MINING ENGINES
The first Stage-V-compliant Komatsu haul trucks , featuring Cummins engines , recently arrived in Europe , heading to Boliden ’ s operations in Finland and Sweden
horsepower QSK95 95 litre engine for mining . Already in use in the marine and rail sectors , this engine is being trialled in ultra-class haul trucks like the Komatsu 980Es working at high altitudes in Latin America . It is the most powerful engine ever to be developed for this segment of the market , according to Cummins . Lintereur and his colleagues also used the virtual event to highlight developments with its service network and PrevenTech™ Mining condition monitoring and predictive maintenance platform .
The digital monitoring and reporting solution , launched at Bauma in 2019 , provides advanced detection of potential equipment health issues .
Since launch , Lintereur said the company had added FleetguardFIT ( Filtration Intelligence Technology ) integration into the PrevenTech platform to improve visibility into filter life and oil quality . FleetguardFIT includes pressure sensors for fuel , lube , air filters and a fluid property sensor that monitors oil quality , allowing Cummins experts to offer site-specific recommendations to optimise filter and oil service intervals .
Another recently added feature is an algorithm developed to predict injector tip fatigue .
Lintereur explained : “ We are pushing a lot of fuel through a very small orifice under what can be a pretty tough duty cycle in many mining applications . In some mines , you can see injectors failing under such conditions , with , often , the tips being the source .”
The algorithm – developed through the collaboration of computer scientists , data scientists and mining engine experts – flags potential fatigue , correlating this with previous instances of injector tips failing to , ultimately , catch failures ahead of time .
Advanced warnings of 20 to 30 minutes can prevent “ catastrophic engine failure ”, Lintereur said .
The development of this algorithm followed collaboration with mining customers through
Cummins ’ distribution network , which Lintereur views as being an important avenue for future hardware and software development .
“ The limit you tend to come up against when deploying these new solutions is not so much the technology , but the ability for miners to change their practices to best use the technology ,” he said . “ This does not happen automatically – you need to partner with the miner .
“ PrevenTech and these condition monitoring solutions go hand-in-glove with the support network . This is where we are getting the best results .”
Future enhancements to the PrevenTech platform are likely to leverage cloud and edge computing , but could also involve integration into other vendors ’ systems , an area Lintereur is only happy to consider .
“ We are an independent power provider and have made our platform open and interoperable to allow for this type of integration ,” he said . “ We have already had a lot of pull from the OEM side and , even on the end user side , major miners have platforms they want us to integrate into .”
OEM collaboration
Cummins is not the only engine manufacturer rolling out Tier 4 Final and Stage V technology , with Volvo Penta collaborating with numerous OEMs on trials and commercial rollouts .
Underground , the company has made great Stage V strides with Sandvik and Normet . On surface , it has also worked with BELAZ on a haul truck trial .
There are five base engines in Volvo Penta ’ s Stage V diesel engine line up for off-road applications – the D5 , D8 , D11 , D13 and D16 – offering power from 105-585 kW . The powerful new range delivers a reduction of up to 5 % in fuel consumption , compared with Stage IV engines , contributing to an extremely attractive total cost of ownership , the company says .
In 2020 , Sandvik launched its first Stage V compliant underground loaders for hard-rock mining applications following more than 10,000 hours of testing underground , on multiple customer sites in Europe . The first two vehicles to be equipped with these engines were the Sandvik LH517i and Sandvik LH621i LHDs .
This then led , in 2020 , to a trial of a Stage V engine in Sandvik ’ s flagship truck , the 63 t capacity TH663i , at Boliden ’ s Tara zinc mine in Ireland .
The base engine and SCR purifier on board these engines are proven Volvo technology , enhanced with a ceramic diesel particle filter ( DPF ). Based on conducted studies , the optional sintered metal DPF reduces particle mass by approximately 99 %, Sandvik said . The DPF , also available as a retrofit kit , is well protected but still designed for easy cleaning to reduce downtime and operating costs , it added .
“ Designed to fit seamlessly together with the truck and to perform specifically in underground use , the engine system includes built-in fire prevention solutions , increased wiring protection with shrink mesh wiring harness and electric hardware that is specifically designed
Normet ’ s new L-Series platform of underground mining and tunnelling equipment can be equipped with Volvo Penta Stage V engine technology
68 International Mining | JULY 2021