Serving to to forestall haul highway overwatering and underwatering is the brand new Cat 789D autonomous water truck (AWT) designed to reinforce productiveness by enabling mine operations to digitally monitor water consumption and cut back waste.
Totally integrating into the mine web site’s Cat Command autonomous haulage fleet to manage haul highway mud, the market’s first commercially out there AWT is constructed on the field-proven 789D mining truck chassis and integrates the truck, tank and Cat Water Supply System (WDS), related with Cat MineStar expertise.
That includes Command for hauling, the brand new 789D AWT presents the identical potential for better utilization than staffed gear. The totally autonomous truck reduces shift adjustments, meal breaks and different operational delays to enhance effectivity.
Complying with watering plans, the water truck interacts with different autonomous gear and integrates with buyer mining processes and techniques managed by MineStar.
The 789D is the biggest Cat water truck product providing that may accommodate as much as 165,000 l (43,588 gal), relying on tank configuration. The AWT senses when the water tank is working low and will be programmed to combine with the water refill station to totally automate the water refill course of. The auto shutoff characteristic prevents tank overfilling.
“To fulfill buyer necessities for mud management, Caterpillar carried out a MineStar-integrated watering mannequin based mostly on a few years of web site watering research and Cat WDS efficiency information. This mannequin permits the truck to observe visitors, climate and highway circumstances, prioritise what areas want watered, when the areas want watered, and what number of passes it ought to take to use the right amount of water saturation, for the given circumstances. The combination of Caterpillar’s a few years of autonomous truck operations and water supply growth have been mixed to make a excessive performing autonomous watering resolution,” says Corey Wurtzbacher, normal supervisor and vp expertise and international gross sales assist at Caterpillar.
When Caterpillar got down to develop an autonomous water truck, integration with Cat MineStar Command for hauling and the Cat WDS was key to the complete integration course of. The workforce started constructing communication between the truck on-board techniques and the workplace management consol to work along with the Cat WDS interface.
To make sure seamless operation and correct communication between the water supply system and MineStar, a compatibility test has been carried out in Cat WDS to substantiate all truck management techniques are working suitable software program and reporting any onboard failures to the MineStar system for applicable corrective motion.
Totally built-in into the truck’s design, the unique Cat WDS varies waterflow based mostly on truck pace and robotically determines the right amount of water wanted to manage mud. Realizing the place, when and the way a lot water to dispense, the 789D AWT helps prospects preserve water, a scarce useful resource at many mining areas all over the world.
When truck pace drops under the minimal watering pace setting, decided by web site operations, the system halts water supply to assist forestall overwatering, poor traction, and injury to haul highway intersections and different stopping areas.
When truck pace exceeds the minimal watering pace setting, the system begins depositing the desired quantity of water commanded by MineStar. Cat WDS actively screens water degree and robotically turns off watering as soon as the tank is empty. To cut back potential injury, the system has a number of safeguards in place to forestall the water pump from working dry. This characteristic helps lengthen water pump life and extends service intervals.
The automated system’s flat, managed spray sample delivers optimum litres-per-square-meter (gallons-per-square-foot) protection throughout the haul highway. Bigger, heavier droplets designed to succeed in the bottom aids in lowering spray loss to wind and evaporation.
Lowering well being hazards related to airborne particles, automated water supply helps the discount of mud that limits operator visibility for staffed gear to reinforce general web site security. Distant tank fill management, full with auto shut-off to forestall overfilling, eliminates the necessity for a employee to be concerned within the refilling course of, lowering the potential of slips and falls.
Mines can shortly swap the 789D AWT from autonomous mode to staffed mode as essential for duties like entrance water cannon operation. The cannon has a capability of distributing as much as 2,839 l/min (759 gal/min) with a sprig distance reaching 60m (200ft). Even with staffed operation, Auto Mode water supply automates the watering course of to leverage variable water circulation and automated dedication of the right amount of water wanted to manage mud.
