'Bulk material' refers to dry material that is either like flakes, powder, pellets, granular or amorphous solids in huge quantities. Handling bulk material is a task that involves designing and engineering of equipment that processes such bulk material. Major industries that require bulk material handling include mining, cement, pharmaceuticals, sugar, etc. Mining of ore from various geographical locations and under different geophysical conditions is intricately connected with bulk material handling.
Mining is the process of excavating geological materials from the earth. It is a core activity that provides raw material for our various day to day activities. From oil to metals, and from minerals to hydrocarbon gas, human beings will depend on the mining industry for the foreseeable future. The mining industry is an important source of income for some countries. Indeed, their economy hinges on the mining of base & precious metals, crude oil & hydrocarbon gas and / or other metals and minerals. The mining sector generates revenue and jobs for the localities, and since there is no dearth in demand of raw material needed for various products humans need, the mining industry will continue to remain vibrant. A few of the most mined metals and minerals include coal, iron, bauxite, and potash. With growing environmental awareness, companies are increasingly relying on climate-friendly and energy-efficient machines and plants. As discussed later, bulk and granular material simulation software like EDEM plays a significant role in designing and development of such machines.
The Mining Process
Most minerals and metals require unique mining processes; however, there are some common steps involved in extracting them. In the case of metals, the raw ore is typically separated from rocks by excavation using hydraulic diggers. The rock and ore is then transported by dumpers to an open pit and then crushed further to a size suitable for transporting them to the nearest processing plant. Further extraction and purification then depends on the exact type of mineral or metal. In case of crude oil, the oil is bought to the surface by oil wells (whether onshore or offshore). It is then transported to refineries by special pipes or other means of transportation and then distilled, cracked or fractionated for further refining. Whatever the mineral or metal, the mining process is a challenging and demanding task. And the rarer a mineral or metal is, the greater the degree of difficulty in mining and processing it.
Challenges in the Mining Industry
Mining can be categorized into four basic types - surface mining, underground mining, placer or in-situ mining. Surface mining is where the ore is present on the earth's surface and underground mining entails digging the earth's surface to reach the lode metal / mineral. Placer mining involves using water to recover precious metals from placer (Spanish for 'alluvial sand') deposits. Placer mining extracts valuable minerals formed by gravity separation from a specific source rock during sedimentary processes. In-situ mining (also called in-situ leaching or solution mining) involves extracting valuable metals from ore deposits by the circulation of a leaching fluid underground and the recovery of the valuable metal from the fluid at the surface for further processing. It is done through drilling of wells without disturbing the surrounding rock strata. Irrespective of the process used, mining requires meticulous preparation. At the heart of all mining operations is the mining equipment. As stated above, extracting material from the mines is an extremely challenging task. Each terrain is different, and each mine presents a unique set of challenges. For example, mining for oil on land is very different from mining for oil on the seabed. And again, mining for gold in a desert is different from mining for it in a mountainous location. Whatever the case, the most important task in mining is to bring the material to the surface (if underground), and break it into manageable size for further transportation and processing. Handling of bulk material is a tough job, and the mining industry is one area where it is needed extensively.
There are diverse equipments that are used in mining. These machines help achieve different mining tasks with precision and efficiency. Some of the common equipment that is used in the mining industry includes mining drills, blasting tools, excavators, earth movers, crushing and screening equipment, skid steer and backhoe loaders, landfill waste compactors, harvesters, and others. These machines operate in very harsh environments and need to perform well under a wide range of conditions. In addition, the machinery needs to handle bulk material that varies in shape, form and weight – from large quarry boulders to cohesive soils, and from abrasive ores to free flowing granules. The way the ore material interacts with the machine parts has a strong effect on the performance of the equipment, so that is another challenge bulk machine manufacturers face.
Bulk Material Simulation Software
The effort of the mining industry today is to extract the maximum amount of metals and minerals with minimal environmental impact, and it is now looking at technology to make mining a safer, more productive and more eco friendly process. A typical mining scenario involves excavating minerals and metals from above or beneath the earth’s surface. In most of the cases, the material is embedded in rocks. Mining processes therefore involve breaking the rock containing the lode and then transporting this material. The main function of a bulk material handling system is to continuously transport and supply materials such as rocks, soils, ores and gravel for further processing. Thanks to advances in technology, it is now possible to simulate and model the flow of bulk material. Powerful simulation tools for bulk material like EDEM™ from Altair for example, use Discrete Element Method (DEM) to help mining industry transport metals and minerals optimally. The elementary units of granular materials are mesoscopic grains which deform under stress. DEM is a way to simulate the movement of granular materials through a series of calculations that trace individual particles constituting the granular material. Such bulk material simulation software that use DEM monitors flow characteristics like density, particle size, flowability, liquid content, temperature, etc. This provides engineers with crucial insight into how materials will interact with their equipment during a range of operating conditions, and it helps them to use realistic loads in Finite Element Analysis and Multi-body Dynamics simulations for optimal designs. DEM simulation technology is used for the design, performance testing, and optimization of mining and construction equipment such as dump trucks, bulldozers, diggers and excavator buckets. The better class of bulk material simulation tools also integrates with a wide range of other CAE tools required for further processing.
Benefits of Bulk Material Simulation Software
Pre-processing of most metals and minerals involve bulk handling of varied material. In today’s competitive and environmentally conscious world, bulk material simulation software offers a way forward by improving productivity, efficiency and safety in the mining operation.