A method to identify the key causes of differences in energy efficiency of operators

Draglines are dominant machines and the most electricity consumers in surface coal mines. With the growing price of energy, environmental concerns, and the high sensitivity of mine profitability to dragline productivity, any improvement in efficiency of draglines can be beneficial for mines. Research has shown that operator skills have a significant impact on energy efficiency of loading machines. This study suggests a method to identify the key parameters that lead to differences in operator energy efficiency (responsible parameters). First, correlation analysis is used to identify parameters that are correlated to energy efficiency. Second, linear regression of a difference matrix is used to determine responsible parameters. Since this method is based on pair-wise comparison of operators, equal number of cycle is required for pairs of operators. Complete case analysis (CCA) is used to handle missing data problems. The final conclusion is made after removing the effect of random sampling and by considering all pairs of operators. Identifying responsible parameters can improve operator training programs. The suggested method is illustrated with a case study using field data.