Simulation Study of Charging of EV-Fleets in Underground Mining

• Main Author: Gustavsson, Felix
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Umeå universitet, Institutionen för fysik 2020
• Subjects: Underground mining; Battery electric vehicles; Energy consumption; Vehicle dynamics; Simulation; Physical Sciences; Fysik
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-177131

Due to an increasing concern of the introduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations in many jurisdictions, the underground mining industry is in high demand to tackle climate change through innovative measures. In order to stay competitive, cope with rising energy costs and GHG regulations, mining companies will have to consider the alternative to go fully electric. As underground mines progress through time they are becoming deeper and deeper, resulting in longer haulage distances and thus an increasing energy demand. The research in this thesis was conducted to analyze and develop a simulation tool to investigate the replacement of conventional diesel haulage trucks with battery electric trucks that include a fast-charging capability in an underground mine environment. The results show that there is a major difference in the achievable production rates depending on the mine topography and a need for opportunity charging. Furthermore, the developed tool could aid in decision making and provide a good frame of reference of the feasibility of replacing an existing diesel operation by a battery electric one.