SURFACE MINING TRUCKS
CATL on battery swapping
IM caught up with Chinese battery giant CATL recently in an exclusive interview to find out more about its role in mining ’ s zero emissions journey
Q What are the unique challenges in applying battery power to large mining vehicles ? A Unlike applications of passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles , the mining application of traction batteries is faced with unique challenges including recharging . Uphill driving of heavy-duty mining vehicles requires high energy consumption and subsequently multiple rounds of battery charging . We see battery swapping is an effective solution to address this challenge . The vibration and shock caused by the rough and bumpy grounds can be two to three times stronger than those on the roads , and collision and overturning might happen in mining areas , which requires higher damage resistance of large-capacity battery systems and higher level of safety after thermal propagation is caused by destruction . A large amount of road and working condition data are integrated into CATL ’ s unique heavy-duty truck pack design standard to ensure a stable operation of vehicles in complex environments . Trucks are often faced with harsh conditions of dust , mud water and sometimes extreme temperatures , which requires a high level of Ingress Protection rating . The built-in heating film and water cooling system of CATL ’ s batteries can effectively adapt to harsh mining environments and ensure worry-free operation . The battery protection level reaches IP68 , which effectively eliminates dust and water in a working environment .
Q What progress with heavy truck battery swapping have you made to date ? A In February 2022 , CATL and SANY Group celebrated the operation of the Fujian battery swapping demonstration project for heavy-duty trucks and China ’ s first road for electric heavy-duty trucks . The electric heavy-duty trucks launched on the road are all installed with CATL ’ s large-capacity LFP batteries , which can not only achieve net-zero emissions and zero pollution , but also meet high-power fast charging and rapid battery swapping within 3-5 minutes , relieving anxiety in terms of charging time and range , and has greatly improved the efficiency of vehicle operation .
The swapping approach also has potential in mining .
Q Quite a lot of “ wide body ” trucks have already been made with battery power - what has been learned from these trucks on what is the right battery chemistry and right charging strategy for mining trucks ? A Almost all the wide body mining trucks of the above-mentioned manufacturers are equipped with LFP batteries produced by CATL . We believe LFP is the right battery chemistry considering the complicated working conditions in mining such as collision , jolting , and extreme temperatures . As for charging strategy , we suggest a discharging range of 30 % to 95 % for the sake of battery health . Meanwhile , we will help our customers to build a battery charging and swapping dispatch system , which enables the integration and coordination of shift rotation , driver dining , maintenance and production .
Q Is there also a large market for hybrid battery-fuel cell trucks in mining or do you think all battery trucks will dominate ? A We believe pure electric is the ideal solution to mining vehicles . First of all , we are confident in our battery technological strengths and extensive application experience of these technologies , and new breakthroughs are achieved almost every day in the industry ; second , the control logic and mechanical structure of pure electric trucks is simpler than those of hybrid ones , which means lower failure rate and easier maintenance .
Q Will you also supply charging infrastructure and technology for mining vehicles ? A Users of mining vehicles are most concerned about the operational efficiency issues caused by slow charging , charging difficulties , range anxiety , etc . The current charging mode cannot fully solve the user pain points , and therefore the battery swapping mode was created . Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology Ltd ( CAES ), CATL ’ s wholly-owned subsidiary , provides battery swapping solutions including infrastructure and technologies to the EV industry . tested and debugged . NHL has also entered the second phase of development of a new mining truck remote health diagnosis service platform . “ This is the first intelligent central control system for mine trucks in China , which was jointly developed by us and the Beijing Institute of Technology . It realises the remote monitoring service of all the running conditions of the truck ,” said Yang Zhe .
At the same time , NHL , working with
Chinesetechnology partners like TAGE Idriver , continues to systematically advance the development of mining truck autonomy , to help towards the construction of intelligent mines , In recent years , with the mining depth of large-scale open-pit mines increasing , grades of haul roads are increasing and more bends are incorporated , which increases the difficulty of mine production . NHL also believes unmanned operation is an effective way to deal with these challenges , plus it helps to achieve safer production , as well as reducing labour and vehicle use costs , and of course improving operating efficiency . NHL has so far achieved seven autonomous mining truck projects successfully , and the number of unmanned mining vehicles implemented exceeds 110 . It has also successfully set up a national standard for unmanned driving and 10 group standards . It now functions as a Ministry of Industry and Information Technology special
MAY 2022 | International Mining