INTEGRATED PASSIVE AND ACTIVE CONTROL OF HUMMING NOISE FROM KCGM’S HAUL TRUCKS. This project aims to resolve an environmental noise issue caused by the humming noise of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines haul trucks in the areas of Kalgoorlie, Boulder, and Williamstown. This solution utilises integrated passive and active control systems to attenuate the frequency components of humming noise from a truck’s exhaust and engine. A novel aspect of this technique is the use of passive micro-perforate ....INTEGRATED PASSIVE AND ACTIVE CONTROL OF HUMMING NOISE FROM KCGM’S HAUL TRUCKS. This project aims to resolve an environmental noise issue caused by the humming noise of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines haul trucks in the areas of Kalgoorlie, Boulder, and Williamstown. This solution utilises integrated passive and active control systems to attenuate the frequency components of humming noise from a truck’s exhaust and engine. A novel aspect of this technique is the use of passive micro-perforated structures to provide the necessary sound absorption capability and to alter the sound propagation and radiation properties of the truck exhaust and engine, and increase the effectiveness of active control.Read moreRead less
Development of a High Capacity Steep Angle Belt Conveying System. Deep open-pit mining operations rely extensively on fleets of large haul trucks to convey both ore and waste rock. The aim of this project is to develop a high capacity conveying system with the ability to continuously convey ore and rock up steep inclines directly from the pit. The benefits of the research outcomes to the efficient handling of our most valuable export commodities are immense. This innovative new technology will s ....Development of a High Capacity Steep Angle Belt Conveying System. Deep open-pit mining operations rely extensively on fleets of large haul trucks to convey both ore and waste rock. The aim of this project is to develop a high capacity conveying system with the ability to continuously convey ore and rock up steep inclines directly from the pit. The benefits of the research outcomes to the efficient handling of our most valuable export commodities are immense. This innovative new technology will significantly reduce the dependency on haul trucks, reducing energy consumption, minimising environmental impact of the mining process, and improve the health and safety of personnel and the surrounding community.Read moreRead less
Development of a New Generation Low Rolling Resistance Conveyor Belt. Belt conveying systems are employed extensively to transport bulk materials within Australia's mining and mineral processing industries. The energy consumption of belt conveyors are significant and dominated by the indentation rolling resistance of the idler rolls into the bottom cover of the belt. This project will develop technology to design more energy efficient conveyors by employing new laminated low energy loss belt cov ....Development of a New Generation Low Rolling Resistance Conveyor Belt. Belt conveying systems are employed extensively to transport bulk materials within Australia's mining and mineral processing industries. The energy consumption of belt conveyors are significant and dominated by the indentation rolling resistance of the idler rolls into the bottom cover of the belt. This project will develop technology to design more energy efficient conveyors by employing new laminated low energy loss belt covers. With Australian mineral exports exceeding $100 billion, coupled with the considerable transportation distances often necessary in Australian mining operations, the outcomes of this research will result in significant energy savings and economic benefits to these vital industries.Read moreRead less
Modelling and Optimisation of Belt Conveyor Systems. Belt conveyors are the arteries of Australia's heavy industries. Their efficiency and cost are critical to the productivity of our major export markets. A current trend in this area is the introduction of high-speed and long distance conveying. This has placed tremendous pressure on the current design standards which are in drastic need of re-evaluation. This project will address these deficiencies and build a strong foundation for future conv ....Modelling and Optimisation of Belt Conveyor Systems. Belt conveyors are the arteries of Australia's heavy industries. Their efficiency and cost are critical to the productivity of our major export markets. A current trend in this area is the introduction of high-speed and long distance conveying. This has placed tremendous pressure on the current design standards which are in drastic need of re-evaluation. This project will address these deficiencies and build a strong foundation for future conveyor design. This will be achieved by developing rigorous mechanical models for conveyor mechanics and the application of state-of-the-art optimisation methods based on Darwinian natural selection. This will lead to significant improvements in the efficiency and running costs of belt conveyor systems.Read moreRead less
Passive Control of Dust Emissions from Belt Conveyor Systems. Belt conveyor systems are employed extensively to transport bulk materials in a great many industries, particularly those associated with mining and mineral processing. Belt conveyor installations are becoming longer and belt speeds significantly faster, resulting in increased dust emissions. An estimated 16 billion litres of water per annum is used by the Australian Black Coal Industry alone on dust suppression. This project will dev ....Passive Control of Dust Emissions from Belt Conveyor Systems. Belt conveyor systems are employed extensively to transport bulk materials in a great many industries, particularly those associated with mining and mineral processing. Belt conveyor installations are becoming longer and belt speeds significantly faster, resulting in increased dust emissions. An estimated 16 billion litres of water per annum is used by the Australian Black Coal Industry alone on dust suppression. This project will develop passive dust control technology, requiring no external energy or suppressants. This will be achieved through the development of numerical methods verified by rigorous experimental work. This will lead to significant cost savings, improved employee health and safety and reduced environmental impact.Read moreRead less
