Electrical drive issues in rope shovels and longwall mining machines

This paper reports on the progress of an industry survey examining the current use of electrical machines and drives in the mining industry. Problems and issues arising out of the current practice are examined. The problems identified include occurrences of mechanical stresses in components leading to failures, power system voltage regulation issues and slow take up and application of new drive technologies. Arguments are presented to ways in which the application of modern AC drives can alleviate many of these problems.