Modelling and simulation of electric mining shovels

The electric mining shovel is the main rock loading machine at the majority of surface mining operations. The performance and utilization of these multi-million dollar machines can govern an entire mining operation. Despite their significance, they remain largely unexplored in terms of their potential. The thesis discusses the development of the forward and inverse kinematic models, the Newton-Euler dynamics, and the actuator dynamics for an electric mining shovel. The thesis relates to work undertaken towards the development of a mining shovel simulator, the purpose of which is to explore productivity and machine performance issues as a function of the interaction of the shovel with the ground. Both the parametric and nonparametric system identification results are presented, based on field test data collected from an operating mining shovel. Simulator results describing analytical and empirical models, as well as continuous-time controller and disturbance rejection are also presented. The thesis concludes with a discussion of planned continuing work