Siemens drive system powers largest truck

Siemens has developed a unique AC traction drive systems – MMT500 – to meet the needs of the BelAZ-75710, the world’s first 450 short t capacity mining dump truck. The new vehicle rolled out of the BelAZ plant in late 2013 is currently being field-tested.

To suit the needs of this largest of truck, the MMT500 systems comprises four 1200 kW electric motors, two traction generators, three blowers, a brake resistor unit and a control cabinet with two ELFA inverters.

VIDEO BeLAZ 75710 - The biggest dump truck in the world

As opposed to its predecessors, the new truck has eight wheels, each designed for about 100 t of load. In handle this, Siemens traction division experts chose to develop a reliable and powerful all-wheel drive train with four electrical machines. The use of the all-wheel gear has opened up new possibilities of distributing tractive effort to both axles.

Further, in case of failure of one of the driving gears, an emergency mode can be activated, which would enable the dumper to get to the service station without being towed. The traction motors for the electric gear were manufactured at Siemens facilities in Nürnberg, Germany. The project was completed in a comparatively short time: the development process from ordering to commissioning took less than two years.

Siemens has been developing drive systems for mining dumpers for many years. Currently, the company supplies BelAZ with AC traction electric drives for 240 short t and 360 short t dump trucks.

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BELAZ-75710 is the first vehicle in the class of super-high-load trucks having a weight-carrying capacity of 450 short t. It is over 20 m long, nearly 10 m wide and 8 m high. The turning diameter is about 20 m. Its maximum speed is 64 kph.

The coal mines of Kuzbass region of the Russian Federation and certain mines in Chile and North America have all showed interest in the new truck, the first of which is due to set off to one of the open mines of Kuzbass coalfield.

Adapted from press release by Jonathan Rowland

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/product-news/14022014/siemens_developes_drive_system_for_belaz-75710_worlds_largest_truck_coal523/