MINING ENGINES
At CONEXPO 2023 , in Las Vegas , Liebherr showcased a direct injection solution for hydrogen combustion engines that aims to achieve a power density equal to that of a diesel heavy-duty combustion engine
Revved up
While carbon-neutral powertrains are the end goal for the mining industry ’ s transition to net-zero operations , the interim steps will see internal combustion engines and technologies leveraged for at least a few more decades , Dan Gleeson reports
Today , there is quite simply no commercial way to completely eradicate diesel and internal combustion engines ( ICEs ) from the mine haulage space without having a detrimental impact on cost and productivity .
It is for this very reason that the R & D dollars going into this space are separated into two piles – short- / medium-term solutions ; and long-term solutions .
The former includes removing as much diesel as possible from the power mix through using alternative or ‘ green ’ fuels . This , in itself , appears to be a sustainable move – keeping existing engines running with lower emissions instead of casting them aside to manufacture something new that requires significant amounts of commodities and the embedded emissions that comes with extracting and processing them .
The reported benefits from an emissions reduction perspective are substantial too .
The long-term solutions feature completely different powertrains that could be made up of a variety of solutions – battery- , hydrogen- , battery-trolley powered , etc . In this context , the search for a one-size-fits-all solution to replace the ubiquitous diesel-powered engine carries on despite the well-held view that such a universal platform does not exist .
A long runway ahead
While Cummins continues to evolve into a power solutions company that has technologies beyond just ICEs , it is stressing that the conventional engine will continue to play a critical role in the mining industry for decades to come .
It is backing this up with not only a string of ongoing tests involving higher ratios of alternative fuels in its engines , but also significant amounts of R & D investment in ICEbased platforms .
“ Internal combustion technologies and engines have a very long runway ,” Robert Schaefer , Director , Mining Innovations & Growth , told IM . “ The fuels that these engines will run on will certainly evolve and change from 100 %
diesel to blends of lower-carbon or even zerocarbon alternatives .”
The company ’ s investments in ICEs are geared towards optimising power density , emissions and alternative fuel technology , but it has to keep techno-economic considerations in mind when looking at potential mining market adoption .
“ Miners have investors and obligations that have to be met ,” Schaefer said . “ Cummins understands this and is committed to serving the mining market not only today ; but through the bridging technology and , ultimately , the carbonneutral powertrains of the future .”
These aims are being complemented by an increased digital focus that is best depicted by platforms such as PrevenTech™ for Mining .
This system was introduced back in 2019 as a new digital monitoring and reporting solution to provide advanced detection of potential equipment health issues . Such analysis was billed as helping mitigate performance impacts and improving mine site productivity by streamlining maintenance and service planning .
Cummins now has nearly 2,000 mining engines connected to PrevenTech , with the system and analytics providing insights to owners / operators and enabling engine “ saves ” every week , according to the company .
In 2022 alone , it is estimated PrevenTech saved Cummins mining customers approximately $ 40 million in repairs and downtime .
This platform is now being leveraged by Cummins as part of a project with Komatsu to integrate the two companies ’ approach to equipment and engine monitoring .
This agreement will deliver a new , integrated remote equipment monitoring solution designed to , they say , reduce unplanned stoppages , accelerate maintenance execution , and extend component life and maintenance intervals .
By sharing equipment health and performance data over common infrastructure and collaborating on health analytics both companies can access the same secure data and develop joint analytics and insights . The partnership will see data collected on a single device and all actions managed in a shared case management system , allowing experts from both teams to work remotely with a customer ’ s maintenance staff .
Integrating machine OEM support from Komatsu with OEM engine insight from Cummins allows both to proactively monitor asset health and optimise maintenance management , they say , helping mining customers :
JULY 2023 | International Mining 51