Utilization of Electric Power in Open-Pit Copper Mining

At the outset it should be said that the utilization of electric power in the mining of copper ore as in many other branches of engineering requires only the application of sound electrical engineering knowledge, with particular attention applied to some of the special problems involved. It is well known to members of the Institute, and of the electrical engineering profession in general, that each industrial operation involves special features differing somewhat with the various processes, and so it is with the subject of copper mining. It becomes necessary, in order to illustrate specific principles, to restrict ourselves to the mining of one type of ore. It is our belief that many of these special problems arise in processing sulphide ore and the following outlines this interesting process together with descriptions of equipment and discussion of some of the problems involved.