ABSTRACT
Mining has been described as an exercise in bulk material’s handling where men and equipment produce ore. In this regard ore pass is a vertical or steeply inclined element in the handling system. Production in most deep underground mines depends on the safe and continuous operation of the ore pass system. Since ore passes are dependent upon only gravity for moving the materials, they require less energy. However, despite the existence of standard design guidelines, hang ups, wall failures and other ore pass problems still occur frequently in underground mines. This paper describes the development and application of a computer code based on Discrete Element Method to predict material flow in ore passes and improve safety and performance of ore transportation. Model parameters include the size distribution, shape, friction and stiffness of ore particles, and ore pass 2D geometry.
