RESULTS OF RESEARCH ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THE DESIGN OF MINERAL DEPOSITS DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES

Abstract

Purpose. To develop a new approach to the design of processes for the development of mineral deposits based on the justification of the area of rational exploitation. Methods. To develop a new approach, a decomposition approach was used to represent the cycle of field development; optimisation algorithms on networks and graphs – to find the optimal solution; marginal analysis – to justify the rational volume of mineral extraction. Application of these approaches allows developing a decision support system. Findings. A new approach to the evaluation and selection of parameters is presented, a characteristic feature of which is that the mineral itself is not considered “as the final product”to be extracted, but only as an intermediate link in the structure of energy generation, metal smelting, etc. This allows considering the process of exploitation through the change in the state of reserves, which in turn forms the development strategy. The development strategy involves the construction of scenarios (economic, environmental) within the framework of which the “narrow” task related to the organisation of work, cost optimisation, etc. is solved. It is proved that the efficiency of the technological scheme is an integral indicator, which is formed by a group of technological, operational, economic factors within the field of rational design and depends on functional relationships. As an example, the technological processes of a coal mine as a component of an electric power generation system are considered in a complex. Originality. The scientific novelty of the work is to establish the laws of formation of the efficiency of the processes of development of mineral deposits. It was established that the increase in the efficiency of the processes of mineral deposits development is achieved based on increasing the reliability of technological schemes, which is directly proportional to the functional relationships and inversely proportional to the resources involved, by optimising network models that demonstrate the heterogeneity and probabilistic nature of the formation of the level of efficiency. For the first time, the processes that accompany the development of mineral deposits are considered through the change in the state of mineral reserves, that is, the task of designing a separate process is considered as an intermediate link in the overall system of production links. It is established that for the design of field development processes, it is necessary to substantiate the area of rational operation, which involves a comprehensive representation of the field development cycle in the form of a hierarchical structure, based on the category of “quality”, which in turn forms strategies; strategies form scenarios, and scenarios contain parameters; optimization of each parameter involves the assessment of priority control factors. For the first time an algorithm for optimal design of mineral deposit development is proposed, which involves determining the volume of production, minimising risks, determining the parameters that meet the optimality criterion and their further optimization. It is proposed to analyse the process of field development based on the construction of economic and environmental strategies. Considering the technogenic load on the environment from the extraction of minerals will allow providing additional measures to reduce the technogenic load. Practical implication. A decision support system in the form of a package of applications for optimisation of technological processes, equipment selection, study of the cycle of production of final products, determination of the rational volume of production is proposed. The application of the developed decision support system will allow determining the economically feasible technology for the development of mineral deposits and minimise the negative impact of production.