From Diesel to Battery Power in Underground Mines : A Pilot Study of Diesel Free LHDs

Sammanfattning: Load, haul and dump machines (LHDs) are commonly used in underground mines around the world. The machines are used to transport fragmented ore after blasting in the ore body. The main propellant used is diesel which accounts for a large part of the diesel consumed in mines today. This master thesis is a pilot study for further work to be done by LTU and Atlas Copco in a project called SIMS or Sustainable Intelligent Mining Systems, where the aim is to physically demonstrate diesel free LHDs doing productive work in mines. The objective of the thesis was to assess if the integration of battery-powered LHD machines is plausible in today’s underground mines. The aims were to map the current state of the production and to perform risk and job analysis of the new technology in the current systems. A theoretical framework was constructed with focus on safety, risk, hazards and change in work content. Social acceptance was then researched to be able to analyze how the new technology is received. Data gathering was done through interviews, observations, a focus group and reviewing documents while visiting Atlas Copco and two underground mines in Sweden. Diesel and electric-powered LHDs were studied in the mines and battery-powered LHDs were studied at Atlas Copco. The results present the current state of diesel, electric and battery-powered LHDs. How the machines are used in the visited mines and the identified risks with the work is presented along with the mapping of the battery system being developed by Atlas Copco. New risks that the battery system will bring to the work environment were identified using energy and deviation analyzes. The change in work content was discussed using the information from the visits and identifying what tasks will change, disappear and be added with the new technology. A large part of the thesis was analyzing the results with support from the theoretical framework. The analysis showed that a switch from diesel to battery-power would improve the overall health and safety inside the mines. A switch does not change the skill needed to operate the machines but can increase the qualifications for the service personnel. The main obstacles, in terms of social acceptance, with implementing the battery systems in the current state are that the need for constant battery exchange would cause problems in the production, the prejudice that the batteries would increase the consequences of a fire and the initial cost of making the switch. Recommendations for Atlas Copco going forward in the SIMS project were made. They need to emphasizing the safety of the technology to the users, developing the battery exchange so it can be done closer to the stopes and involve the operators in the projects of SIMS to help them understand the benefits it will have on them directly.