal Name: Coal Age; (United States) Vol. 90:7; ISSN COLAA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
012000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Mining
013000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
42 ENGINEERING
420206 -- Engineering-- Mining & Drilling Equipment & Facilities-- (1980-1989)
BELT CONVEYORS
BUCKET WHEEL EXCAVATORS
COAL MINES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONVEYORS
DRAGLINES
EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
HAULAGE EQUIPMENT
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
MINES
MINING
MINING EQUIPMENT
OVERBURDEN
PERFORMANCE
REMOVAL
SURFACE MINING
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES