“We started installing Volvo Penta TAD1251VE engines in our TH430 underground trucks about three years ago,” says Dale Rakochy, product line support manager for Sandvik Mining, based in Ontario, Canada. “Since then, our relationship with Volvo Penta has evolved, and all our large loaders and trucks are now powered by Volvo Penta Tier 4i/Stage IIIB engines.”
The Volvo Penta engines used in the Sandvik trucks and loaders meet the stringent Tier 4i/Stage IIIB emission standards for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and diesel particulate matter (DPM). Volvo Penta engineers designed a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) unit in the exhaust system that converts dangerous NOx gas into harmless nitrogen and water. The Volvo Penta exhaust-treatment solution also reduces DPM levels without the need for a diesel particulate filter (DPF).
Ventilation is a major cost for mine operations, so reducing the NOx and DPM levels can substantially reduce ventilation costs and improve underground working conditions. In addition to substantial costs for ventilation, there is considerable complexity to ensuring adequate fresh air is supplied to the right areas at the right times.
Ron Huibers, president of Volvo Penta of the Americas, said: “The underground environment presents unique challenges to heavy equipment manufacturers. The Tier 4i compliant power plants we are supplying for Sandvik’s underground mining machines are a perfect example of what can be accomplished when our engineering team works closely with our customers’ engineers to create innovative solutions to those special challenges.”
