Challenge Abstracts

Problem: Excessive Water / Run of Material in Underground Mines

Context

Uncontrolled water in an underground mining environment can be a significant hazard. In an underground mine, managing water is a critical activity to ensure the safety of workers and on-going/effective mining activities. Water is often naturally occurring within the mining environment and it is also deliberately introduced as part of the mining process for dust control and to assist with drilling. To better outline some of the key challenges related to water and water management, we have detailed some specific areas of concern where we believe there are opportunities to utilize technology solutions to mitigate them.

Problem Definition

Post a blast; a mining operator will utilize a Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) machine to scoop up the blasted material. This material will consist of rock fragments of varying sizes and will also include some degree of water/moisture. The operator will transport this material to a dump location (an ore pass) whereby it will be dumped and then cascaded down to a lower level of the mine via gravity and ultimately accumulate in the bottom of the ore pass as the process continues. At regular intervals, this material will be collected from the bottom of the ore pass via a chute and be transported to a skip/bin that brings the material to the surface.

Serious issues arise when there is a "clog/jam" in the ore pass. The clogs are formed when larger material fragments create a bridge or a "constipation jam." This enables the material to accumulate above the jam, which may consist of water and smaller sand-like fragments of rocks. Over time, the increasing water/moisture accumulation combined with small material fragments creates a slurry – ultimately liquefying the aggregate material above the jam. This jam can give way due to the increasing weight of accumulated material, or it can be removed via an intervention with an operator. In either scenario, when the jam breaks, it could result in a run of material (see Figure 1), creating a catastrophic situation for the operator(s) at the bottom of the ore pass/chute that is removing and ultimately transporting the material.

One of the contributing challenges to excessive water accumulation relates to failures in drainage systems, which are designed to remove and transport water away from the active mining heading. As the LHD operator scoops a bucket of blast rock/material, there are instances, that due to clogged drainage/dewatering systems or failed pumping mechanisms underground (among other reasons), that the LHD operator will scoop up a significant amount of water along with the blasted rock. This contributes to a disproportionate amount of water in the bucket and further leads to creating the conditions where a run of material could occur in the ore pass/chute.

Proactively identifying when drains are clogging, measuring and/or removing moisture content in the bucket of the LHD or in the ore pass, identifying when excessive water is accumulating in a drift and understanding the composition of the rock sizes accumulating in the ore pass, among other insights, are potential suggestions on how to address this challenge. That said, we are open and hoping for creative ideas and solutions.

Solution Development

As part of this open innovation call, Vale is seeking potential solutions that can be identified, developed and deployed as a Proof-of-Concept within a four (4) month time frame within its Sudbury operations. We are open to new ideas, concepts and technologies that will help our operations address this issue to ensure the on-going safety of our workforce.

Given the run of material is an issue shared amongst mining companies around the world, there is a desire to share the validated solutions with our broader network, including our peers, suppliers and customers.

The ideal solution would look to both identify and mitigate the conditions leading to the risk of the run of material. If this "ideal state" can not be achieved, then we would give priority to solutions that either reduce the likelihood of a safety incident occurring and/or reduces the impact should such an event occur.

Problem: Acid Train Car Loading

Context

Smelter/sulphuric acid is a common chemical by-product of the smelting process. Given the risks associated with human exposure to a concentrated acid, it is carefully collected, stored and transported to ensure the health and safety of workers and surrounding communities. To clearly outline some of the key challenges related to acid management within our smelter, we have detailed some specific areas of concern where we believe there are opportunities to utilize technology solutions to mitigate them. Currently, within Vale's operations in Sudbury, Several people are working in the acid loading facility on a given shift. On a typical day, 24-36 rail tank cars are loaded. The process, from start to finish, typically involves 3 people and takes 5 hours. It is not unusual for the team to be loading multiple rail tank cars (at various stages of the process) at the one time.

Problem Definition

Within Vale's acid loading facility, empty rail tank cars (leased by Vale, not Vale owned) are brought into the sulphuric acid loading station. Once parked and secured beneath the acid loading ramp/bridge, the fill valve on the top of the rail tank car is manually unlocked with pipe wrenches and other hand-tools (See Figure 1).

During this activity, accumulated pressure in the empty tank, developed naturally due to temperature differences between the atmosphere and the sealed tank, can lead to an unsuspecting worker getting "sprayed" by residual acid that is released as a result of de-pressurization. Although all workers are wearing personal protective equipment (see Figure 1.A), this creates the risk of exposure that can lead to acid burns.

