In most cases, fuel consumption monitoring of big mining mobile equipment takes place using a telemetry-based fuel management solution. That means that all relevant information (live fuel rate, amount of fuel consumed, engine hours, idle times, operating modes) is sent from each piece of mining equipment directly to the centralized control center where it allows managers to see how every truck, loader, excavator, and any other vehicle perform its tasks. It is worth noting that some telemetry systems utilize direct fuel flow meters mounted in the fuel line. They are more accurate and less prone to errors caused by vehicle vibrations, slope, etc.
The initial stage of reducing the volume of consumed fuel involves creating a proper baseline for every single vehicle in operation and at each step of production. After the mine establishes what is the typical level of consumption of a particular haul truck, for example, while transporting ore from one place to another, it becomes possible to detect any abnormalities in its performance such as unnecessary idling, overload, poor gear choices, haul road conditions, etc.
Real-time dashboards also enable dispatchers and supervisors to make quick decisions regarding truck assignment, haul road selection, shovel-truck matching, and priority shifting if the fleet is using excess fuel compared to initial estimates. Data related to fuel consumption helps achieve stricter control of refueling as well. This is because managers can easily validate the occurrence of each refueling event, identify irregularities in the fuel draw, and minimize the risk of fuel theft or misuse. The availability of such information is essential in large fleets since even a few percent savings can make a big difference due to numerous vehicles.
The behavior of the operator is one of the primary factors influencing the amount of fuel saved. Through the fleet management system, mines can monitor how efficiently operators accelerate the vehicle, minimize idling time, follow optimal speeds, and operate during the loading/unloading process. By analyzing fuel consumption data, mines can learn about the crews or equipment responsible for excessive fuel consumption per ton of material moved and thus concentrate their efforts on training these employees.
Fuel savings may come because of maintenance as well. Monitoring devices allow detecting engines working in overloading, idling, and offloading conditions, which suggest problems with filters, injectors, underinflation of tyres, drive train, etc. Addressing the problems leads to both reduced consumption of fuel by the mine and prevention of any further downtime. According to some providers, collected fuel consumption statistics and engine performance information could then serve as a base for developing predictive maintenance practices and machine learning-based optimization methods.
The effect of fleet-wide reduction of fuel consumption proves its strongest combination of monitoring with general operating changes. Mines may minimize empty travelling, optimize dispatching and routing of their trucks, employ such technology solutions as trolley assist, electrification or hybrid drives, reducing diesel usage in energy-intensive hauling operations. The latter may be particularly helpful in heavy haul transportations, since trolley assistance allows a dramatic decrease in consumption of diesel on slopes, while routing optimization decreases distance travelled and idle periods.
