Modeling and simulation of an at-face slurry process for oil sands.

摘要

AFS (At-Face Slurry) technology is a mobile surface mining system concept to produce and transport oil sands slurry from a mining production face to join a final fixed pipeline or hydrotransport train. AFS technology provides a direct interface between the mine face and hydrotransport system with the added benefit of eliminating the use of haulage trucks. A second benefit of AFS technology is preliminary conditioning of oil sand slurry before hydrotransport.;Understanding the interaction between production and reliability processes in the oil sand industry is crucial for effective and well-informed operational decision-making. Relatively little emphasis has been placed on modeling efforts that concern both perspectives. This work focuses on modeling an AFS system incorporating production with reliability issues under the imposed effect of uncertainty. It aims to provide a model-based framework for future optimization studies of the operation of the AFS technology.