NSERC grants at Laurentian University Subventions du CRSNG `a l ...
NSERC grants at Laurentian University Subventions du CRSNG `a l ...
NSERC grants at Laurentian University Subventions du CRSNG `a l ...
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114Miroslaw HajdasinskiOptimiz<strong>at</strong>ion of the size and the pro<strong>du</strong>ction sche<strong>du</strong>le of anunderground hard-rock mineA grant of $15,015 per year.Une subvention de 15 015 $ par année.Discovery Grant – Subvention à la découverteAn underground hard-rock ore mine is a dynamicthree-dimensional structure, housing the mine pro<strong>du</strong>ctionsystem as well as several support systems, such asthe ore and m<strong>at</strong>erial-handling and ventil<strong>at</strong>ion systems.This complex structure is composed of mine developmentand pro<strong>du</strong>ction workings, which consume by farthe largest portion of the total capital expendituresof the mine. One of the str<strong>at</strong>egically most importantparameters of any underground mine is its size, or pro<strong>du</strong>ctioncapacity. The size of the mine, and the resultant mine-life, have aprofound impact on mine economics. As the mine size increases, economiesof scale are realized and the unit pro<strong>du</strong>ction cost decreases. This trend continuesuntil an upper limit for the size of the mine is reached, beyond which theunit pro<strong>du</strong>ction costs start going up, <strong>du</strong>e to the excessive mine developmentcosts, rel<strong>at</strong>ive to the available reserves. Further, the mine layout becomes toodense and complex, causing logistic and oper<strong>at</strong>ional problems with the flowsof pro<strong>du</strong>ction, m<strong>at</strong>erials, and air. This indic<strong>at</strong>es th<strong>at</strong> there exists an optimasize for a mine th<strong>at</strong> will result in maximum economic benefits within the mine’slifetime. It is crucial to design a mine to its optimum size, since once amine is fully developed, it is difficult and prohibitively expensive to radicallychange a design th<strong>at</strong> has already been virtually “carved into hard-rock.”The objective of the proposed research is to optimize not only the capacityof the mine, but also its lifetime pro<strong>du</strong>ction sche<strong>du</strong>le as well as its cut-offgrade policy. The optimiz<strong>at</strong>ion tools will be Dynamic Programming (DP), asthe optimiz<strong>at</strong>ion pl<strong>at</strong>form; and the simul<strong>at</strong>ion of the ore, m<strong>at</strong>erials, and airflows, as the means for obtaining credible cost inputs for the DP model. Theproposed optimiz<strong>at</strong>ion approach will be applicable not only in the design ofnew mines, but will also serve as a means of:
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