Simultaneous Optimization of a Mine Schedule and a Ventilation Scenario
Dr Lorrie Fava (Director, Ventilation and Production Optimization (VPO) - MIRARCO-Mining Innovation), Mr Hongbin Zhang (Research Assistant - MIRARCO-Mining Innovation), Ms Rebecca Hauta (Research Assistant - MIRARCO-Mining Innovation)
This presentation describes a simultaneous optimization process that is enabled by the Ventilation Constraint Module (VCM), a software tool developed as part of the SOT+ research project.In order for any mine schedule to be feasible, it must be constrained by a ‘ventilation scenario’, which describes the availability of ventilating fresh air in the mine, typically for multiple ventilation zones and across multiple stages of mine development. The VCM enables a workflow by which SOT (the Schedule Optimization Tool) generates optimized mine schedules, each appropriately constrained by a feasible ventilation scenario and maximizing net present value (NPV). Through interaction with a ventilation network solver, Ventsim, the VCM generates optimized ventilation scenarios, that is, those supporting mine schedules with higher NPV.A conceptual case study for a small underground gold mine is used to validate the functionality of the Ventilation Constraint Module and demonstrate the workflow. Results from the case study show that the VCM enables simultaneous optimization of the ventilation scenario and of the life-of-mine schedule.
