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Mission
The
mission of the Metal Mining Committee is to facilitate the commercialization
of fuelcell metal-mining vehicles, such as locomotives, loaders,
and dump trucks, as well as their refueling infrastructure. Two
of the major vehicle development projects of the Institute – the Mine
Locomotive Project and Mine Loader
Project – are projects planned and advised by the Metal
Mining Committee. Click on Projects for
more information.
A
Problem and an Opportunity
Underground
metal mining (i.e., hardrock mining) includes gold, silver, and
nickel mining. Along with coal mining, it is the most promising
application in which fuelcell vehicles can compete strictly on
economic merit. The mining industry, one of the most regulated,
faces economic losses resulting from the health and safety deficiencies
of conventional underground traction power. Conventional power
technologies — tethered (including trolley), diesel, and
battery — are not simultaneously clean, safe, and productive.
For instance, tethered vehicles are power-dense and clean, but
the tether is unsafe and interferes with mobility and productivity.
Diesel vehicles are more mobile and theoretically more productive,
but their compliance with government emissions regulations reduces
actual productivity. Regulations in the process of implementation
will further increase vehicle capital and operating costs and
lower mine productivity.
Solution
of this problem by fuelcells would provide powerful cost offsets
to their high current capital cost. Lower recurring costs, reduced
ventilation costs, and higher vehicle productivity could make
the fuelcell vehicle cost-competitive several years before surface
applications.
Members
of the Metal Mining Committee
Cast
Resource Equipment Ltd, Lively, ON, Canada – Mining
equipment manufacturer
Caterpillar Elphinstone Pty, Tasmania, Australia, & Peoria, IL, USA – Mining
equipment manufacturer
Hatch Associates Ltd, Toronto, ON, Canada – Technical consulting
firm
Inco Ltd, Toronto, ON, Canada – Metal mining company
Lonmin Plc, Marikana, North West Province, South Africa – Metal
mining company
Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada – National
laboratory
Newmont Mining Corporation, Carlin, NV, USA – Metal
mining company
Nuvera Fuel Cells, Cambridge, MA, USA – Fuel cell manufacturer
Placer Dome Inc, Vancouver, BC, Canada – Metal mining
company
Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA –
Technical consulting firm
University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA – Mining research
Westinghouse Safety Management Solutions LLC, Aiken, SC, USA – Technical
consulting firm
Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC, USA – National
laboratory
Metal
Mining Committee Activities
29
April – 2 May 2001. CIM Conference and Exhibition –
Québec City 2001, Québec, Canada
As
part of the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology
(CANMET) display, two vehicles were displayed:
1.
The fuelcell locomotive in nearly final form
2. Our scale-model demonstration fuelcell vehicle, the “Little
Yellow Loader”
The display won the Best Display Award of the show.
March
2001 – December 2002. Evaluation of Vehicle
Duty Cycles
Sponsor: National
Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Total DOE funds: US$145,000
Industry cost sharing: US$147,000
Cost
sharing institutions:
Atlas
Copco Wagner Inc
Cambior Inc
Caterpillar Elphinstone Pty
Hydrogenics
Joy Mining Machinery
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
Noranda Inc
Placer Dome Inc
RA Warren Equipment Ltd
Sandvik Tamrock
Vehicle Projects LLC
Participants:
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
Sandia National Laboratories / New Mexico
Vehicle Projects LLC
Vehicles
measured:
1. Mansha 4.5-ton battery locomotive
2. Clayton 5.5-ton battery locomotive
3. Joy 10SC32B electric AC coal hauler with DC drive
4. Joy AH 1200 electric articulated coal hauler
5. Wagner ST8-B diesel load-haul-dump
6. Wagner ST1010 diesel load-haul-dump
7. 4-ton fuelcell locomotive
8. 4-ton battery locomotive
9
– 12 October 2000. MINExpo INTERNATIONAL
2000, Las Vegas, Nevada
Three
vehicles were displayed:
1.
Early version of the fuelcell mine locomotive
2. Electric-drive skidsteer loader, donated by our member
Inco Ltd, planned for a fuelcell agrivehicle project
3. Our fuelcell-powered robotic vehicle, based on the RATLER
chassis originally developed by Sandia National Laboratories
/ New Mexico.
Funding
for the display was provided by:
Atlas Copco Wagner Inc
Barrick Gold Corporation
Cast Resource Equipment Ltd
H Power Corporation
Inco Ltd
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
Placer Dome Inc
RA Warren Equipment Ltd
Sandia National Laboratories / California
Stuart Energy Systems Inc
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