Cummins is designing the next generation in engine technology, benefiting mine sites across the country. Australian Mining takes a closer look at the company’s offerings.
According to Cummins, the cleanest high-horsepower diesel engines operating in mining in Australia today are its QSK50 and QSK60 Tier 4 Final units powering haul trucks and excavators in the NSW Hunter Valley.
In fact, the company says these are the only high-horsepower engines in service in Australia with Tier 4 Final compliance, the most stringent off-highway emissions standard in the world.
Of course, the challenge is producing cleaner-running engines while not compromising lifecycle costs, and Cummins is working with mining companies to deliver a technology roadmap that not only reduces fuel consumption but also results in increased engine life and longer service intervals.
These benefits are vital as mining companies commit to a decarbonised future.
Tier 4 Final has required the most significant change ever in high-horsepower engine technology. Cummins achieves the standard using a combination of clean in-cylinder combustion and integrated selective catalytic reduction (SCR) exhaust aftertreatment.
SCR was selected for a number of reasons, including lower heat rejection (compared with exhaust gas recirculation), minimal base engine changes and simplified maintenance.
Cummins’ entire high-horsepower engine family – which includes the QSK19, QSK23, QST30, QSK38, QSK50, QSK60, QSK78 and QSK95, and spans 800–4400 horsepower – is now offered with Tier 4 Final compliance using SCR technology.
Diesel particulate emissions are significantly reduced with the Cummins Tier 4 Final engine – by 80 per cent compared with its Tier 2 product, which means less soot loading in the oil.
“The cleaner-running Tier 4 engine means longer oil drain intervals because of this reduced soot loading in the oil,” Cummins South Pacific OEM business manager Stewart McKeddie said.
“In fact, oil drain intervals are doubled, so a 250-hour interval becomes 500 hours with a Tier 4 engine, and the engine’s oil filtration matches this extension.”
Cummins’ Eliminator oil filtration system – replacing the traditional spin-on filter elements – and increased engine oil capacity through a larger oil pan are other features enabling longer oil-drain intervals.
A 3–5 per cent improvement in fuel consumption with the Tier 4 Final engine over the Tier 2 unit provides another significant maintenance benefit, as well as a huge reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
“The fact the engine is burning less fuel means engine life is extended by up to 12 months in some mine operations in Australia,” McKeddie said.
“At the same time, mid-life component change-out is significantly reduced, with most components returned to the engine on an ‘inspect and re-use’ basis.
“In fact, belts and belt tensioners are the main components that need to be replaced mid-life.”
Cummins’ remote engine monitoring system, PrevenTech, is another critical element in the maintenance equation.
A real-time digital monitoring and reporting system, PrevenTech provides complete 24–7 engine-health management, helping reduce downtime by prioritising and notifying when actions are required.
Alerts and recommendations are sent through by the Cummins Care team via email, phone and a web-based customer dashboard. The system increases technician safety and efficiency by viewing live engine data remotely without the need for technician or engine interaction.
Whitehaven Coal uses the PrevenTech system and reports it is achieving significant benefits through its implementation. The miner says it’s now being more proactive, rather than reactive, with maintenance practices, leading to reduced operational and maintenance costs.
The system is being used at Whitehaven’s newest and largest open-cut mine at Maules Creek in the NSW Gunnedah Basin, which has production approval for 13 million tonnes run-of-mine coal per annum. The Whitehaven fleets at Tarrawonga and Werris Creek mines, with three million tonnes and 2.5 million tonnes per annum production approvals, respectively, are also being connected to PrevenTech.
All up, around 100 Cummins engines in haul trucks and excavators will have PrevenTech connection at the three Whitehaven mines.
PrevenTech works by applying connectivity, algorithms and analytics to a machine’s engine hardware, helping a mine identify and diagnose issues faster and more accurately. The system works with Internet of Things (IoT) technology and global security standards.
Whitehaven reports that during a trial with PrevenTech it had only had 10 engines connected but still prevented some potentially major downtime events. The machines were diagnosed and repaired without interrupting production.
Cummins not only boasts a range of offerings that improve operational efficiency and sustainability, but the company is also designing the next generation in engine technology, and the Australian mining industry is better for it.
This feature appeared in the March 2023 issue of Australian Mining.