Development of a Design Software for a Shaft Hoisting System in Underground Mines

This study proposed a design technique based on the type of hoisting system in underground mines. The specifications of the hoists used at a mine site were compared with the hoist design of this study for verification. Consequently, the drum hoist design proposed in this study closely matched the power requirements at the mine site and fulfilled all the safety conditions. However, for the friction sheave hoist, although the design met the safety standards, an 8% deviation was observed in the suggested hoist power owing to variations in the rope safety standards. Based on this design technique, this study developed a design software for a shaft hoisting system in underground mines. The software included functions for selecting the optimal rope and reviewing the suitability of the design. Therefore, anyone can easily design a hoist system for an underground mine.