UNDERGROUND LOAD & HAUL
replacement of components – and reduce
emissions and heat released by over 25%.
Komatsu’s Electric Drive Innovation
Center continues SR Technology
excellence
Codelco is trialling a Komatsu Mining hybrid
LHD at its El Teniente underground copper mine,
in Chile, as the company looks to reduce the
amount of greenhouse gas it emits from its
operations
pilot experience with light vehicles last year,
today celebrates this new milestone with
unprecedented production teams.”
On the Komatsu hybrid LHD, Codelco said the
electric drive machine has no gearbox or filters
and uses diesel only for the generation of
“motive power”.
“It will be used industrially for the first time in
Codelco El Teniente to start marketing it to the
rest of the industry internationally,” Codelco
said.
Komatsu has, so far, released details on an 18
t hybrid LHD (the Joy 18HD) and a 22 t hybrid
model (Joy 22HD). Last year, Byrnecut Australia
said it was to trial a Joy 22HD at OZ Minerals’
Prominent Hill copper-gold mine in Australia in
the June quarter of 2018, as it looked to test
production efficiencies, diesel savings and
overall costs associated with this equipment.
Codelco is hoping use of this hybrid LHD will
bring down operating costs by 30%, increase the
reliability and availability of LHDs by 10-20% –
due to less engine hours, longer life and easier
This new facility in Longview, Texas, where
LeTourneau was based will focus on using
electric drive technology on products like
Komatsu LHDs to improve power and fuel
efficiency.
Komatsu of course has decades of experience
when it comes to developing SR (switched
reluctance) technology. Earthmoving industry
pioneer RG LeTourneau Inc, acquired by
Komatsu, led the way in development of diesel-
electric design. This progressive tradition
inspired the Longview team to introduce SR
Technology on wheel loaders in the mid-1990s.
A unique feature of this system is its capability
to handle bidirectional power flow. Incoming
voltage from the energy source is converted to
power the motors. Bidirectional power flow
means the system also manages the power when
it goes into braking mode and that energy is
directed back to the generator.
“The new state-of-the-art research and
development facility is an engineering hub
focused on ushering the mining industry into a
new era of efficiency and productivity. It was
purpose built, with a design tailored to
accommodate the pursuit of new innovations in
electric drive technology.”
Mark Barr, Director of Engineering at Komatsu
says the unique facility provides the team with
multiple electric drive train cells, as well as the
capability for full drive line testing for mining
vehicles of all sizes. There are also bench test
rooms, where engineers can examine how these
machines will fair in simulated conditions by
utilising humidity chambers and freezers to
ensure production in the harshest of climates.
Currently the team is hard at work improving
current product lines, including the Joy
underground battery LHDs for hard rock and
battery haulers for low seam coal room and pillar
mining.
Komatsu says when comparing its latest LHD
to others in its class, it can offer faster
acceleration, more power and best-in-class
breakout and rimpull so all in all a lower TCO.
The benefits of SR drive LHDs include reduced
power consumption and less heat emission. Not
only does this electric drive technology improve
fuel efficiency, it also helps create a safer and
more environmentally-friendly operation.
“We’re really excited about what our LHDs can
do” said Barr. “We have big plans for them.
Currently we are working to develop fast-
charging stations for these machines. There’s a
lot in store for this technology and our goal is
that we get to a point where we can eliminate the
need for non-electric power entirely.”
On the future he says: “For us, the question
isn’t so much about how we can add electric
drive to machines. What we want to do is find
ways to make this technology smaller and more
compact. Despite the size of these machines, the
space on them is very much at a premium. We’d
rather help the customer find a way to utilise our
technology while being able to devote every inch
of real estate that they can to payload.”
In addition to a more compact design,
Komatsu views finding new methods for deep
energy storage as an important innovation that
will take place in the coming years. That includes
improving the current KESS (kinetic energy
storage system) system and expanding the
abilities our of LHDs to include fast-charging
systems to optimise their speed while reducing
downtime to deliver the most value to the
customer.
“We’ve already done a lot,” said Barr. “Our
electric drive is at the top of the industry. It
reduces fuel consumption, lowers the amount of
heat that goes into the atmosphere and helps
operations control their costs. It’s a win for us,
the customer’s operation and the environment.”
Tailing Dam Monitoring System
‘X-ray’ into the workings of the dam and lagoon.
Contact us today for a copy of the paper “The view inside”
Contact: Philip Shaw, Managing Director
philip@surewavetechnology.co.uk
+44 1270 757669
12 International Mining | JUNE 2019