Once the valve is opened, the manual filling process is initiated. This involves transporting acid from a holding tank via a cantilevered piping infrastructure (see Figure 2) that is manually guided and routed into the fill valve via the overhead loading bridge/acid loading ramp. The fill pipe is guided into the valve atop the rail tank car (see Figure 1.B), but not locked or fastened.

With that, when the filling is started, problems have occurred due to splashing and overflowing that could cause harm to workers within the vicinity. It is important to note that there are multiple types of rail cars, with each having different couplings, fasteners and orientations requiring a flexible fill piping infrastructure that can be manipulated and guided into the rail tank car fill valve. The filling process is managed by a series of float valves installed in the rail tank car, which trigger the shutoff of the filling process when the tanks are full.

Once the rail tank car is full, the fill piping infrastructure is retracted and the valve atop of rail tank car is manually closed. At this time, to ensure proper closure, the tank is pressurized using compressed air to identify any leaks or broken seals before the rail tank car is permitted to leave the facility. This process involves the worker manually attaching a pressurized line into the rail tank car that could lead to potential exposure risks, especially if a seal or some part of the rail tank car has a leak.

Solution Development

As part of this open innovation call, Vale is seeking potential solutions that can be identified, developed and deployed as a Proof-of-Concept within a four (4) month time frame within its Sudbury operations. We are open to new ideas, concepts and technologies that will help our operations address this issue to ensure the on-going safety of our workforce.

Given the rail tank cars we utilize are widely used in heavy industry across Canada / US, there is a desire to share the validated solutions with our broader network, including our peers, suppliers and customers.

The ideal solution would look to remove the worker from harm's way. If this "ideal state" can not be achieved, then we would give priority to solutions that either reduce the likelihood of a safety incident occurring and/or reduces the impact/exposure should such an event occur.

Problem: Underground Operator Alertness

Context

Underground operator alertness is of utmost importance to ensure the safety of all mineworkers. Equipment/machinery operators must be fully engaged and alert at all times to prevent critical mistakes that could lead to dangerous situations. To better outline some of the key challenges related to underground operator alertness and fatigue management, we have detailed some specific areas of concern where we believe there are opportunities to utilize technology solutions to mitigate them.

Problem Definition

Operating underground mining equipment, such as haul trucks or Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) machines, is a physically and mentally demanding job often within a harsh, dark, hot and wet confined environment. Personnel must be alert in executing duties in such environment wherein a multitude of factors including fatigue, drowsiness, dehydration and health issues, can be detrimental to a worker's cognition and alertness. Severe incidents can transpire with even the slightest lack of concentration/engagement, potentially leading to loss of life, serious bodily harm, equipment damage, or productivity loss.

Key indicators of degrading operator alertness may alert a supervisor or co-worker of potentially catastrophic events, but challenges exist in that fatigue indicators may appear too late and often can not be seen by the human eye or occur outside the worksite (e.g. internal health issues, depression, long commutes, etc.).

To address the challenges around operator alertness and fatigue management, we believe there are opportunities to assess the operators in advance of their shifts and monitor them in a non-intrusive way to confirm overall alertness in order to perform their job safely. We recognize the opportunity for bio-sensors, pattern recognition of vehicle operation for operators, camera technology, among others, exist and therefore are confident a solution, which adheres to the operating parameters in underground mining, is achievable.

Solution Development

As part of this open innovation call, Vale is seeking potential solutions that can be identified, developed and deployed as a Proof-of-Concept within a four (4) month time frame within its Sudbury operations. We are open to new ideas, concepts and technologies that will help our operations address this issue to ensure the on-going safety of our workforce.

Given operator alertness/fatigue management is an issue shared amongst mining companies around the world, there is a desire to share the validated solutions with our broader network, including our peers, suppliers and customers.

The ideal solution would look to assess and monitor underground equipment operators with the intent of identifying and resolving cognitive impairments, fatigue and/or distracted behaviour. The desired solution will not only protect the operator but will also protect other workers in close proximity to the operating equipment. As part of this solution, the technology must be able to properly function in dark environments and provide an "early warning system" to notify and alert both the operator and supervisor(s) of potential challenges (e.g. abnormal vehicle movement) that could lead to incidents occurring underground. For qualified ventures, we will be offering a short webinar/workshop to connect you with the Vale in-house subject matter expert(s) that will assist you by providing additional insight and help answer any questions you have.