FUTURE MINES’ COMPRESSED AIR PLANNING USING DIGITAL TWIN SIMULATIONS

Abstract

Most deep-level gold mines use compressed air services that directly influence production. However, compressed air planning is often overlooked, leading to unforeseen problems and production losses. Therefore, a need exists for a proactive compressed air planning strategy to illuminate and solve these problems before they occur. This would help to ensure that compressed air services meet the requirements of planned mining. This study developed a proactive planning methodology using digital twin simulations to identify and solve future problems in mines’ compressed air systems. The methodology was applied to a case study mine, successfully solving a problem in which the compressed air system would have been unable to meet future pressure demands. The implemented solution led to a 32% pressure increase, demonstrating the potential of digital twin simulations in proactively planning and optimising mines’ compressed air systems.