Analytical, Numerical and Testing Procedures for Improved Design and Performance of Bulk Solids Systems. Mining and minerals production is Australia's most important export industry. Despite the global financial crisis, the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resources Economics (Australian Commodities, December Quarter 2008) has forecast that earnings from Australia's energy and minerals exports will increase by 37% during 2008-09 to A$160 billion. Bulk materials handling operations constitute ....Analytical, Numerical and Testing Procedures for Improved Design and Performance of Bulk Solids Systems. Mining and minerals production is Australia's most important export industry. Despite the global financial crisis, the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resources Economics (Australian Commodities, December Quarter 2008) has forecast that earnings from Australia's energy and minerals exports will increase by 37% during 2008-09 to A$160 billion. Bulk materials handling operations constitute a major component of the minerals production and transportation costs. Through the research conducted in this project, greater efficiencies with reduced operating costs will be achieved while, at the same time, meeting the stringent environmental controls in accordance with the National priority goal of 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia'.Read moreRead less
Advancements in Belt Conveying. Belt conveyors are of considerable importance in bulk material handling operations worldwide. This research will be undertaken in collaboration with three industry partners and will develop fundamental models to predict and improve the performance and reliability in the areas of belt cleaning, belt weighing and belt indentation resistance. A collective approach to the research will significantly enhance the project outcomes due to the strong interrelation of funda ....Advancements in Belt Conveying. Belt conveyors are of considerable importance in bulk material handling operations worldwide. This research will be undertaken in collaboration with three industry partners and will develop fundamental models to predict and improve the performance and reliability in the areas of belt cleaning, belt weighing and belt indentation resistance. A collective approach to the research will significantly enhance the project outcomes due to the strong interrelation of fundamental parameters. The research outcomes will significantly enhance the fundamental knowledge of belt conveying, and strengthen Australia's international standing in the field of bulk materials handling research and industrial application.Read moreRead less
Quantification and Modelling of Particle Flow Mechanisms in Conveyor Transfers. A critical area of solids handling and processing is the transfer of bulk material between conveyor belts. Design of conveyor transfers rely heavily on trial and error and/or experience and cannot cope with the complexities of varying particle properties and process requirements. Poor transfer designs can result in reduced QC and service life, significant maintenance/environmental costs and safety concerns. The main ....Quantification and Modelling of Particle Flow Mechanisms in Conveyor Transfers. A critical area of solids handling and processing is the transfer of bulk material between conveyor belts. Design of conveyor transfers rely heavily on trial and error and/or experience and cannot cope with the complexities of varying particle properties and process requirements. Poor transfer designs can result in reduced QC and service life, significant maintenance/environmental costs and safety concerns. The main aims of this project are experimental and theoretical investigations into the flow of particulates through conveyor transfers. This will result in: development of a novel conveyor transfer facility; quantification of transfer parameters and data; development of models to simulate and assist in the design of complete transfers.Read moreRead less
Dynamic Simulation of Gear and Bearing Interactions in Gearboxes for Improved Diagnostics and Prognostics of Faults. The techniques to be developed in this project should become the international standard for diagnostic and prognostic techniques for high speed gearboxes, and improve the performance of Australian industry. Australia being a major supplier of natural resources, with many mines in remote locations, it is heavily dependent on machine condition monitoring techniques, such as those be ....Dynamic Simulation of Gear and Bearing Interactions in Gearboxes for Improved Diagnostics and Prognostics of Faults. The techniques to be developed in this project should become the international standard for diagnostic and prognostic techniques for high speed gearboxes, and improve the performance of Australian industry. Australia being a major supplier of natural resources, with many mines in remote locations, it is heavily dependent on machine condition monitoring techniques, such as those being developed in the project, to maximise output and minimise the likelihood of catastrophic failure. The techniques also give improved safety, for example of helicopters, which are suspended from the gearbox, making it a very critical component. This will be of considerable benefit to both civil and military operators of helicopters, both important to Australia.Read moreRead less
An investigation of granular stress fields and permeability interactions in gas-solid flow. This project will provide the fundamental theoretical basis for a completely new approach to the design of dense phase pneumatic conveying systems. This will lead to improved energy efficiency, significantly greater operational reliability and reduced wear of system components for the transport of bulk solids in the resource and process industries.