Objective THE AIM IS TO REPLACE MINE CAR DRIVERS BY AN AUTOMATIC SYSTEM OF OPERATION. THE CARS MUST BE ABLE TO TRAVEL ALONG THE MINE'S ROADWAYS AND TO PERFORM THE OPERATIONS NORMALLY CARRIED OUT BY A DRIVER BUT WITHOUT ANY HUMAN INTERVENTION. For the first time automisation is possible for mine wagons between a loading depot (with an operator in charge and a communication aid) and an unloading depot (where the operator may again take charge of the manoeuvres by remote control).The route between the two points is always the same to enable the direction of the vehicle to be determined by the automatic guidance system. All guidance equipment is installed in the vehicle. The type of construction which is most suitable is a guidance system achieved by copying an initial learnt route.Using either modified surface cathodes or high current density cathodes, good current efficiencies at good conversions could be obtained for the oxidation of chromium (III) to chromium (VI) which is the required reaction for chromic acid regeneration. These results were obtained in an undivided cell without a membrane which has engineering and power cost advantages over the conventional membrane cell commonly used.The modified surface electrodes give very good results which are comparable to those obtainable from a divided membrane cell for chromic acid regeneration. The engineering, and other, problems associated with membrane cells are avoided. This development has potential in other areas of electrochemistry and these are being examined.The high current density cathodes enable chromic acid to be regenerated in a nonmembrane electrolysis cell with obvious advantages. This method is simpler than the use of modified surface electrodes but does not give as high current efficiencies or conversions. High current density cathodes made of nickel tungsten, with the potential spread evenly over the surface by a system of masking, enable higher performances to be achieved.Oxygen reduction cathodes are good in theory and are being investigated in other areas of industry such as for chloralkali cells. However, they do not match the performance of either coated electrodes or high cathode current density electrodes in this application.The objective for this program was to produce a truck guidance and control system for mining exploitation. The truck is not an intelligent device able to find its way on an unknown route, it has to learn a route with a driver onboard and has to drive alone on this route later on. The learned route is the route between a loading station and an unloading station. At the loading station and discharge point, the truck is guided by an operator under remote control, to the required position. The onboard truck guidance system, totally self sufficient, uses only inactive fixed beacons laid on the road sides. The type of driving fitting best to a mining environment is the comparison between a learned route, initially setup, and a recoupled route during the exploitation. Using these trucks in any industrial environment implies that a centralized command and control facility exists as well as an efficient obstacle detection system. The first phase goals have been achieved and the feasibility of an automated vehicle driving itself on a learned route proven. This study has been allowed the development of a laboratory vehicle showing that truck automation is possible in a mining environment at a reasonable cost.THE AUTOMATION OF MINE CARS WILL INVOLVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NUMBER OF TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS, THE MOST IMPORTANT OF WHICH WITHOUT ANY DOUBT WILL BE PROVIDING THE CARS WITH THE MEANS TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN STATIONARY AND MOVING OBSTACLES SO THAT THEY CAN REACT ACCORDINGLY. IT WILL ALSO ENTAIL A NUMBER OF TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS AS REGARDS THE DETECTION OF OPERATIONAL DEFECTS IN THE VEHICLES AND THEIR CORRECTION. LASTLY, IT WILL INVOLVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOFTWARE TO ENABLE THE CARS TO MEMORIZE THE CIRCUITS THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW AND TO CHECK THEIR POSITION CONTINUOUSLY AGAINST A SYSTEM FIXED ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE ROAD. APART FROM THE EXTRA SAFETY ASPECT, TWO MOCK-UPS HAVE BEEN CREATED TO ENABLE THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF SUCH SYSTEM TO BE ASSESSED : - THE FIRST IS IN AN OPEN-CAST PIT HANDLING 3 MILLION TONNES PER ANNUM. THE MINE'S CURRENT YIELD IS 150 T/MAN/SHIFT. FOLLOWING ROBOTIZATION, IT WILL INCREASE TO 250 T/MAN/SHIFT. - THE SECOND IS A DUMMY SYSTEM BEING TRIED OUT IN A BRANCH VEIN WITH A 10% ZINC CONTENT AND A YIELD OF 18 T/MAN/SHIFT. THE VEIN IS BEING WORKED AT A RATE OF 24 T/MAN/SHIFT. THESE CHANGES WILL BRING THE PITHEAD COST PRICE DOWN BY 45% PER TONNE OF METAL. Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwareengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcontrol systemsnatural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistryelectrolysisnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metalssocial sciencessociologyindustrial relationsautomation Programme(s) FP1-RAWMAT 3C - Research programme (EEC) on materials (raw materials and advanced materials), 1986-1989 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Métaleurop Recherche SA EU contribution No data Address 1 avenue Albert Einstein 78193 Trappes France See on map Total cost No data Participants (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Centre National du Machinisme Agricole, du Génie Rural, des Eaux et des Forêts (CEMAGREF) France EU contribution No data Address Parc de Tourvoie 92163 Antony See on map Total cost No data Huwood Electric Ltd United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address NE15 9RT Newcastle upon Tyne See on map Total cost No data
