Exact algorithm for autonomous dump truck routing in open-pit mines considering coal production

Abstract

This study investigates a truck scheduling problem in open-pit mines, which focuses on optimizing truck transportation and commercial coal production. Autonomous dump trucks are essential transportation tools in the mines; they transport the raw coals and rocks excavated by electric shovels to the unloading stations. Raw coals with different calorific values are processed to produce commercial coals for sale. This process requires maintaining a calorific balance between the excavated raw coals and the blended commercial coals. We formulate a mixed-integer linear programming model for the truck scheduling problem in open-pit mines. The objective of this decision model is to minimize the total working time of all trucks. To solve the proposed model efficiently in large-scale instances, a branch-and-price based exact algorithm is devised. Based on real data of an open-pit mine in Holingol, Inner Mongolia, China, numerical experiments are performed to validate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. The experiment results show that the optimality gap of the proposed algorithm by comparing with CPLEX is zero; and the solution time of CPLEX is 2.46 times that of the proposed algorithm. Moreover, sensitivity analyses are conducted to derive some managerial insights. For example, open-pit mine managers should carefully consider the truck fleet deployment, including the number of trucks and the capacity of trucks. Additionally, the spatial distribution of unloading stations and electric shovels is crucial for enhancing transportation efficiency in open-pit mines.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

open-pit mines / truck transportation / mixed-integer linear programming / branch-and-price

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Competing Interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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2025 Higher Education Press