Print Email Facebook Twitter Simulation-based optimization approach for material dispatching in continuous mining systems Title Simulation-based optimization approach for material dispatching in continuous mining systems Author Soleymani Shishvan, M. (TU Delft Resource Engineering) Benndorf, J. (University of Technology Bergakademie Freiberg) Date 2019-06-16 Abstract This paper examines a problem related to dispatching materials to spreaders in coal (lignite) mines operated under the paradigm of continuously excavated material flow. In the considered particular case, complexity arises from different material types of overburden to be placed on the dump site in pre-defined patterns that guarantee geotechnical safety. These types include wet, semi-wet and dry material, which are accessed on the excavation site according to the geological deposition and the mining plan. Controlling of the dispatch system has to take into account the extraction sequence and geological stratification on the excavation site and the available dump space per material on the dumping site. With eight excavators on the excavation site and seven spreaders on the dump site the problem is already complex, having not stated yet that random breakdowns may make some options temporarily unavailable. To optimize the dispatch system in terms of minimum idle time due to unavailability of dumping space, a new multi-stage simulation-based optimization approach is proposed. This approach consists of running alternatingly a deterministic optimization model and a stochastic simulation model. It combines simulation and algorithms to solve a transportation problem and a job-shop scheduling problem. The proposed approach is tested on a large continuous mine under given different dumping sequences, and results are reported. The merits and limitations of the proposed approach as pinpointed and farsighted operations management are discussed. Subject Material dispatchingOpencast coal miningOR in natural resourcesShort-term schedulingSimulation-based optimization To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:43ebc456-b403-483b-850b-6b0535803452 DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2018.12.015 Embargo date 2021-02-10 ISSN 0377-2217 Source European Journal of Operational Research, 275 (3), 1108-1125 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2019 M. Soleymani Shishvan, J. Benndorf Files PDF EJOR_D_17_02503R1.pdf 2.43 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:43ebc456-b403-483b-850b-6b0535803452/datastream/OBJ/view