Bluvein has moved its dynamic in-motion charging technology for heavy haulage battery electric vehicles closer to commercialisation after successfully testing the technology's advanced vision system.

Dynamic in-motion charging is emerging as a buzzword in the mining space but is really just a fancy term for trolley assist.

In place of a pantograph atop a truck's cab linking to overhead wires, Bluvein's slotted electric rail system uses enclosed electrified rails mounted above or beside hybrid diesel-electric battery trucks or fully electric BEVs, with a "hammer" connecting the vehicle to the rail.

Bluvein is a joint venture between Australian mining technology developer Olitek and Swedish electric highways developer Evias.

Bluvein chief executive officer James Oliver told Australia's Mining Monthly the technology directly addressed the limitations of existing power, safety and productivity approaches around the use of batteries and hydrogen to power underground haul trucks.

Oliver said while most haul trucks were expected to haul 300t and worked up to 20 hours per day, existing battery and hydrogen technologies struggled to meet such rigorous demands.

There are about 28,000 surface haul trucks running on diesel in operation globally, that collectively emit 69 million tonnes of CO2 per annum.

That number is expected to rise to 77Mt by 2023.

Oliver said the mining industry urgently needed innovative solutions to curb emissions while maintaining productivity.

In a typical Australian underground mine, battery-electric trucks cannot drive fully loaded up a decline on one charge.

The power and speed delivered by Bluvein's technology could be an answer to getting haul trucks up the decline without them running out of charge.

Oliver said Bluvein's fast-to-install, quickly relocatable and side-mounted safe rail bridged battery capacity shortfalls by transferring power to trucks while in motion, for continuous haulage productivity improvements of 40%.

Allowing battery electric vehicles to charge while on the move enhances Bluvein's dynamic in-motion charging technology.

In turn, miners are protected from harmful diesel particulates, leading to healthier work environments.

Points of difference

A Bluvein spokesman told AMM the idea for the grid-to-truck connector was inspired by Europe's highways, which use rails enclosed within the roads.

He said the same core technology was used for both surface and underground operations, just adapted for the conditions.

Bluvein is not the only company pursuing this type of dynamic power transfer.

Caterpillar's Dynamic Energy Transfer system can transfer energy to both diesel-electric and battery-electric large mining trucks while they are working.

It too can charge machine batteries while operating and give the connected truck increased speed on grade.

Cat DET has integrated elements including a power module to convert energy from a mine site's power source, an electrified rail system to transmit the energy, and a machine system to transfer the energy to the truck's powertrain.

The rail system can be deployed to specific areas on site, including high-speed and curved haul roads.

The connecting arm can be installed on both sides of a truck and on multiple truck models.

Liebherr has also released its Power Rail dynamic charging and power transfer solution.

Fitted with lightweight, simple electric rail infrastructure and an interoperable and minimally invasive side-arm type current collector, the Power Rail builds on Liebherr's Trolley Bar.

According to Liebherr, the "truck class agnostic solution" was designed to boost productivity.

The system can be  installed quickly at a lower price than other dynamic charging technologies on the market 

Bluvein's spokesman said one major difference between Cat's system and Bluvein's was that Cat's system was exposed, while Bluvein's was not.

He said the Cat system was just for Cat customers, while Bluvein's was an agnostic offering.

Oliver said while Bluvein respected Cat's system, the G2T connector was particularly unique and more attractive to miners and original equipment manufacturers.

Bluvein G2T connector specifications

The G2T connector is designed as an open platform and is interoperable with fleets from multiple OEMs.

That gives operators more flexibility, compared to proprietary systems.

The slotted rail infrastructure has fully-enclosed high-voltage conductors that Bluvein says cannot be touched even accidentally, to keep miners safer in harsh conditions.

Oliver said the technology had been designed and rigorously tested to meet the highest global safety standards.

A built-in automatic connect-disconnect feature means vehicles can connect and disconnect automatically along any point of the rail.

Oliver said that meant if a truck veered off track then the built-in fail-safe system would kick in and stop the vehicle from moving any further.

He said that would maximise energy transfer time and ensure uninterrupted operations for both autonomous and driver-operated vehicles.

The transition technology is also designed to be compatible with diesel-electric trucks, giving miners practical, low-cost help to start electrifying their fleet without having to wait for the technology to evolve.

The system will instead "evolve" with the industry to keep up with the power demands of future battery-electric haulage vehicles.

Oliver said unlike overhead trolley systems, the G2T system was quick to install and relocate, which offered flexibility as mine layouts changed over time.

"We believe Bluvein's diesel-electric compatibility and future-proof design provide operators with an open and flexible, safe robust, scalable solution that fits their needs now and positions them for successful clean energy transition," he said.

Future plans

Bluvein's second-generation dynamic in-motion charging prototype recently completed high-voltage, high-power tests at KEMA Labs in Germany.

Oliver said the system withstood high voltage tests far exceeding industry standards.

"This achievement underscores our commitment to setting a new benchmark for zero-emission technology in mining," he said.

"In the coming months BluVein will advance to the third-generation pre-production prototype, aimed at the first full-scale mine truck installation by the first half of 2025."